DigitalPersona, a global provider of strong authentication and access management solutions, today announced the results of a survey which shows more than half of retailers still use passwords for point-of-sale (POS) system login, despite concerns over the sharing and misuse of those passwords. The survey also revealed that of those companies considering a change to new login methods, nearly 70 percent are considering a switch to biometric authentication.

The 2011 survey of more than 1,100 participants was conducted by NetWorld Alliance, the retail industry's premier publisher of news and information about self-service, digital signage and retail customer experience. Results revealed that over 90 percent of the respondents ranked fraud prevention to be one of the most important aspects when considering sign-in methods. Furthermore, respondents cited eliminating fraudulent overrides and attendance fraud as the most important security concerns facing their business. Fraud and theft remain dominant issues for global retailers as losses continue to mount. The Centre for Retail Research's Global Retail Theft Barometer estimates that approximately $40.7 billion is lost due to disloyal or fraudulent employees per year.

"Despite the overwhelming indication that fraud and theft are major business concerns for POS security, it's surprising that over half of businesses still use the least secure method of user authentication," said Jim Fulton, vice president at DigitalPersona. "The retail industry continues to be a victim of their own inaction – they know the use of passwords is a threat to their business, and yet will accept this situation despite the availability of cost-effective and proven alternatives. Fingerprint biometrics is a proven solution that prevents fraud and theft, is easy to use and deploy and can rapidly pay for itself."

Fingerprint biometrics enable organizations to quickly and securely identify users when performing tasks or accessing applications and records. Biometric POS systems reduce fraud, cut IT costs and improve efficiency.  DigitalPersona U.are.U Fingerprint Readers are easily integrated into existing systems and due to their ease-of-use and stability, are used in more than 90 percent of the biometrically-enabled POS systems.  Large, national retailers and restaurateurs including Yogurtland, KFC, Garden Fresh, Pizza Hut,Popeye's, Connectivity Source and Prime Communications have implemented DigitalPersona fingerprint readers enabling them to transition away from passwords or PINs, and allowing management to tie individuals to the actions they perform. This provides a powerful deterrent to time-and-attendance and management-override fraud. Furthermore, fingerprint biometrics make it easier for businesses to address the stringent PCI mandates, as well as improve productivity and customer response times by simplifying system login at the POS.