<\/p>\n
Verifying a person’s identity generally encompasses some combination of three elements:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Something you have (a payment card, for example)<\/li>\n
- Something you know (a PIN or password)<\/li>\n
- And something you are (your fingerprint, iris, and so on)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
So far the first two have served the U.S. payments system reasonably well, Lott pointed out.\u00a0Some of the technological advances are fascinating. Many sensors now include “liveness” detection. For instance, many facial recognition sensors require that you blink to be sure your face picture is real and not a three-dimensional mask, and advanced fingerprint readers detect blood flow.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, consumers have become more receptive to biometrics, Jain said. That growing level of acceptance seems to be evident in the marketplace. USAA, the first financial services firm to offer fingerprint, voice, and facial recognition for mobile banking apps, has garnered more than a million users for its biometric system.<\/p>\n
And smart phone payment systems appear to be catching on. Jain said Apple Pay is supported by more than 300 banks, while Android Pay is accepted at more than a million stores.<\/p>\n
“Biometrics are changing the way we conduct everyday transactions,” Jain said, “and now the focus is on payments.”<\/p>\n
Nothing, including biometrics, promises 100 percent security. One of the keys to solid authentication, several conference speakers noted, is to figure ways to block imposters even if they have compromised biometrics, which sometimes can be done with photos or even 3-D masks on less-sophisticated systems.<\/p>\n
The real key to biometrics becoming ubiquitous is straightforward: they must offer real security and be easy to use.<\/p>\n
![\"Biometric](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Biometric-Security.jpg\")
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The use of biometrics to confirm identity is on the rise. The Atlanta Fed reports: \u00a0The use of physical characteristics to identify people – biometrics – is older than flying machines. Seeking a way to identify repeat criminal offenders so … Continue reading