Tag: mobile fingerprint security

A new Deloitte study revealed that smartphone users in the country are using fingerprints as passwords.

British smartphone users have adopted biometric mobile security methods to a significant degree. Deloitte released a study indicating that 20 percent of smartphone users in Great Britain authenticate using fingerprints. This suggests that the general public is becoming increasingly comfortable with the concept.

The mobile security study was conducted with the participation of 4,000 consumers across Great Britain.

The biometric mobile security study was called “There’s no place like phone.” That report determined that among the respondents, 63 percent were using PINs and passwords for mobile phone authentication. Another 21 percent were using mobile device fingerprint sensors for that purpose.

The report stated, “We expect ownership of fingerprint readers to continue increasing rapidly.” It also added that “Many millions of people are likely to acquire a handset with a fingerprint reader over the coming year (either as a new or second-hand phone) and some people who currently have a fingerprint reader may start using it, as more apps offer this functionality.”

The report provided a number of reasons that biometric mobile security may be stronger than other forms.

It pointed out that using fingerprint authentication technology is quick, simple and inconspicuous. Moreover, its successful completion isn’t dependent on certain ambient conditions as is the case with many other forms of biometrics. Bright sunlight, for example, doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of this method. Similarly, a noisy room won’t change the accuracy of the scan. That said, according to the report, 2 percent of participants did use facial recognition or voice recognition to authenticate.

The outcome of this study is not unlike those from a prior Visa Europe study. That research indicated that people in Great Britain feel that they can trust government agencies and banks to keep their biometric data safe. As a result, they feel that they aren’t risking unauthorized access of their biometric mobile security data.

When those consumers were asked if they would trust this type of mobile security technology to confirm their identity, 85 percent said they would trust it with their banks. Another 81 percent would trust this method with certain payment methods. Seventy percent trust global online brands with this method. Finally, 64 percent said they would use this with their smartphone companies.

This new feature has now been added to give iPhone and iPad users greater protection for their emails.

Mobile security has become a hot topic over the last while, particularly since Apple has started fighting the FBI’s demands to unlock an iPhone in a criminal investigation case, but for the rest of us, we’d still like to be able to keep our devices safe from prying eyes.

In this light, the iOS version of the Outlook mobile app now supports fingerprint scanning for added protection.

This new update from the Outlook app from Microsoft – which is one of the best loved email application for iOS devices – is now letting users take advantage of the mobile security boost available through the fingerprint scanning feature in certain iPhone and iPad models. Those compatible with this new protection feature are the ones that have an integrated Touch ID sensor. That option is available in the newest smartphone and tablet models from Apple.

Using the fingerprint scanning mobile security option is quite straightforward and easy to set up.

To enable Touch ID protection, head to the Settings option in the mobile app and scroll down until you reach Preferences. From there, switch the toggle so that “Require Touch ID” is active. That’s it. It’s ready to be used.

From there, the next time Outlook is launched, it will require you to authenticate your identity with your fingerprint before you’ll be able to read your emails. At the moment, this Outlook protection feature is limited to devices based on Apple’s iOS. Moreover, interestingly enough, neither Gmails email app nor Apple’s own Mail app support the added fingerprint scanning protection afforded by Touch ID.

In fact, at the moment, it appears as though there may be only one other app that uses Touch ID to help to further protect emails, which is “Safe Mail for Gmail”. If there are others, they are not listed in a quick mobile app search for that feature.

As mobile security has moved into the spotlight, many are impressed with the initiative Microsoft has taken to align itself with the additional protection level for its email application.