Usability and the user experience factor are important considerations when you are setting up a system to protect your portal or data. If the process of getting signed in and ready to do business is too complicated, users will find ways around the rules. Users can inadvertently compromise a system by sharing IDs, passwords, even tokens or other second factors in an effort to make the process easier. If the user is challenged to present a biometric factor, however, then the user cannot share their log-in credentials with anyone else.

In other cases, especially when the user doesn’t have a vested interest in protecting the sensitive information or system, willful compromise of the credential is a prominent threat to the system. For example, with government payment programs, internal corporate systems, or some benefit programs people may willfully compromise the system because they perceive no personal cost to allowing others to use their credentials. In these cases, biometric solutions provide a great value. If the user is challenged to present a biometric, then the user cannot easily provide access to that benefit to any other individual.

Biometric two factor authentication, the “something you are”, cannot be shared, lost, or stolen in the same way “something you have” can be. Voice biometrics technology has an advantage over other forms of biometrics such as fingerprints or eye scans, because there is no need for expensive specialized hardware or equipment. Voice biometrics uses an existing hardware device the user already owns – the phone. Users instinctively know how to use the system and are usually much more comfortable with voice biometrics than other technique.

Users also don’t have to be in a ‘cone of silence’ to use voice biometrics. Sophisticated voice systems use a large number of data points to allow for variances from background noise, or a person with a cold or other temporary change in their voice. Frequency and cadence of the person’s speech are just as important in the speech recognition, synthesis, and voice verification of a highly developed system. The goal is to recognize who is speaking, not necessarily what is being said.

Voice biometrics is a good tool in the complete set of second factor authentication vectors that allow an enterprise to progressively increase or decrease the different levels – types or frequency – of authentication required based on either risk to the system or the user’s role.

To find out more about the benefits of using voice biometrics, click here to contact a specialist.