VeloBank has informed its customers about the implementation of a new security service for the use of electronic banking. It is about behavioural biometrics, prepared in cooperation with the BIK. The service is free of charge. To start using it, the customer must give his or her consent, which can be withdrawn at any time.

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Behavioural biometrics is a service that analyses how a given user uses their computer and smartphone. The system analyses a number of different parameters, such as the strength of the strokes on the keyboard, the speed of the cursor movement, etc., and then builds a pattern characteristic of the designated person based on the collected data. As a result, it is able to recognise whether the person who has just logged into his or her account is a legitimate user.

"If someone steals or phishes your login details and wants to order transfers from your account, we will have a better chance of detecting this by comparing their actions with your behaviour pattern. We will then activate additional safeguards, such as notifying you by SMS of a suspicious transaction, calling you to confirm whether you are the one ordering the transfer, rejecting the suspicious transaction," reads VeloBank's note to customers.

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As I already mentioned, the solution just made available by VeloBank was developed in cooperation with BIK. The latter invested a few years ago in the Polish fintech Digital Fintechprints, which developed behavioural biometrics technology. Based on this innovation, BIK is building a system common to the entire banking sector. As a result, a customer using behavioural biometrics in one bank, while opening an account in another institution, will automatically be protected in the next bank as well.

Another institution that has already implemented BIK's sector-specific behavioural biometrics is ING. Its data shows that among all ING's deceived customers, those with biometrics enabled account for less than 4 per cent. And there are months when this proportion drops below 1 per cent. So far, however, only 27 per cent of the bank's e-banking users have expressed an interest in using behavioural verification.