Alexa, It's Me! An Online Survey on the User Experience of Smart Speaker Authentication

Abstract

Verifying the identify of the speaker is a crucial requirement for security-critical voice-based services on smart speakers, such as transferring money or making online purchases. Whilst various studies have explored novel authentication mechanisms for voice-based services, there is little research on the user experience of respective authentication methods. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive online survey (n=696). We compared five authentication methods (spoken PIN, biometrics, app with button/voice confirmation, card reader) regarding their perceived efficiency, security, ease of use, and error susceptibility. Additionally, we investigated users' willingness to use security-critical services in banking and government. We found an overall preference to confirm actions triggered by voice by pressing a button on a mobile authentication app followed by PIN-based authentication. In contrast, biometric authentication by voice is considered unreliable, while applying a card reader is regarded secure, yet less convenient.