Contact center authentication refers to the process of verifying a customer’s identity during inbound or outbound calls.
Unfortunately, scammers have been targeting contact centers to carry out sophisticated attacks that compromise customer accounts, leading to account takeovers and causing harm to businesses and consumers. It is crucial for businesses to protect customer accounts by verifying caller identities to prevent such incidents and their severe consequences.
Call centers (contact centers) face the challenge of finding a balance between ensuring security and authentication while providing a seamless customer experience. While organizations cannot compromise on account security, they cannot risk frustrating their customers either. All these factors make it necessary to implement caller authentication methods that guarantee a smooth experience for callers.
What is Call Center Authentication
Call center authentication is the process a contact or call center deploys to verify and authenticate a caller’s identity. This process ensures the business can safely verify the caller’s identity and ensure the caller is authorized to make changes to or access PII and customer data.
Best Practices for Call Centre Authentication
To ensure customer account security, companies should implement best practices for call center authentication, such as balancing customer experience, security, and efficiency.
1. Efficiency-Security Balance
Implementing robust security measures should not come at the cost of long wait times or complex authentication processes. Companies need to balance security with efficiency for a better customer experience. They can leverage passive authentication methods that verify callers seamlessly in the background.
2. Contextual, Risk-Based Authentication
Companies can utilize adaptive authentication protocols like Authsignal’s no-code rules engine. It helps to flexibly include authentication measures based on behavioral patterns and device authentication. Businesses can integrate Authsignal API into their workflows to ensure comprehensive protection while boosting agent productivity.
3. Regulatory Compliance
Organizations must comply with regulatory standards such as GDPR, PCI-DSS, or HIPAA when implementing passive authentication solutions. Adhering to these and other industry regulations secures sensitive customer data and mitigates legal risks associated with data breaches.
4. Integration Compatibility
The authentication solutions companies choose must seamlessly integrate with existing call center infrastructure, CRM systems, and communication channels. This ensures smooth deployment of the methods and minimizes disruption to ongoing operations.
5. Continuous Improvement
No matter which method organizations use for caller authentication, they should regularly evaluate those to optimize the processes. To do so, it is essential to monitor performance metrics, collect feedback from customers and caller agents, and leverage analytics to identify areas of improvement and refine authentication strategies.
6. Voice Biometrics
Incorporating voice biometrics, although a common technology, is now at risk due to deepfake and AI-driven voice cloning technology. Newer Technology like Passkey Authentication is replacing Voice Biometrics.
7. Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA provides an extra layer of security to the caller authentication process by requiring callers to provide more than one piece of evidence for identity verification. It usually combines passwords, OTP, fingerprints, and FIDO2 Passkeys.
Challenges of Call Center Authentication
Businesses also face challenges when implementing authentication approaches in call centers, such as balancing customer experience and security and the evolution of fraudulent activities.
Balancing Security and Customer Experience (CX)
Strict authentication techniques can be frustrating for legitimate callers. Lengthy verification processes can increase support executives’ average handle time and lower customer satisfaction. However, secure methods should be implemented seamlessly to minimize disruption to the customer journey. Finding the right balance between these two often becomes highly challenging.
Migrating Challengers
Migrating to a new system to enhance security can be a challenge, especially when traditional workflows or call center systems are in place. However, it’s important to note that migration is not always necessary, and the costs involved can be avoided.
With Authsignal, you can easily upgrade your authentication methods without the need for migration. Its simple APIs allow you to integrate risk-based FIDO2 Passkeys and biometric authentication flows.
Evolving Fraud Tactics
As AI technology advances, particularly with deep fakes and voice cloning tools, traditional security measures like Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) and voice biometrics are increasingly compromised.
Scammers leverage these sophisticated AI tools and exploit data breaches where sensitive knowledge-based information is stolen and sold on the dark web. This enables them to bypass security protocols that rely on personal knowledge or voice verification with alarming ease. To combat these threats, call centers must continually reassess and update their authentication strategies, integrating more secure, AI-resistant technologies that can effectively counter evolving fraud tactics.
Legacy Systems
Many call centers use outdated infrastructure that cannot handle advanced authentication solutions. Updating security measures traditionally involves complex and costly system overhauls for these organizations. However, Authsignal offers a seamless alternative. This adaptable solution can be integrated effortlessly into any existing system, enhancing security without the need for high-cost migrations.
With Authsignal, businesses can upgrade their authentication capabilities efficiently, ensuring robust security with minimal disruption and expense.
Active vs. Passive Authentication
| Parameters | Active Authentication | Passive Authentication |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Username, DOB, security questions, voice biometrics | Password, FIDO2 Passkeys, OTP, face biometrics, geolocation, IP reputation, device fingerprinting |
| Security Level | Low security | More robust security, especially when using FIDO2 Passkeys |
| Implement Complexity | Simple or complex, depending on the authentication method | Simple or complex, depending on the vendor |
| Scalability | Difficult, requires more hiring. | Highly scalable, depending on the vendor |
| Customer Effort | Explicit action from the users | Minimal or low-effort action from the user’s end |
| Fraud Resistance | Highly vulnerable | Depending on the method, it is less susceptible and can be phishing-resistant. |
| Customer Experience | It can introduce friction during login and long call handling times. | A seamless experience for the customers |
| Cost | High cost, longer call times, and requires more call center staff. | Lower staff cost. More time to focus on customer issues. |
How to Reduce Call Handling Time and Mitigating Fraud Risks
Call verification aims to streamline a call center’s operations and prevent fraudulent activities. By verifying callers with methods like FIDO2 Passkeys, and face biometrics, companies can eliminate lengthy processes involving security questions. This reduces call handling time managed by human agents and call center automation software.
Additionally, multi-factor authentication strengthens the security of the user data, making it harder for scammers to impersonate legitimate callers. It not only ensures faster calls but also lowers fraud risk. Overall, caller authentication improves both customer experience and agent efficiency.
Phishing Resistant Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security by requiring multiple forms of identity verification from callers. This approach typically involves a combination of “something you know” (like a password or PIN), “something you have” (such as a device equipped with phishing-resistant FIDO2 Passkeys), and “something you are” (like biometric identifiers, including fingerprints or facial recognition).
By integrating these distinct and secure elements, MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and strengthens overall security protocols.
Biometric Authentication
This approach uses unique biological attributes like fingerprints, voice authentication, or facial features to verify a caller’s identity. While these difficult-to-forge characteristics offer a high level of security, data privacy can be a concern for users.
Behavioral Authentication
Behavioral authentication involves analyzing a caller’s voice patterns, typing speed, and other behavioral characteristics, such as human interaction during the call. It can be used passively in the background during a conversation. However, this method works best when used with other techniques.
Future Trends of Call Centre Authentication
The future of call center authentication will evolve significantly due to the rapid advancement of AI and deep fake technologies. These developments pose new risks as they can skillfully mimic voices and behaviors, increasing the potential for sophisticated fraud. As traditional security methods like voice biometrics become vulnerable to these threats, more robust, phishing-resistant solutions are imperative.
Enter FIDO2 Passkeys, a next-generation security measure designed to combat these AI-driven risks. These passkeys do not rely on replayable data like voices or passwords, making them highly resistant to phishing attempts. Their implementation in call centers will provide a robust defense against AI-enhanced fraud, ensuring that authentication processes are frictionless and securely anchored against sophisticated threats.
Talk to an expert to reduce call handling times & mitigate fraud risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Passive authentication can be done without customers answering cumbersome security questions. It seamlessly performs verification in the background during the call connection, reducing customers’ frustration and wait times and increasing their satisfaction.
Voice biometrics, behavioral analytics, and artificial intelligence are the prominent technologies contributing to the shift toward passive call center authentication. These methods can perform seamless authentication without hampering the callers’ user experience.
Call centers can ensure regulatory compliance during passive authentication using the following measures:
Obtain explicit consent from callers
Securely store and manage authentication data
Follow data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA
Regularly audit authentication processes and prioritize transparency