The UK-based bank HSBC has revealed its plan to roll out voice recognition and Touch ID security for 15 million customers by the summer. These customers will be able to take advantage of two-factor authentication that should ultimately prove more secure than a password.
Francesca McDonagh, HSBC UK’s head of retail banking and wealth management, said: “The launch of voice and touch ID makes it even quicker and easier for customers to access their bank account, using the most secure form of password technology – the body.”
Customers who take up the new security system will be able to completely drop use of a telephone security password or PIN. Touch ID on Apple devices can already be used in HSBC’s mobile banking app in the UK, while the voice recognition software could use the microphone on these devices.
HSBC’s move is another example of how Apple has enabled considerable expansion in the functionality of its devices over the years. We look closer at many other examples in the lead article in the new issue of AppleMagazine – getting your digital copy now requires only a subscription on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.