A survey of British consumers has found that many believe PIN numbers will be completely obsolete by 2020, with biometrics among the alternative authentication methods potentially taking their place.A survey of 2,000 UK banking customers by financial services provider Intelligent Environments found that 67% thought the four-digit PIN number would soon be obsolete, with a third suggesting this could happen by 2020.Biometrics-backed mobile payment services such as Apple Pay, which launched in the UK this year and enables users to make payments using their fingerprint and touching their iPhone to contactless points are seen as the most likely successor.David Webber, managing director at Intelligent Environments, said: “The research indicates that banking customers may be losing faith in the PIN. As criminals continue to adopt new methods to commit fraud, people clearly don't have confidence that the PIN is strong enough to protect what's most important.”Innovative alternatives to the PIN are not only possible, they're preferable, since they not only make accounts more secure, but they enhance the banking experience for the customer. Whether or not Brits are right about the PIN being dead within five years, it's clear that banks need to act now to change the current security landscape.”They need to begin preparing to phase out the PIN, and be ready to start replacing it with more progressive security methods such as mobile authentication, biometric security and layered authentication – increasing security as the value of the transaction increases.”

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