Biometrics gains British approval; 3 in 4 people now say they would welcome its use...
October 17, 2006
M2 Presswire

The UK public is now overwhelmingly in favour of wider biometrics use. Seventy-six per cent are more in favour of biometrics than they were one year ago. The striking opinion change comes after a year in which the UK has thwarted an airline terrorist plot and 15 months after the London transport bombings of July 2005.

Personal safety was identified as the biggest driver for the change: three-quarters of people believed it was important for combating terrorism. However, there is widespread public confusion about what biometrics means in practice, with the majority of people confused about the terminology. In addition, concerns about civil liberties were highlighted by almost a third of respondents.

These are the key findings of the TSSI Biometrics in Britain Study 2006, undertaken by TSSI Systems, Britain's document and identity security specialists.

Danny Chapchal, CEO of TSSI Systems said: "I was astonished by the dramatic change in public opinion. Eight in ten people changing their opinion in the last year is a huge increase and can only be attributable to the terrorist attacks. These have no doubt forced acceptance of biometrics upon the nation, but a positive campaign of education is needed to allay fears about its use."

Safety concerns Personal safety was identified as the biggest driver for the change. Three-quarters of people believed it was essential or important for combating terrorism, with only 17 per cent viewing intelligence information as more important to fight terrorism than biometrics. 79 per cent of people were in favour or more accepting about the introduction of biometrics for any travel abroad.

A strong pattern of ambivalence was evident over usage of biometrics in everyday situations, such as in the rail, tube, retail and airline networks. People's primary concern was for the safety of the individual, so that usage of biometrics in airports received a resounding seal of approval. Eight out of ten (77 per cent) approved of its use, with only nine per cent actively against and the remaining respondents undecided. Almost half approved of usage of biometrics in Britain's underground tube networks. However, usage of biometrics in banking and retail was rejected by 59 and 63 per cent respectively.

Biometrics confusion The survey also highlighted public confusion about what biometrics means in practice. For example, when respondents were asked whether they knew that they may be subjected to biometric checks when travelling abroad, the majority (58 per cent) claimed ignorance. However, nearly the same number (63 per cent) claimed they were aware of the pending introduction of new international standards that will mandate the logging face and optionally, fingerprint data (ie, biometric data) on passports.

Civil liberties Concerns about civil liberty infringements remain a pressing issue in the minds of a significant proportion of the population. Nearly a third (28 per cent) rejected the creation of a Government biometric database - even if it led to better crime detection rates. While 54 per cent were convinced of its benefits, a further 18 per cent remained undecided and could join either camp with persuasion.

"Peace of mind is the biggest factor in the change. But the trade off between security and convenience is also an influence. The catastrophic delays and stringent measures after the thwarted terror attack on UK airlines in August 2006 appear to have pushed the British public towards applications of convenience. Would they rather stand in a security queue for hours at Heathrow, or be subjected to biometric checks and get through quickly to the shops? It seems people are now overwhelmingly opting for the latter," said Chapchal.

Methodology TSSI surveyed 1000 people between the ages of 18 and 60 at mainland stations in the UK in September and October 2006. The TSSI Biometrics in Britain study 2006 management report with full details of the findings, issues raised and recommendations can be requested from the following website: http://www.tssi.co.uk/biometrics.html .  

Return to Top

Global research firms Nucleus Research and KnowledgeStorm study released 10/17/06

 One in three people write down computer passwords, undermining their security, and companies should look to more advanced methods, including biometrics, to ensure their systems are safe, according to this study performed by global research firms Nucleus Research and KnowledgeStorm. The study went on to report that companies' attempts to tighten IT security by regularly changing passwords and making them more complex by adding numbers as well as letters had no impact on security. Staff still had a tendency to jot down passwords either on a piece of paper or in a text file on a PC or mobile device. 

"This is really a lot like mom and dad buying a great new security system for the house and junior leaving the combination under the door mat," David O'Connell, senior analyst at Nucleus Research, told Reuters. The study, which surveyed 325 U.S. employees, found that a single sign-on system is just as effective as more complex schemes and that user education on the importance of proper password protection did not deter employees from their lax habits.

"Passwords are high maintenance. People forget them, people lose them, they have to be reset. Resending passwords is time intensive and costly. It takes up time at a help desk," said O'Connell.  The report suggested companies look instead to biometrics, such as voice recognition devices or thumbprint scanners, .

"It's these higher order techniques that companies need to shift to in order to get away from passwords," said O'Connell