UK consumers warm to biometrics

More than half of Brits are prepared to hand over biometric information such as iris scans

Many UK consumers have little faith in the government and other institutions when it comes to handling personal information, according to a new survey by Unisys.

The company found that three-quarters of consumers in the UK do not trust the government to safeguard their data, and almost two-thirds feel the same about financial institutions.

Some 80 per cent of respondents raised concerns about the potential misuse of banking details, while 83 per cent are worried about the unauthorised accessing of personal information.

However, Unisys found that consumers are open to new methods of securing their personal information, such as fingerprint and iris recognition.

Around 56 per cent of respondents are prepared to hand over biometric information to retailers and other institutions as a means of verification. Nearly 95 per cent would gladly proffer fingerprints, and 90 per cent would be happy to use iris recognition.

A similar survey last year reported that only three-quarters of respondents would be happy giving fingerprints and iris scans, and Unisys suggested that a number of high-profile data losses had rattled people.

"After a series of high-profile data loss incidents, these results demonstrate an erosion of confidence in both public and private organisations to handle data in a safe and trusted manner," said Neil Fisher, vice president of global security solutions at Unisys.

"In this digital age, it also indicates a greater appreciation of the value of information, and how that information can be exploited for criminal gain.

"As a result, consumers are beginning to expect a robust authenticator for online as well as offline transactions, and those organisations that can demonstrate the security credentials of their customers stand to benefit the most."

Just over a third of respondents trust financial companies to keep data secure, and 27 per cent have faith in the government.

Some 60 per cent are worried about the security of shopping and banking online, while 62 per cent are concerned about computer security. A seemingly trustful 38 per cent are not concerned at all.