Santander plans UK’s first combined voice and phone ID authentication
Santander plans to offer telephone banking customers the UK’s first combination of voice biometric security and phone ID authentication, reports Jane Connolly.
“Removing the need to remember numbers while ensuring the highest standards of security”
Customers will be identified by the phone number they’re calling in on, as long as it is uniquely registered to them, such as a mobile number.
By recording a short phrase during an initial enrolment process, customers will create a unique ‘voice print’. They can then simply repeat this phrase during telephone authentication, rather than having to key in security codes.
The technology is sophisticated enough to detect if a recording of someone’s voice is being played over the telephone.
“Our innovative combination of phone ID and voice ID gives our customers an incredibly simple and seamless way to authenticate themselves when calling us – removing the need to remember and key in numbers while ensuring the highest standards of security,” says Reza Attar-Zadeh, head of customer interactions, Santander UK.
“The human voice contains over 100 voice characteristics we can use to ensure that a caller is who they say they are, further protecting our customers’ accounts from fraudsters.”
‘Natural Language’ will also be introduced to Santander’s telephone banking service, so callers can state the reason for their call and be directed to the relevant team, without having to key in options from a menu.
Enrolment in the new services will be optional and available to all customers aged over 18, who have telephone enabled credentials.
