Passwords suck, and consumers want biometrics

The golden rule of password security is never use the same credentials on multiple sites. The idea is if one site suffers a breach, hackers can try the now-stolen credentials on other sites. This makes sense, yet many people still do it. You know what? I don't blame them. It can be impossible to remember all of the unique passwords, and writing them down is frowned upon too. What can be done to fix this?

Enter biometrics. Rather than use a password, a user's face or fingerprint can be used. More and more smartphones, tablets, and laptops are offering biometics, but sadly, the web is lacking. Consumers are understandably frustrated, and according to a new survey, more than half of them would prefer biometrics to passwords for daily use.

"With consumers having to log into multiple online accounts on a daily basis, remembering passwords can be a tricky proposition and a survey shows 52 percent of customers would rather use biometrics as an alternative, according to the latest edition of the PYMNTS.com Digital Identity Tracker", says PYMNTS.com.

The company further says, "according to the survey from Gigya, 80 percent of survey respondents with an authentication preference said they believe biometric options are safer than passwords". 68 percent of customers also forgo making accounts on websites with what they perceive to be "complex password requirements," the survey adds.

Yikes. Some consumers are actually shunning sites that require strong passwords. In other words, websites that focus on security are being punished, while more lackadaisical websites could potentially be rewarded. It is unfortunate, but an understandable consequence of an archaic password system.

Do you think it is time for the tech world to move away from passwords? Are biometrics the right direction? Sound off in the comments.

Photo credit: Sarah Cates / Shutterstock