Change Agent: Telltale Fingertips

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Many banks, fearing the Big Brother aspect of biometrics, have chosen in-depth analysis of customers' online behavior as a backup. Such monitoring can then determine whether a certain customer needs a higher level of security, like a token or an RFID tag. "Some of the most advanced technology we're seeing is those tokens being embedded in something that a consumer is carrying every day, such as a cell phone or credit card," says cybersecurity expert Fran Rosch of VeriSign, a leader in online authentication. "That makes it less likely to be lost." Less likely, but not impossible.

Upson says keystroke authentication's accuracy could soon be applied to verify any Web-based data, like electronic medical records or tax filings. "Even a fingerprint can be altered," he says. "Typing? You probably couldn't change it if you wanted to."