Momentum toward making voice biometrics a routine part of mobile authentication is accelerating. As evidence, look no further than the recent launch of a Voice Biometrics Authentication Module by mobile security specialist InAuth. Founded in 2010, InAuth has built its business around a core “Mobile Security Platform” that supports fraud prevention and imposter detection by monitoring and risk scoring mobile devices and their users.

InAuth also provides mobile application developers with Mobile SDKs (software development kits) that address a plethora of new threats that mobile banking brings to the fore, including detection of malware and “crime ware, as well as other anomolies that signal that banks might have a reason to beware. Important factors already included include location awareness, analysis of device characteristics and behavior and even capture of fingerprints.

At a time when competing products use PINs, passwords, one-time passwords (via text message) and challenge questions to secure mobile devices, InAuth shows that it understands that (quoting this press release) “these methods cannot actually identify who is using the physical device.” It also signals an awareness that “native,” opt-in voice-based authentication can be much less obtrusive and cumbersome than the bulk of alternatives in place.

What’s more, as noted in this article from American Banker, “banks have done a 180” in terms of their attitudes toward voice biometrics – according to Julie Conroy McNelley, a research director at Aite Group LLC. The rapid uptake of mobile applications to support routine banking and financial services makes mobile phones a very attractive target to cyber criminals. This necessitates stronger (and more frequent) authentication of the individual in possession of the mobile devices that is being used.

Still, the most positive indicator in the press coverage was the mention by InAuth CEO Mike Patterson that “this was our customer’s idea,” indicating that mobile banking service providers are well aware of the authentication problem, as well as the fact that adding voice-based authentication to the mix of fraud detection and risk avoidance mechanisms is a natural.

Categories: Articles

Tags: Voice biometrics, mobile security, mobile banking