Biometrics: Password replacement for elderly?

Abstract

As technology continues to grow and advance at a rapid rate, most producers and companies are neglecting a rather large demographic: the elderly. The elderly, who are accustomed to more traditional means of communication utilizing pencil and paper, are having difficulty keeping in stride at the same rate as technology is pacing itself in the modern era. Cybersecurity, one of the most vital aspects of technology, is an area in cyberspace where senior citizens are struggling to adjust. Although they understand the necessity of having passwords to keep their private information secure, they often grow frustrated with remembering their passwords, which may vary from website to website and are often strenuous to remember due to regulatory password procedures. The objective of this project is to investigate how this issue can be tackled in a simple manner using biometrics. Biometrics is the most secure form of authentication to date, regardless of one's age. In this study, older adults from geriatric centers are assessed with questions in regards to how they currently manage the various passwords they create for their accounts, how they feel about their current management methods, and methods they feel their experience can be enhanced more than it already is. In addition, different biometric technologies, e.g., retinal, fingerprint, facial recognition, etc., is compared to one another and a proposed solution of the framework that would be free of cost to older adults.