A beginner's guide to online security features

As technology continues to evolve, new features keep being brought into play that once would have seemed like a distant fantasy. Most of this complex technology heavily features in smart devices such as phones and tablets, but what does it mean for your security? We’ve looked at three security features that rely heavily on you as an individual to explain a bit about how they work.

Fingerprint recognition

Fingerprint recognition has been around for a while now, allowing you a quick and simple way to unlock your devices without having the underlying stress of remembering a password. One of the biggest advantages of having fingerprint recognition set up is that it’s an extremely efficient way to ensure that no one gets access to your details if you happen to lose your phone or have it stolen.

Fingerprint ID can also be used to store passwords and card details, so if you’re ordering something online and you can’t remember your card number, you can simply use your personal thumbprint identity to access any information you have stored on your phone from previous purchases.

Facial recognition

If you keep up to date with the latest mobile phone trends, you’ll know one security feature that’s become quite popular over the last few years is the ability to use facial recognition to unlock and secure your device. The technology is also popular with airports, allowing people to quickly navigate through exit gates by scanning their passports and ensuring that their photo matches their appearance, but what are the benefits of having this technology readily available in your pocket?

The use of facial recognition on devices such as the iPhone allows you to unlock your phone by simply looking into the camera – almost like the next step up from using a thumbprint ID.

It’s a fairly simple way to make sure you’re in control of your phone, as it won’t unlock for anyone else once you’ve set up your facial ID, although it can sometimes take a few attempts to get it to work. Despite the occasional minor fumbles, the use of facial recognition technology is still a helpful thing to have on your devices if you’re worried about their safety and security.

Voice recognition

Several banks introduced a new kind of security system in 2016 that relies on the sound of your voice. When speaking over the telephone, voice identification systems are able to monitor more than 100 unique identifiers in a person’s voice, including accent and pronunciation.

The technology used for this tech records your unique voice ID from a quick training session, which records and analyses the way you say words, and the specific sounds made by your mouth, tongue, voice box and breathing. When you next try to log in, you’ll be asked to repeat a few words that will be compared to the voice ID to ensure you’re who you say you are.

Most voice ID systems are smart enough to identify an individual even if they have a cold, so don’t worry about not being able to access your finances when you’re feeling under the weather – your accent, pronunciation and vocal attributes don’t change even when you’re a bit stuffed up.