Capital One SwiftID Swaps Security Questions For Swipe

Capital One is changing the way its customers access their accounts with the launch of swipe-based SwiftID, which will authenticate users with just a swipe-to-the-right on their phones.

The swipe-based authentication system will eliminate the need for users to enter security questions, like “make of your first car” or “your best friend’s name,” and will only pop up on customers’ mobile phones whenever a need for stronger authentication is suspected, according to TechCrunch.

Capital One plans on launching SwiftID on its website and on its Wallet app. To enable the two-step authentication system, Capital One customers will need to sign up for it in the app. According to TechCrunch, it will work by capturing a unique image of the user’s phone, which the authentication system will use for cross-referencing whenever the user swipes on the push-notification on the registered phone.

The swipe will confirm the user’s activity on the phone and will take them to another screen, which is where SwiftID will cross-check the previously captured image. Upon approval, users will be allowed to access their accounts on Capital One’s website without going through any other steps.

Other than securing user login, Capital One is also planning on using SwiftID to let customers change addresses registered to their account or schedule transfers — tasks which would conventionally require a call to the bank’s customer service. It will also eliminate the usual procedure of giving customers a call when suspicious activity is observed on their account by sending a swipe notification to the customer’s phone, which will authenticate the transaction.

The use of a swipe-based system on the phone’s notification layer is a deviation from the commonly seen two-step authentication systems, which usually involve texting a four-digit code to the user’s phone that needs to be entered upon sign-in on a computer or using modern-day biometric authentication systems, like Touch ID and voice verification, TechCrunch reported.

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