https://securitytoday.com/articles/2016/02/24/mastercard-unveils-new-selfie-security-check.aspx

Are Seflies Replacing Passwords?

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Mar 15, 2016

Amazon is looking into allowing shoppers to pay with a selfie, or a picture of themselves. The online retailer has filed a patent application for the technology, saying it is more secure and less “awkward” than traditional passwords.

Customers would be prompted to take a quick selfie or video of themselves to authenticate payments, instead of typing a password. To double check that the image is a legitimate selfie of a living human being and not just a scan of a picture of the user, the system would require users to blink, smile or tilt their head when taking the picture.

Amazon’s facial recognition system would ensure it is the actual customer, and not hackers, thieves or kids using their parent’s devices, who is making the purchase. The process would replace typed passwords in the same way that the iPhone’s thumbprint has replaced the security PIN to open the phone.

MasterCard has recently launched selfie and finger print payments based on a similar principle, and Windows 10 allows people to log into their PCs with a facial scan. So, is Amazon hopping on a train that is catering to the trend of the “selfie generation,” or is this really the death of the typed password?

I guess time will only tell.

 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Hot AI Chatbot DeepSeek Comes Loaded With Privacy, Data Security Concerns

    In the artificial intelligence race powered by American companies like OpenAI and Google, a new Chinese rival is upending the market—even with the possible privacy and data security issues. Read Now

  • Survey: CISOs Increasing Budgets for Crisis Simulations in 2025

    Today, Cyber Performance Center, Hack The Box, released new data showcasing the perspectives of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) towards cyber preparedness in 2025. In the aftermath of 2024’s high-profile cybersecurity incidents, including NHS, CrowdStrike, TfL, 23andMe, and Cencora, CISOs are reassessing their organization’s readiness to manage a potential “chaos” of a full-scale cyber crisis. Read Now

  • Human Risk Management: A Silver Bullet for Effective Security Awareness Training

    You would think in a world where cybersecurity breaches are frequently in the news, that it wouldn’t require much to convince CEOs and C-suite leaders of the value and importance of security awareness training (SAT). Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Read Now

  • Windsor Port Authority Strengthens U.S.-Canada Border Waterway Safety, Security

    Windsor Port Authority, one of just 17 national ports created by the 1999 Canada Marine Act, has enhanced waterway safety and security across its jurisdiction on the U.S.-Canada border with state-of-the-art cameras from Axis Communications. These cameras, combined with radar solutions from Accipiter Radar Technologies Inc., provide the port with the visibility needed to prevent collisions, better detect illegal activity, and save lives along the river. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.