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Passwords are difficult to control and administer, they are shared, written down, easily stolen and often sent in email which can be intercepted. In large organizations, resetting passwords and password related help desk calls add up to millions as password systems become increasingly complex. Passwords are also used by businesses of all sizes for access to websites and remote server logon. Yet, passwords can be easily guessed with little research or discovered through brute force. You can't be sure who is typing in a password which provides an inaccurate audit trail of secure logons and transactions. Increased online fraud and new industry regulations are driving companies to search for stronger authentication methods.
As this chart indicates below, when conducting business online the risk of exposure increases dramatically with transaction frequencies typically found in online purchasing, stock and bond trading and electronic funds transfers. However, when dealing with consumer-facing applications, such as online banking and e-commerce, strong authentication must be balanced with convenience. If it's too difficult to bank, shop online, or access their corporate networks user adoption will be minimal. 
In a survey published in February, of those polled 63% were worried about identity fraud and 69% said they would prefer that banks, credit-card companies, health-care providers and government organizations adopt biometrics over smart-card readers, security tokens or passwords.
- Wallstreet Journal, April 2006, “Fingerprints Give a Hand to Security.”
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