Land down underBiometric use in Australia grows

Published 16 June 2009

National Australia Bank is now using voice biometrics to authenticate its customers; the bank joins a lengthening list of Aussie businesses relying on biometric technology for quicker and more accurate identification of customers

National Australia Bank (NAB), a banking company in Australia, is one of the latest organizations in the country to begin using biometric systems to better secure their operations, according to a Computer Weekly article. NAB has deployed voice biometrics to authenticate their customers more quickly, utilizing the bank’s call center. Other organizations also have begun using biometric technologies, such as NAB competitor HSBC who has employed facial recognition for better securing their customers’ accounts.

A major concern for companies and organizations moving forward with such systems has been security of the data collected as biometric experts warn of the public perception of biometric data collection as a breach of privacy in the first place.

Many still report great success with adopting new security standards such as the nursery school at Berkshire Shared Services (BSS) whom utilize a fingerprint system for parental access. Officials from BSS have reported that although it was tricky to implement, it has been exceptionally cost efficient in the end.