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U.S. and U.K. Consumers Push for Biometric Technology in Wake of Rising Security ThreatsMistrust of business and government security measures spurs broader adoption
BLUE BELL, Pa., February 05, 2007 – Consumer mistrust of the current processes that government and business use to protect the security of personal information, as well as misgivings about security at major border crossings, has reached new highs, according to data released by the Unisys Trusted Enterprise Index. In response to rising fears, consumers now overwhelmingly favor the use of biometric technology to identify individuals through physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial patterns and hand measurements, and believe this will have the greatest impact to strengthen data and border security.
“We’ve seen a consistent outcry among consumers for more effective technologies, like biometrics, that will better equip businesses and government organizations to protect and verify personal information in a way that’s reliable and convenient,” said Mark Cohn, vice president for integrated security programs at Unisys. “Consumers are concerned that current security processes at our nation’s airports and borders are inadequate, which likely will result in even more widespread adoption of biometrics within these areas.”
Across the board, a large majority of consumers in the United States (63 percent) and United Kingdom (87 percent) believe that the rise in identity fraud and the insufficient protection of personal information will become a significant security threat in the future, and feel that financial institutions and government are not doing enough to stop it. As a result, an even greater percent of U.S. consumers (69 percent) and U.K. consumers (92 percent) would prefer that banks, credit card companies, healthcare providers and government organizations adopt biometric technologies, as compared to other protection measures such as smart card readers, security tokens or passwords/PINs, to safely and quickly verify personal identities.
These findings are consistent with a previous 2006 Unisys worldwide survey on consumer security preferences released in conjunction with the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) last May. That earlier study showed that nearly 70 percent of consumers favored biometrics as the preferred method to combat fraud and identity theft, pointing to the convenience and speed in the identity verification process as a strong benefit.
Biometrics Adoption in U.S. Airports & Borders Could Increase Consumer Trust
Similarly, close to 85 percent of consumers believe U.S. border security is inadequate, and only half believe the U.S. government is making it a priority. More than half (51 percent) feel that technology plays a significant role in ensuring homeland security, and point to biometrics as one of the best ways to improve protection, after physical security.
“The only way to increase detection of illegal entry attempts and smuggling at the land ports of entry without negatively impacting legitimate trade and travel is by using biometrics to identify trusted travelers,” said Cohn. “New programs like Registered Traveler and the Secure Border Initiative take advantage of biometric technology, which, according to Unisys research, may play an important role in encouraging a more trusted and secure as well as convenient customer experience. It’s imperative that we understand which technologies consumers prefer and will accept comfortably, because that will essentially determine the effectiveness of security measures across the globe.”
About the Research
The research is part of a broader multi-year global initiative, the Unisys Trusted Enterprise Index. The index will serve as a comprehensive tool for companies and governments to better redefine their own security and business processes for greater impact and visibility into the cause and effect relationships between business and technology goals and how they serve customers. About Unisys Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company. We provide consulting, systems integration, outsourcing and infrastructure services, combined with powerful enterprise server technology. We specialize in helping clients use information to create efficient, secure business operations that allow them to achieve their business goals. Our consultants and industry experts work with clients to understand their business challenges and create greater visibility into critical linkages throughout their operations. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
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