Beyond Password Reset: IBM Sees Biometrics as Password Replacement

Here’s a good way to spend the next five minutes. Click on this link to see a YouTube feature that IBM calls “5 in 5.” In it, an unnamed IBM researcher walks through five major scientific developments that are destined to bring well-understood benefits to the mass market. The ideas are pretty broad. First is the concept of people power as the ultimate renewable resource. For example showing how a person peddling a bike would be using the energy to charge a battery (I’m thinking back to my first Schwinn, which had a small generator to power its front headlight and red backlight).

Under the topic of “mind reading” IBM demonstrated the ability to move “beyond gaming” to ways to “link your brain to devices” so that simply thinking about a device or appliance can take control of it. More realistic is the use of mobile devices to bridge the digital divide by putting affordable, communicating computers (aka smartphones) in everyone’s hands. Then there is the slightly less likely ability to use analytics to eliminate “spam” email.

But the most interesting, from our voice biometrics-driven point of view, is the idea of using a biometric (the researcher specifically cites voiceprints or iris scans) to take the place of passwords for all those times a password-driven barrier acts as a deterrent to getting email, playing music, making a purchase or even getting on an employer’s VPN (virtual private network). Purveyors of voice biometrics-based solutions are familiar with the problems that complex business rules surrounding passwords can generate. People who have to change their password every three months and replace those that rely on mnemonics with ones that “contain at least 8 characters which must include at least one number and one symbol” are going to either forget them or write them down on highly “discoverable” Post-It notes.

Their answer, thus far, has been “Password Reset” (PWR) solutions. Recognizing that there is a built in business case for a system, service or platform that can automate the processes underlying PWR by using a voice print (rather than challenge questions from highly-trained tech support or help desk personnel), a number of firms address the PWR market. But in this video, IBM’s researchers indicate that providers of PWR are thinking too small. Instead of merely resetting the password, they think we should be replacing it.

I agree with IBM on two counts. First, biometrics are destined to make passwords irrelevant in the next five years. Second, the transition will be based on presenting wireless subscribers with a very simple alternative to cumbersome passwords as mechanisms for carrying out e-commerce. Voice will co-exist with other biometrics (fingerprint, facial recognition, iris scans, primarily) but the idea of “never having to remember another password” will win the day with everyday people.

Just add IBM to the list of technology’s household names, also including Gartner, who see voice biometrics making an entry to the mainstream in less than five years. It’s time to think beyond mere password reset to multi-factor password replacement.