Selfie Authentication : MasterCard launch biometrics pilot programme focusing on facial and voice recognition and fingerprint matching to approve consumer purchases.
Mastercard will start using selfies as a means to verify payments. Mastercard Inc is in an attempt to control digital hoax and will soon offer its customers with the facility to pay for online buying with their face or finger, with the payments giant to initiate its testing with facial-scan technology along with a fingerprint identification.
This new method will ask you to hold up your smartphone and basically take a selfie as this is far easier than remembering yet another password.
The “modernization” will allow 500 pilot users to take a photo instead of punching in PINs. Ajay Bhalla, MasterCard chief product security officer, says that this move will be very popular with youth and they will embrace it.
Bhalla told CNN that the payment company will start experimenting with this new type of biometric security in the autumn.
At present, MasterCard services a Secure Code check for which the consumer is required to insert a password upon sign out in an effort to protect against illegal use of a CREDIT CARD while shopping online.
In order to obtain this upcoming facility, you will need to download the MasterCard app on your phone, and when an online purchasing is on the sales counter stage, the app will drive through a request asking for permission before the compliance of the payment. However, the authorization will be done by one of the above methods according to the report.
The first method is a fingerprint recognition, that requires a customer to confirm their identity by touching their device and the second method is a facial recognition, it will see users stare at their camera while their face is plotted. Users will need to hold their mobile phones at eye-level and blink once when instructed for the check-me-out checkout method to complete. This process is designed to prevent obvious attacks where attackers could use a still image of a victim to verify false payments.
MasterCard announced previously this year that it would be building up its cybersecurity efforts for online and mobile dealings by investing above $20 million in cybersecurity-related technology.
The firm confirmed regarding its plan to set up a trial biometric verification program with California-based First Tech Federal Credit Union, focusing on facial and voice recognition and fingerprint matching to approve consumer purchases.
It is the latest biometric effort for Mastercard. Bhalla is also toying with heartbeat recognition to verify transactions.
The company says that it has amalgamated with every smartphone manufacturer, name-checking major players like Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and BlackBerry. It remains to be seen whether Selfie as a authentication feature is successful and is also adapted by others like Visa.
