The days of the password could be numbered following research that found younger British consumers would have no problem with using biometric data to verify their accounts instead.
Research conducted by Visa Europe found that three-quarters of 16-24 year olds in the UK would feel comfortable using information such as fingerprint scans, facial recognition or retina scanning in place of traditional passcodes.
Overall, three-quarters (76 percent) of this age group said that they would feel comfortable making a payment using biometric security, with over two thirds (69 percent) believe this will make their lives faster and easier.
Fingerprint scanning was seen as the most popular form of biometric scanning, with nearly 70 percent of respondents saying they would prefer using these to passwords, followed by retina scans (39 percent) and facial recognition (27 percent).
The survey found that this so-called ‘Generation Z’ was more likely than older generations to use a single PIN number across multiple accounts, with 34 percent admitting have shared their debit or credit card PIN number with someone, as opposed to 23 percent of all respondents.
These flappy tongues also extended to passwords, with 32 percent have shared their smartphone password, (versus 10 percent of all respondents), and 22 percent have shared their internet banking password, (as opposed to 7 percent overall).
Overall, more than half of Generation Z believed that passwords and PIN codes would no longer be necessary by the end of the decade.
“Biometric authentication using fingerprint recognition or retinal scans offers an ideal solution, combining unique security and ease of use,” said Jonathan Vaux, executive director at Visa Europe. “As products come online with these features integrated, we expect to see multiple passwords as the industry standard begin to decline.
“For banks and product providers this means two challenges. Firstly, to continue and quicken the pace of development on biometrics to answer this demand from Generation Z. Secondly, to continue to evaluate the increasing range of authentication options to ensure customer convenience and security as payment increasingly becomes embedded into a range of applications.”
Backing for biometric security has been growing recently as consumers look to protect themselves better online. Several leadings smartphone devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6, now come with fingerprint scanners, and recent findings from research firm Acuity found that Christmas 2014 has been a bumper year for the biometrics industry, with consumers capitalising on mobile payment technology to do their seasonal shopping more than ever.
The firm forecasts that intensifying demand for smart phones, tablets, and wearable mobile devices that incorporate biometrics will drive a global market of 2.5 billion users with nearly 4.8 billion biometric devices by 2020.
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Wasn't is demonstrated a few months ago that it would be possible to fake fingerprints?
I agree that something should be done to help Secure all pass words Biometric is great and should be implemented as soon as possible.
Yes English P it certainly was. When the iPhone 5 was released with what Apple claimed was an un fakeable finger print scanner, students in an UK uni cracked into it within 24 hours, the case can be found online easily. 1 password is a terrible idea with all the hacks even against major companies such as sony!!
Nice article but please DO NOT say "retina recognition". What we will see as peripherals to PCs and before long on mobile devices is IRIS RECOGNITION - the textured, coloured area at the FRONT OF THE EYE! The retina is at the back and is difficult to image.
Well, Ipersonally think that those 70 and odd.. percent are very stupid people. Yes Biometric data will be used in the future but is it really necessary to bring it to the world so soon!!! the goverment can not find a single way to make the internet a secure place,so they are physically going to have to mark every single person with an identity. This my friends will cause even more privacy rights to be taken away from us... You guys only use 1% of what the internet actually is... pleasepeople dont ruin the internet ... its hard enough giving mobile information!! oh and by the way ...the only benifit of having biometric login information.. is that your going to make it so much easier for criminals to start identity theft.... Pfff ... I never got asked the question "If i thought biometric login data would bea goodidea.. soo honestly ... i do not think that its as high as 70 odd percent.... Internet should be more secure.but government should understand what the internet really is... hahahaahah
another thing is that most of people's use of the internet only includes 1% of what the internet actually is. How the hell doesmy generation think that cyberpolice will be albe toprotect your biometric data when they do not even have control of the other 99% of the internet... this post has really got me thinking ....Internet users must persuade control for the whole internet first before they try to control its users.. ... this is not to make your life easier people..
The english pensioner questioned that if it was demonstated a few months ago that its possible to fake finger prints... this was demonstrated to the public a few months ago yes.. but the goverment have been using this for yonkssssssss...... for there own benifit ....
yea i h3ad about than
I have found biometric finger print scanners to be worse than useless. Any kind of light scarring to your finger prints caused by doing a rough job or extra skin cracks due to winter dryness renders the print unrecognisable. I have also read that the software on various makes of laptop to use fingerprint scanning is a serious security risk and negates the percieved advantages.
I am very interested in biometics and believe it to be the way forward however, I am concerned that perhaps this is not as secure as it initially presents itself to be. Fingerprints can be lifted from all sorts of surfaces via sellotape alone not to mention specialized tapes and products which are easily sourced. Perhaps retinal scans would be the best way to proceed with bio-metrics.