Voice Recognition Technology: Keeping Kids Safe

By Michele Blandino

It seems as though every day there are new technological innovations brought to market that change some facet of our lives. The impact that technology has had on the way we communicate, the way we learn, and even the way we shop has been tremendous. Yet, for all the changes we have seen thus far, it is quite possible that none of these innovations will impact our lives as much as what can potentially be realized with the advances made in voice recognition technology.

What is Voice Recognition Technology?

Voice recognition technology is a means of using the unique characteristics of a person's voice including the rhythm of their vocal cords and the concavity of their mouth to create a "voice print" which is then used for identification purposes.

According to some experts, voice recognition technology is a virtually foolproof way to guarantee information security. This is because while most businesses rely on the user name/password combination to restrict access to their sites, such safeguards can be easily compromised when a user loses their access information or by hackers tampering with the site.

Because of this, some companies - particularly those involved in matters of safety - have begun using biometrics to identify their users. The most common form of biometric recognition is the fingerprint. While certainly more secure than the traditional username/password combination, the fingerprint recognition has some flaws of its own.

One of the most significant flaws lies in the fact that fingerprint images can be easily captured. As a result, there is no way to prove whether the image being presented is a real-time image or a copy of a stolen image.

Voice recognition technology, such as Voice Telemetry's Project VoiceSAFE eliminates this doubt by accepting only real-time transactions.

The Kid Friendly ID Program

One of the most popular uses for voice recognition technology is to ensure the security of information maintained by child identification services such as FingerPrint America's Kid Friendly ID Product. Kid Friendly ID, which was launched by FingerPrint America and Project Safe Child earlier this year, allows parents to register their child as well as adults authorized to help that child when needed.

In the Kid Friendly ID program, registrants are given identification cards which contain only the child's unique registration number and a toll-free telephone number. Registered children in need of assistance call the toll-free number and in turn, a representative will contact one of the authorized adults listed on the child's registration form to come to the child's aid. Law enforcement officials will be summoned if no one on the contact list can be reached.

If, on the other hand, the child loses the card, the person finding the card will be instructed to call the toll free number. A representative will then contact the child's family to ascertain the child's whereabouts. Under no circumstances will information about the child be given to the person finding the card, although in the event the child is indeed lost, law enforcement officials may contact that person in an attempt to establish the child's "direction of flight" - possible clues as to the child's location.

The child's personal information - including their name, dental chart, fingerprints, recent photos, body marks, personal information, trusted friends and relatives, and medical information - is protected by a secure database that only parents can access. Because this database digitally encrypts all the information it stores, access to the information is said to be computationally impossible. Because social security numbers are not collected, the potential for identity theft is virtually eliminated.

Parents have the ability to update or change the information in the database as often as they wish provided they supply the correct username and password.

Voice Recognition Adds Another Level of Security

Technology such as that found in Project VoiceSAFE will help make this information even more secure. When a voice package is purchased in conjunction with Kid Friendly ID, parents will be provided with instructions for creating a voice print. Then, when they need to access the database to update or change their child's information, they will be required to submit a voice sample. If the voice sample matches the print on file, the parent will be given a six digit number to access the database. This number is only valid for 15 minutes, which eliminates the possibility of unauthorized access resulting from a parent unwittingly leaving the number in plain sight.

How to Learn More

To learn more about Project VoiceSAFE and Kid Friendly ID, you can contact FingerPrint America.