KnuVerse Unveils Speech Verification Platform
Neural technology provider KnuEdge has expanded its KnuVerse portfolio of voice biometric solutions with the release of an enterprise-ready portfolio for voice recognition and authentication deployments called KnuFactor.
The platform was developed on KnuVerse's voice recognition and authentication technology, which is designed to successfully operate even in noisy environments. The portfolio includes a broad set of solutions for incorporating voice authentication into existing enterprise infrastructures.
KnuVerse separately launched an application programming interface (API) kit that extends the capabilities of the KnuVerse technology for custom development of voice-machine interface solutions. With this cloud-based API, developers can create customized voice solutions on public or private cloud infrastructures.
"Voice technologies are an effective, secure option for enterprises looking for new methods of authentication, but they have to be able to work in real-world environments that include ambient noise, crowded spaces and multiple speakers," says Kate Dilligan, executive vice president and general manager of KnuVerse. Voice verification also solves the problems of lost and forgotten passwords, she says.
The core platform includes two patented identification techniques, KnuFactor and KnuScan, which use the security of human voice biometrics even in noisy, real-world environments. Initially, the portfolio will come with KnuVerse's KnuFactor active techniques, which include the following:
- AudioPass: A customizable speaker authentication application that uses an enterprise-defined passphrase or dynamic prompting based on a preset list of words.
- AudioPin: A unique, dynamic passcode the user is prompted to speak in a specific word order.
To prevent unauthorized people from accessing an account, the application asks a user to say words he or she previously recorded in a random order. The order as well as the words selected will rotate so that they can't simply be memorized or read in a few different combinations to crack the security, Dilligan points out.
By using a single platform, the KnuVerse solution enables enrollment via one device, such as a cell phone, then verifies the user using that or other devices, such as laptops or desktops, or different underlying platforms, including iOS, Windows, and Android, even though the microphone qualities and operating platforms are each a little different, according to Dilligan. "We developed this technology to be flexible in a meaningful way," she states.
The technology has been tested in real-world, noisy environments, such as airports, though Dilligan admits that it would not work next to someone revving a motorcycle.
The KnuVerse release comes at a time when many companies, particularly financial institutions, are looking at various forms of biometrics for stronger authentication and verification, particularly as the threat of hacks and fraud continue to grow. Financial services firms have had a specific interest in voice verification as they move increasingly to mobile transactions and other services for their customers.
Dilligan added that the much publicized hacks against Home Depot, Yahoo! and others were the result, in part, of the weakness of simple password authentication. Though the KnuVerse technology can work across devices and platforms, it cannot be fooled by voice recordings, according to Dilligan.
Dilligan said that KnuVerse has already been in discussions with a number of potential enterprise customers. "We expect to announce some partnerships soon," she stated.