Over on Opus Research’s Voice Biocon Web site, I’ve been logging a number of stories surrounding the global growth of voice biometric technologies as part of multi-factor authentication practices to prevent fraud for commercial banks, investment companies, card issuers and government agencies. A quick index of our coverage: VoiceTrust has stepped up mobile banking initiatives in the Middle East; ValidSoft renews its core patents and applies for some new ones to promote multi-factor authentication and prevention of mobile fraud and Equifax’s Anakam subsidiary releases the latest version of its multifactor authentication software, including voice biometrics.

As I write these stories, I sense an acceleration of interest in fraud-prevention solutions that include voiceprints. It is driven by growing recognition on the part of “card issuers” (be they banks, government agencies, healthcare providers or retailers with loyalty cards) that the use of mobile devices to carry out commerce brings greater exposure to fraud. It is the sort of fraud that can be prevented by “stronger” user authentication as required. Voiceprints fit the bill because they provide “proof of life” (as VoiceTrust puts in its product literature) and a true second factor (“something you are” as opposed to two instances of “something you know”).

I’m also pleased to announce that I’ll be giving a short presentation on the power of voice biometrics at the upcoming 5th Annual Security Confab, which is a venue for thought-leaders to meet and discuss the developments shaping the security world.

Categories: Articles

Tags: mobile services, Voice biometrics, multi-factor authentication