U.S. Bank Pushes Voice Biometrics to Replace Clunky Passwords
When U.S. Bank announced Wednesday that it's testing voice
biometrics for possible use by customers to access account
information, it joined a line of banks that have been testing
this technology, including Wells Fargo (WF) and Barclays.  Voice
biometric software users log in to an application or website by
speaking a word or phrase. That word or phrase is compared to a
previous recording the customer has made, to verify it's the
same user.  Many industry observers have been saying for at
least a year that the password is dead and more secure
alternatives to authentication, such as voice biometrics and
iris scans are needed to verify a user's identity when banking
online or via a mobile device. (Other alternatives are being
floated as well, such as HSBC's decision this week to issue
tokens to U.S. customers to access their online banking
accounts.) Some press accounts Wednesday stated that the goal
for U.S. Bank's pilot is to improve customer dat