UK digital challenger bank Atom is to use face and voice biometrics as core credentials for customers logging in to banking apps.
The North East-based bank, which is due to launch in 2016, says the use of biometric technology will end the misery associated with the complex layers of multiple password logins at traditional banks.
Atom will use software company Daon’s mobile biometric authentication platform IdentityX, already in use by the American financial services company USAA. The US bank currently has more than 1000,000 users enrolled, with 4 out of 5 of their customers preferring biometrics to PIN or password as a way to authenticate themselves.
To provide a biometric gateway, Atom has partnered with IT services company CSC, the provider of ConfidentID, a mobile user authentication service powered by Daon’s IdentityX platform. The software is already in use around the world at airports and international border controls.
Edward Twiddy, Atom chief innovation officer says: “Atom is taking a tiered approach to security. Once a customer’s identity credentials are registered - face, voice and passcode - they can choose how they want to log-in to the Atom app. If there’s an unusual or high value transaction, then we may ask for additional security checks."
He says the bank is starting out with face and voice biometrics, and is already working on adding fingerprint to the list.