International Developers Finger Biometrics as Most Effective User Authentication Method.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2002

New Evans Data Survey Reveals Disparity in Scope and Kind of Security Breaches Between North American and International Developers

The best computer security solution may be at the tips of our fingers or as plain as the nose on our face, according to the Evans Data Spring 2002 International Developers Survey which shows that biometric technologies are becoming increasingly popular in security applications in the wake of 9/11.

The Evans Data Corp. survey of more than 400 programmers working outside North America found that biometric solutions generally -- and signatures and fingerprint identification specifically -- have the strongest backing among developers seeking tools to help keep computer networks free from unwanted intrusions and other security breaches.

The survey reported that biometrics is now the top choice for user authentication, which ensures that individuals seeking access to controlled physical or virtual environments are who they say they are.

According to the in-depth survey, 34% of developers rate biometrics, which measure unique physical characteristics, as their preference in authentication methods, ahead of passwords, smart cards, token and other technologies.

When asked about specific security technologies, four in 10 international developers said fingerprint id was the security device most likely to be implemented, second only to signature-based technologies. Combined eye and face recognition methods accounted for nearly 28% of responses.

"Replacing password-based authentication methods with biometrics devices, such as the face- and voice-recognition systems that make use of the webcams and microphones shipped with many new PCs today, can be a big win for IT departments as well as the users they support," said Jim Carr, an Evans Data Corp. analyst. "Biometric systems not only free end users from having to remember often-cryptic passwords, they also help to reduce technical support costs by eliminating the calls associated with retrieving or re-setting passwords."

Evans' research, which explored a variety of security issues in addition to overall development topics, also discovered that computer networks may be more prone to security lapses outside of North America. In Evans' Spring 2002 North American Developer Survey, 19% of respondents reported experiencing a security breach directly against data in a database server in the last year. Of those breaches in security, 65% were the result of deliberate by viral or direct hack attack.

By contrast, 38% of International developers responded affirmatively to the same question about experiencing a security breach. Of these violations, the international developers found that 43% of all security breaches were intentional, meaning either viral or deliberate hacking, a full 22% less than their North American counterparts.

Survey respondents represent a cross-segment of the developer community, including programmers who develop commercial and custom applications and those who work in corporate IT departments.

The bi-annual International Developer Survey series is a multi-year survey based on in-depth interviews with European, Asian and Latin American developers that offers comprehensive information and trend patterning on platforms and operating system migrations, Web services, OSS and Linux, language usage, Internet development, Java development, architecture and technology adoption, and tools and development issues. The report also cross tabulates various data into regional segments and language usage.

About Evans Data Corp.

Evans Data Corp. provides market research focused on the software development community. The company maintains a panel of more than 14,000 developers worldwide. Custom quantitative and qualitative research is available, as well as subscriptions to the North American Developer Survey, the International Developer Survey, the Enterprise Development Management Issues survey series, the Linux Developer series, the Database Developer Survey, the Wireless Developer Survey and the Embedded Systems Developer Survey.

For more information: EDC can be reached by phone: [phone], by email: [e-mail] or on the web: www.evansdata.com. In Europe, contact Jo Iaconianni, Business and Market Research, [phone] [e-mail]; in Japan: Philip Davies, ODS, +03 3486 2676 [e-mail]. EDC is a division of the American Science Corp.