In a North American first, Eastern Bank is replacing security questions with voice biometric authentication for customers calling its service centre.
When a customer calls the Boston-based bank and begins talking to a staffer, technology from Nuance Communications compares the voice to their unique voiceprint, silently signalling to the employee when the identity has been verified, and granting access to the account.
Eastern says that in recent surveys customers expressed frustration with the old system, which required them to answer a series of security questions to authenticate themselves.
Bob Rivers, president and COO, Eastern Bank, says: "Voice biometrics allows our customers to get service in the most natural and intuitive way, through their voice. The end result is a better and more effortless experience for our customers."