Out-Law / Your Daily Need-To-Know

A report carried out by Jupiter Media Metrix has highlighted the problems with the password identification process currently used by many web shopping systems. The main concern is that it does not provide sufficient security for those shopping on the internet.

The percentage of on-line shoppers willing to provide personal information on web sites has almost doubled over the last year – from 26% in 1999 to 47% in 2000. However, these consumers are still uneasy about the levels of security provided. The survey showed that only 14% of consumers believed that current web security is adequate, the majority being keen for increased security – even if this means a longer identification process for the individual shopper.

A password can also be easily forgotten and this creates an enormous volume of customer service enquiries. The report revealed that up to 10% of calls and e-mails to customer services involved forgotten passwords or usernames. Others commented that it was annoying and cumbersome to have to remember password logins, especially when visiting a number of different sites.

Available solutions include customer authentication cards, personal identification numbers (PIN) or a type of portable password created by the user's credit card company, for example as provided by Visa through the “Verified by Visa” password system.

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