58% want biometrics instead of passwords
We know you’ve heard this before. That passwords are bad. That they’re insecure. We’ve loved to hate them for decades. But we’re still using them - at an average of 100 passwords each. And considering 1 in 10 of us would rather have a root canal than create unique passwords, it’s fair to say we’ve reached an impasse. But, the end is in sight. Why? Because we’re finally falling in love with a viable alternative.

Users not willing to create unique passwords
We surveyed 4,000 people across the US, UK, France and Germany – and found 17% of us would rather watch paint dry than create a unique password for all our online accounts. 1 in 10 would rather get a root canal, and 15% would rather wait in line at the DMV. When creating a new password only 29% of us think creating a password that is hard to hack is the top priority.
Our password habits are still insecure
Fifty percent of people globally reuse passwords (17% use only one for all accounts; 33% use a handful rotated across all accounts). One in five people recycle a core password that they adapt to meet businesses’ password strength requirements. This leaves users open to bad actors sourcing passwords from data breaches.
Biometrics are breaking through
Fifty-eight percent of respondents predict that passwords will be extinct within nine years or less, with two in five (40%) predicting in five years or less. A majority say (58%) they would use biometrics (i.e., fingerprint or facial biometrics) in place of a password for all of their accounts if the brands and services they used offered it.
Want to learn more?
Customer Attitudes to Digital Identity
We conducted research in the US, UK, France and Germany, surveying over 4,000 people to discover what people really think about digital identity - find out what we learnt in this whitepaper.
Whitepaper
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Forrester Infographic: State Of Consumer Authentication
Download this report to learn more about how customers are authenticating their identity, and how they feel about it.
Infographic
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*The research referenced on this page was conducted by Censuswide, with 4,047 general consumers aged 16+ in the UK, USA, France and Germany between 20.04.21 – 23.04.21. The survey was conducted from a random sample of adults. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.