New Study from HYPR Finds Older Adults are Ready to Ditch the Password

Technology Uncategorized

HYPR, The Passwordless Company, today released the findings of a study aimed at better understanding login method preferences among older adults. The study was a joint effort by HYPR and a large financial services customer to better understand how a population of older users might assimilate to newer Passwordless Authentication methods.

The study concluded that people between ages 60–90 prefer Passwordless Authentication methods…

“As with any new technology, companies deploying passwordless authentication wonder how their older users, often luddites, might lag in their adoption of new login methods,“ said Yan Grinshtein, Head of Design at HYPR. 

The study employed quantitative and unmoderated data, sourced from both male and female participants between the ages of 60–90, who were recruited from across the United States. The study’s primary target group was on the specific age group of 60–70, with 18% of respondents above the age of 70.

Key Highlights of the Report Include:

  • 96% of respondents are currently accessing their banking or healthcare services either through a website or a mobile app.
  • Of those, 92% are currently logging in with a username and password.
  • A higher than expected 54% majority said they would prefer to use passwordless access for their accounts via a mobile device.
  • When asked about password management, some participants expressed that Password Managers present an additional “hassle” and a “point of friction” for using passwords.
  • Participants who preferred to continue using passwords expressed their desire stemmed from a lack of understanding of Passwordless Authentication technologies. For example, some participants misunderstood that a “passwordless” experience simply meant removing the login requirement entirely.
  • Most subjects expressed a desire for more publicly available knowledge for this specific age group on the subject of new authentication methods.

Perception of Passwordless Technology Improves with Better Understanding

These findings support the notion that by providing more publicly available information and education to this audience, HYPR and digital identity providers can help accelerate adoption by a high percentage of the older population. With a rapidly aging population in which the majority of users fall into this age group, service providers across the digital landscape would benefit from educating their older age group users on the security, usability, and benefits of new authentication technologies.

The findings of the study can be found here: https://www.hypr.com/login-method-preferences-older-adults-study/

HYPR is The Passwordless Company™ backed by Comcast, Samsung, and Mastercard. Passwords and shared secrets remain the #1 cause of breaches despite billions of dollars invested in cyber security. The HYPR Cloud Platform makes it easy to go Passwordless across the enterprise by combining the security of a smart card with the convenience of a smartphone. With HYPR, businesses are finally able to solve the Desktop MFA gap, eliminate customer passwords, and deliver lightning-fast login experiences their users love.

Additional information is available at https://www.hypr.com