Biometric authentication to become integral to mobile devices

Biometric authentication solutions will become an integral part of smart mobile devices (SMDs), according to analyst company Goode Intelligence.

According to Alan Goode, founder and MD of Goode Intelligence, there is need for greater security on mobile devices, as they grow in importance for storing personal and business data, accessing corporate networks and making mobile payments through technologies such as Near Field Communications.

Current security capabilities on SMDs are inadequate, and some next generation authentication systems are too expensive, relying expensive specialist hardware, such as tokens and smartcards, Goode said, which is increasing the opportunity for voice and finger print-based biometric authentication.

Goode said that the unique technological characteristics of SMDs could be leveraged for Biometric Security purposes, to meet growing demand for business security driven by the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. Current methods of securing mobile devices against unauthorised access, such as PIN and pattern-based identification, are also inadequate.

"Last year, we forecasted that the mobile biometric security market would grow to 39 million users by 2015" said Goode. "This was based on the expectation that initial growth would come from two biometric modalities; embedded fingerprint sensors and voice biometrics."

Goode pointed to Apple's integration of its voice-based personal assistant, Siri, into iOS 5, and its recent $365m acquisition of fingerprint sensors and security solutions maker AuthenTec Inc, as evidence that SMD vendors are looking to increase their security capabilities.

"Siri gives Apple the potential to move into voice biometrics and is a perfect authentication solution across a wide range of consumer devices including smart phone, tablet and TV - the agile gatekeeper for cloud-based services". Goode added that "we are equally excited with the potential that AuthenTec's mobile security portfolio can now give Apple and we wouldn't be surprised if we start to see fingerprint sensors appearing in future Apple products."

ITP