TSB Becomes First European Bank To Deploy Iris Scan Tech

TSB claims it is the first European bank to commit to rolling out iris recognition technology in its banking apps.

The thinking is that TSB customers will soon be able to use a smartphone to access their bank accounts, simply by looking at the device’s iris scanner. They can also access their account via the existing fingerprint feature.

A study last month found that both banks and their customers overwhelmingly favour the use of biometrics, but adoption remains sluggish.

Iris Scanner

Biometrics of course are popular asd they often remove the need for the customer to remember lengthy IDs or passwords. Indeed, banks for a number of years now have been using fingerprints as login options for bank accounts.

But the TSB iris scanning feature is the first time that this particular biometric option will be offered for European banking customers. And it only applies to TSB customers using a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ smartphone.

According to the bank, from September customers with a Samsung S8 will be able to unlock their TSB mobile banking app using the Samsung Pass iris scanner.

It says that iris scanning is the most secure form of biometric authentication available today, with 266 unique characteristics compared with 40 for fingerprints. TSB also touts it as the the most user-friendly biometric option, as one look and the mobile app is ready to use.

“Iris recognition allows you to unlock your TSB mobile app with a simple glance, meaning all of those IDs, passwords and memorable information become a thing of the past,” said Carlos Abarca, TSB’s Chief Information Officer.

“As well as a more customer-friendly approach to identification, iris recognition is also the most secure method of authentication available today,” he added. “We want our mobile app customers to continue to have a fast, easy-to-use experience; iris recognition delivers that and, when combined with our other security measures, an unparalleled level of cyber security.”

However biometrics are still not foolproof. Earlier this year, HSBC’s voice recognition software was tricked by twins, one of which mimicked the voice of the other.

Quiz: Do you know all about biometric technology?