82% of Americans favor airport fingerprinting

LOS GATOS, Calif. -- In an independent consumer survey, 82% of respondents said that they would be willing to have their fingerprints scanned, using biometric fingerprint authentication technology, for increased airport security. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for Identix, a company producing an array of Internet and wireless Web secure transaction processing services, including fingerprinting.

Nearly three-fourths of those polled (73%) described biometric fingerprint technology as either "extremely valuable" or "very valuable" for airport security. By contrast, only 28% of respondents rated biometric facial recognition technology as "extremely valuable" or "very valuable" for airport security.

"We believe that fingerprint authentication can be a vital element of the overall solution for airport security because of the balance it provides between high-level security and personal privacy," said Bob McCashin, chairman and CEO of Identix. "For example, an electronic image of a fingerprint -- which is different for everyone, even identical twins -- has the potential to be used for 'real-time' background checks against a national database of known criminals and terrorists. Once an individual is cleared, that fingerprint image is destroyed."

For the survey, Harris Interactive conducted two omnibus studies on behalf of Identix Incorporated. A regionally representative sample of 2,024 Americans (total for both polls) age 18 or older were interviewed by telephone using an unrestricted Random Digit Dialing (RDD) technique. Interviews were conducted between September 21, 2001 and September 24, 2001 and September 26 and 29, 2001.

Role of biometrics

"Biometrics will begin to play a greater role as the government officials and airline executives look to secure America's skies through more effective identification of passengers and employees," said Chris Christiansen, vice president of Internet infrastructure and security software at IDC. "Among biometric options on the market today, IDC believes that fingerprint authentication will be one of the most widely used and accepted due to its ease of use and high degree of accuracy."

Here are other survey results: 

▪ 95% of respondents affirmed that positive identification of passengers is "extremely valuable" or "very important" to improve airport security.

▪ 91% of all Americans said linking passenger identification directly to boarding passes and baggage is "extremely valuable" or "very important" to improve airport security.

▪ 90% of those polled feel it is "extremely valuable" or "very important" to screen all airline and airport personnel to ensure they have no criminal record to improve airport security.

▪ 74% of respondents believe it is "extremely valuable" or "very important" to limit access for airline and airport personnel to improve airport security.

▪ 55% of Americans feel it is "extremely valuable" or "very important" to limit computer access by all airline and airport personnel to improve airport security.

▪ 52% of all respondents said it is "extremely valuable" or "very important" that airports conduct real time checks of all passenger to ensure they have no criminal record to improve airport security.

Identix  designs and develops manufacturing and marketing products for the capture of fingerprints for security, anti-fraud, law enforcement, physical access and other applications.

Through its itrust product, Identix offers Internet and wireless Web secure transaction processing services, including corporate enterprise security, Intranet, extranet, and Internet, wireless Web access and security, e-commerce, government and law enforcement agencies. Identix's partners include Motorola, Compaq, Toshiba, VeriSign, Key Tronic, SCM Micro, Cherry and Unisys.