1. Biometric Security Technology Acceptance Study
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Biometric Security Technology Acceptance Study
James Fletcher, Phaedra Howard, Darshit Mody, Ayushi Vyas
and Hugh Eng

2. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Objectives
Primary Objective: Determine the degree of biometric security technology acceptance across varied demographics and analyze positive and negative factors influencing acceptability.
Secondary Objective: Analyze online security habits of respondents to determine the acceptability of biometrics as a primary form of authentication.
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

3. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Hypothesis
Users who are younger , more educated and at higher income levels will be more likely to accept biometric security devices and applications.
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

4. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Methodology
An anonymous online survey was built and distributed using social media as well as personal/business/school contacts.
Demographic questions: gender, age, education, income
Current awareness, habits and opinions regarding use of security applications including biometrics and passwords.
Questions on issues such as cost, privacy, social/cultural concerns, ease of use and convenience of biometric security technology.
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

5. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Methodology (cont.)
Determining sample size: 384 respondents needed for 95% confidence rate
Determining median income levels
Validation questions: trap and reverse logic
Opt out option
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

6. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Literature Review
“… gains will not be obtained if users fail to adopt the new system.”
Davis, F. D. (1986).
“…innovative and new technologies tend to be intrinsically inconvenient”.
Kim, H. (2014)
Security Fatigue
“Providing individuals with more service and minimum cost for safety against cyber threats would help balance the bitterness/ negativity in the online environment”
Stanton, B. (2016)
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

7. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Data Analysis
410 respondents to the survey in November/December 2016
95% Confidence Rate was achieved
High degree of awareness of biometric security
Many with high number of online accounts re-using simple and less secure passwords and usernames
Those using biometrics were generally pleased with the functionality
Objections included privacy and security concerns
Majority open to the idea of biometric security as primary authentication
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

8. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results
Gender
Education
Male
50.50%
Female
47.99%
No answer
1.51%
High School or less
0.77%
High school graduate
10.77%
2 or 4-year college degree
49.23%
Master's Degree
31.28%
Professional or Doctorate
7.44%
Prefer not to answer
0.51%
Age
18-29
23.23%
29-40
17.42%
41-55
29.29%
Over 55
30.05%
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

9. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results (cont.)
Income
Awareness
Less than $18,000
5.04%
$18,000- $36,000
4.51%
$37,000- $56,000
8.49%
$57,000- $120,000
27.59%
$121,000-$200,000
25.73%
more than $200,000
9.81%
Prefer not to answer
18.83%
fingerprint scan
75.98%
eye (retina or iris) recognition
19.84%
voice or speaker recognition
33.16%
behavioral, such as gait recognition
3.13%
other
2.61%
none of these
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

10. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results (cont.)
Early Adopters
Passwords
Strongly Agree
18.88%
Agree
28.19%
Somewhat agree
26.86%
Neither agree nor disagree
8.51%
Somewhat disagree
7.98%
Disagree
5.85%
Strongly disagree
3.72%
I always use a separate unique password
18.57%
Most of my accounts use a unique password
29.18%
Only a few of my accounts use a unique password
44.03%
Never, I always use the same password
8.22%
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

11. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results (cont.)
Would use biometrics to replace passwords
Reasons for Use
Increased ease of use
65.11%
Increased security
63.55%
Increased convenience
62.93%
Other
0.31%
Yes
49.87%
Maybe
37.53% No
12.60%
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

12. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results (cont.)
Reasons Not To Use Biometrics
Safety of my personal biometric data
44.57%
Concern that a biometrics could be hacked or stolen
50.00%
Cost
22.28%
Risk of personal data all in one place
55.71%
Other (please describe)
6.25%
None of these
3.53%
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

13. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Survey Results (cont.)
Privacy and Security Concerns
I don't want to share my personally identifying characteristics
61.49%
Social, cultural or religious reasons
10.92%
Aversion to physical contact with the device, especially if shared/public
28.16%
Don't like the idea of being tracked to update or maintain a biometric profile
51.72%
None of these
7.47%
Other
4.02%
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

14. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Conclusions
Two of the 3 factors in the hypothesis were met. Users that were early adopters of technology, currently using biometric security and were pleased with the results and were in higher income and more educated categories. However, age was not a factor.
Majority manage many online accounts and reuse less secure passwords. Biometric security may be a viable alternative.
Cost is a factor in acceptance with most willing to pay little or nothing
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

15. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Conclusions (cont.)
Objections to biometric security such as invasion of privacy, data security and unwillingness to share personal data are common with many users. These need to be addressed for wider acceptance.
Other issues such as the ability to reset a biometric profile and providing access to disabled and/or elderly users also needs to be addressed in order for the technology to become more widely accepted .
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

16. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Future Work
Expand survey to other geographic areas to gain more respondents and wider demographics.
In person “hands on” experience with a biometric security device and before/after survey to test levels of acceptability.
Study methods of to overcome objections and concerns such as security of biometric data and intrusiveness.
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

17. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Updates
Preston, April 2017: Risk based analytics and “smart” authentication are keys to greater biometric security acceptance.
Adding “silent” authentication methods such as behavior, location and device information add security and convenience.
April 2107: Master Card Biometric card announced – contains fingerprint reader on the card to validate data stored on the EMV chip.
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance

18. Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance
Questions
Biometric Security and Technology Acceptance