Americans are willing to have their thumbprints and eyeballs scanned to keep cybercriminals from stealing their sensitive data, according to survey results released this week.
Of the 583 respondents polled by tech consulting firm Unisys and Leiberman Research, 93% said they would be interested in using fingerprinting to secure their data; 58% said they would be willing to provide biometric data to merchants and financial institutions to verify their identity.
“We believe that Americans are receptive to biometrics because of legitimate fear about misuse of personal information and pervasive risk of identity theft and identity fraud," says Mark Cohn, Unisys Vice President of Enterprise Security. "There is a growing awareness that biometric technology in a well-designed system can offer the highest levels of identity protection."
Meanwhile, another poll out this week shows that the vast majority of Americans have high levels of anxiety about protecting their personal data online. Some 81% of the 1,003 respondents surveyed by The Chertoff Group and Penn, Schoen & Berland said they were concerned about the security of their personal data online, with 54 percent indicating they were “very concerned.”
Other survey questions show that most people don't grasp that they are being exposed to malicious cyber attacks by using popular social networks and other Web-delivered services, such as free email.
“The poll findings paint a troubling picture, with profound implications for online innovators and the broader technology community for years to come,” says the Chertoff Group's namesake, Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under President Bush. “It is surprising how many people live each day without appreciating the security and privacy implications of the technologies they rely upon."
The Chertoff poll found that 58% of respondents would choose peace of mind over greater capabilities and efficiencies in their online lives. Not everyone is a slave to convenience.
