Study: Just 26% of Brits Opt for Fingerprints Over Passwords | NordVPN
Biometric technology struggles to gain British trust
Only 26% of British people prefer to use fingerprint scans rather than passwords on mobile apps, new research by NordVPN shows. According to cybersecurity experts, this data shows an urgent need for service providers to look for alternative online authentication solutions to make their customers feel more secure.
“As technology advances, our main goal should be protecting people’s privacy and making sure they feel safe online. While biometrics are technically considered the more advanced technology compared to passwords, many people still question it and may have reasons for not using it,” says Tomas Smalakys, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordPass.
What is biometric technology?
Whenever you unlock your phone by holding it up to your face or pressing your thumb to a fingerprint scanner at the bottom of the screen – you are using biometric authentication.
Smalakys explains that biometric authentication proves your identity by using unique physical traits like fingerprints, faces, voices, or eye patterns. Instead of passwords, these features can unlock devices or allow access to information. Since everyone’s biometrics are different, it is extremely difficult for others to impersonate you. However, it is not impossible.
Why do Brits not trust biometric technology?
“Many individuals are scared that if their unique body features, like fingerprints or faces, are stored in databases, someone might access them without permission and use their personal info. Moreover, unlike passwords which can be changed if they are compromised, once your biometric info is out there, you can’t change it,” says Smalakys.
Media has widely been reporting various biometric breach cases. Back in 2014, a hacker successfully recreated the fingerprint of Ursula von der Leyen, the current president of the European Commission, using photos captured with a standard camera, and demonstrating this way the vulnerabilities in fingerprint authentication. Additionally, in 2015, hackers breached the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) database, compromising the biometric data of millions of federal employees and contractors.
These and similar cases may have had an impact on the fact that 14% of people in Britain never use biometrics on their devices — due to lack of trust, according to the NordVPN’s study.
You can always choose an alternative
According to Smalakys, when looking for alternative authentication solutions, both companies and individuals should consider passkey technology, widely supported by major technology firms worldwide.
When creating an online account, passwords are stored on the website’s server, making them vulnerable if the server is breached. Passkeys, however, provide a safe solution by generating a pair of keys: a private key stored on the device and a public key stored on the server. Without both keys, hackers can not access the account.
Additionally, even if the device is stolen or hacked, access to the private key requires biometric identification or a PIN, effectively integrating biometrics with passkey technology. However, with passkeys, biometrics function serve only as an additional step in confirmation, not a sole and primary solution for online authentication. Passkeys are complex combinations of numbers, letters, and symbols, automatically generated for increased security.
ABOUT NORDPASS
NordPass is a password manager for both business and consumer clients. It’s powered by the latest technology for the utmost security. Developed with affordability, simplicity, and ease of use in mind, NordPass allows users to access passwords securely on desktop, mobile, and browsers. All passwords are encrypted on the device, so only the user can access them. NordPass was created by the experts behind NordVPN — the advanced security and privacy app. For more information: nordpass.com.