Banks know how you move your mouse! Is behavioral verification surveillance?

The method uses the analysis of patterns and patterns of customer behavior to protect their accounts against fraud. Find out what exactly this type of biometrics is and what data is analyzed.

Banks in Poland are increasingly using innovative methods to secure customer accounts. Behavioral verification, i.e. tracking specific user behavior, is gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional forms of authorization, such as text messages, tokens or mobile applications. Implemented by subsequent financial institutions, this solution aims to increase the security of online banking without burdening customers with additional steps when logging in.

What is behavioral verification?

Behavioral verification is a method of securing bank accounts that uses the analysis of characteristic user behavior. Includes, among others: monitoring mouse movements, keyboard typing style and screen scrolling. Thanks to this data, the bank creates a unique behavioral profile of the customer, which allows it to identify potentially dangerous, unusual activities.

ING Bank Śląski emphasizes on its website that behavioral verification is intended to protect the account in cases where a fraudster obtains the user’s login, password or PIN. If the system detects unusual behavior, such as a different style of navigating the interface, it activates additional security measures and may block suspicious operations.

Why do banks introduce monitoring of customer behavior?

Banks such as PKO BP are analyzing the possibility of introducing default consent to monitor user behavior. Although this technology increases the level of protection, many Poles have mixed feelings about it. ING Bank Śląski reports that only 27 percent agreed to behavioral verification. customers, and in BNP Paribas it is about 50 percent.

Behavioral verification does not violate customer privacy – banks do not record content entered by users, details of account operations or sensitive data. The Behavioral Verification Platform, created by the Credit Information Bureau (BIK), is responsible for processing data collected from monitoring customer behavior. In accordance with the regulations of the European Banking Authority, behavioral biometrics meet the requirements of the so-called strong authorization.

What information does the system analyze?

Behavioral verification is the analysis of parameters such as:

• keyboard typing speed,

• how to use the mouse (e.g. time and frequency of clicks),

• screen movements while scrolling.

Banks emphasize that monitoring only concerns technical features and the style of using devices. The content entered by the user is not recorded, and all personal and sensitive data remain outside the scope of the analysis. The implementation of behavioral biometrics technology is supported by Digital Fintechprints, a fintech solutions company.

What are the benefits of behavioral biometrics?

The innovative method of behavioral analysis allows banks to more effectively protect their customers’ accounts against fraud attempts. Operating in the background, the system monitors the user’s movements and is able to detect unusual activities without the need to involve the customer in additional authorization steps. In Poland, online banking has 22.5 million users – this is a growing group of customers who become a potential target for fraudsters.