A comprehensive study into consumer perceptions and attitudes in Australia and New Zealand has found increasing concern that current forms of identity verification, such as PINs and passwords, are less than adequate security measures in preventing identity theft. In an online survey of more than 400 consumers, callcentres.net found 67% of respondents were “very or mostly concerned” about identity theft compared to 63% a year ago.

And while high-profile security breaches and subsequent media coverage may fuel this public concern, the study, sponsored by Salmat VeCommerce, found 37% of Australians (and 22% of New Zealanders) have directly experienced, or know a friend or family member to have experienced, identity fraud or theft.

Additionally, consumers are increasingly uneasy that PINs and password could be guessed or otherwise compromised leading to stolen information and possible theft. According to Laurence Jackson, research manager with callcentres.net, the ever-growing number of PINs and passwords is adding to the uneasiness.

“There is considerable frustration among consumers at having to remember multiple PINs and passwords when dealing the various organizations,” says Jackson. The study found that 70% Australian consumers have more than 4 active PINs or passwords and account for some 63 million total.

Underscoring consumers’ caution towards the more traditional methods of identity verification, the study found voice biometrics as the preferred method of identification processes (45%), followed by PIN (21%), password (18%) and personal details or history questions (16%). To provide a clear understanding of how a biometric identification process works, Jackson said the respondents were each given a brief demo of the technology and then asked whether they would use it.

Still, some of the data presented in the study signals that consumers’ perceptions of identification technologies remains conflicted at best. For example, asked when an organization uses more technology, “I feel my personal information is secure” some 33% of consumers “strongly or mostly” disagreed compared to 26% in 2008. And when asked “how simple or complex a process you would ideally like organizations to use when identifying you,” 75% of Australians wanted a “very or fairly” complex security process, up from 64% the year before.

Jackson says these contradictions are perception realities and reflect a need for technology providers to better educate consumers, as well as pointing “in a good direction toward future technologies, like biometrics.”