Biometric security to be added to smart mobile devices

Goode Intelligence, a research consultancy, has predicted that mobile biometric security will become a “must-have” feature for all smart mobile devices.

Alan Goode, founder and managing director of Goode Intelligence, has predicted that mobile biometric security will grow to at least 39 million users by 2015. Goode notes that initial growth in security applications could come from two biometric modalities: embedded fingerprint sensors and voice biometrics.

He believes biometric security will become a standard feature as mobile devices become the primary computing device for both personal and business use.

Goode notes that Apple set the trend when it acquired Siri, Inc. in 2010. Siri’s technology was later integrated as the voice-based personal assistant into its mobile operating system, iOS 5. Further, Apple recently announced its intention to purchase fingerprint sensor manufacturer AuthenTec.

As devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart TVs become prominent, Goode argues there will be a need for better authentication solutions, especially if such solutions are provided through the “cloud”. Mobile-based biometrics security will provide protection for the physical device, along with enhanced security for storing sensitive data and connecting to network services which contain private and business critical information. In such a scenario, strong authentication and identity verification for remote services such as NFC-based mobile payments will be necessary.

Goode’s report also argues that market adoption for mobile-based biometrics security will be driven by next generation identification and authentication technology that supports mobile users and does not rely on expensive specialist hardware, such as tokens and smartcards; and by the replacement of specialized and expensive biometric capture and verification equipment that is used ‘in the field’ by law enforcement, government and military users. Further the market will be driven new identity verification solutions that support the growing NFC-based mobile commerce industry, including mobile payments at point-of-sale locations.

Do you anticipate that you will be using mobile-based biometric security for your smartphone or tablet in the near future?

Article Topics

Apple  |  AuthenTec  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  e-commerce  |  fingerprint  |  government  |  hardware  |  identification  |  law enforcement  |  military  |  mobile  |  point-of-sale  |  research  |  security  |  smartphones  |  voice recognition