SOURCE: BioPassword

December 17, 2007 08:00 ET

BioPassword-Sponsored Survey Reveals Disconnect Between Consumer Fears About Identity Theft and Efforts to Protect Themselves

Harris Interactive-Conducted Study Finds 86% of Adults Who Use Password-Protected Web Sites Select Passwords That Are Easy to Remember

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - December 17, 2007) - BioPassword, Inc., the leader in software-only strong authentication, today announced findings from a survey, sponsored by BioPassword and conducted by Harris Interactive®, that reveal of the nearly nine in 10 (88%) online adults who use password-protected Web sites, 63% worry that their online password may be stolen and used for identity theft. However, 86% still say they prefer to select passwords that are easy to remember and four in 10 record their passwords (39%) or share them with someone else (44%) -- putting themselves at greater risk of having their password (or identity) stolen.

Cyber shopping is growing in popularity, especially during the holiday season, as the majority of adults (54%) say they use online shopping sites. However, identity theft is growing too. According to Identity Theft Resource Center, 15 million people were victims of identity theft last year. So, it may come as no surprise that among adults who use password-protected sites and services, two in three (67%) prefer to use Web sites that employ multiple methods of identity verification. While it is evident consumers want more protection online, they still want their log-in experience to be easy and hassle-free.

"The survey reveals what BioPassword has always known to be true -- consumers want better protection online, but they don't want it to interrupt their usual process," said Doug Wheeler, vice president of marketing at BioPassword. "Organizations must deploy non-intrusive multi-factor authentication solutions to ensure their customers are safeguarded from identity theft and to better-protect sensitive data."

The results also show that 82% of adults who use password-protected sites have forgotten their passwords, and the majority (59%) said it happens at least once a year. When they forget, more than half (54%) contact customer service -- a costly expense for organizations.

Please visit www.biopassword.com to view the full report or email biopassword@schwartz-pr.com for more information.

About the Survey

This Online Passwords study was conducted online within the United States on behalf of BioPassword, Inc. between November 29 and December 3, 2007 among 2,949 U.S. adults ages 18+, of whom, 2,703 use password-protected Web sites or services. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and household income.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the online U.S. adult population on the basis of Internet usage (hours per week) and connection type. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Harris Interactive®

Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.

About BioPassword, Inc.

BioPassword, Inc. (www.biopassword.com), located in Issaquah, Washington, leads the market in providing award-winning strong authentication software for organizations seeking a solution that delivers high security with no change in user behavior at the lowest available cost. Unlike expensive authentication products which rely on hardware tokens or biometric readers, BioPassword uses a simple, yet powerful, combination of the user's standard logon credentials (user name and password), and applies keystroke biometrics (their unique typing rhythm) as a second authentication factor. In addition, BioPassword offers complementary software authentication factors such as knowledge-based authentication (user selected questions and answers) or software one-time passwords (single use password delivered to your mobile device) to create the only authentication solution that makes available -- something you know with something you are and something you have. BioPassword is accurate, secure, scalable to millions of users and immediately deployable across the enterprise and the Internet without impacting users. BioPassword is currently delivering strong authentication for organizations in a variety of industries, including: financial, healthcare, digital rights management, government, law enforcement, manufacturing, legal and automotive. To learn more about BioPassword visit our Web site or contact us at (425) 649-1100. For an online demonstration of BioPassword's keystroke biometrics, log onto www.biopassword.com/demo1.

BioPassword® is a registered trademark of BioPassword, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.