The UK bank to roll out mobile banking access via iris scan

The United Kingdom based financial institution TSB is ready to introduce iris recognition to its mobile banking app. According to a press release, this will make TSB the first European bank to commit to offering the technology.

Beginning in September, TSB customers with a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8-plus smartphone will be able to unlock their TSB mobile banking app using the Samsung Pass iris scanner, or the existing fingerprint feature, eliminating the need to remember IDs and passwords.

Iris scanning is the most secure form of biometric authentication available today, with 266 unique characteristics compared with 40 for fingerprints, the release said.

It is also the most user-friendly methods of authentication, requiring no more than a glance.

“As well as a more customer-friendly approach to identification, iris recognition is also the most secure method of authentication available today,” TSB CIO Carlos Abarca said in the release. “We want our mobile app customers to continue to have a fast, easy-to-use experience; iris recognition delivers that and, when combined with our other security measures, an unparalleled level of cybersecurity.”