The Israel-based authentication company BioCatch announced today that the U.S. Patent Office has granted the company two new patents that extend its ability to authenticate PC and mobile device users through cloud-based behavioral biometrics.

The BioCatch patents allow developers to authenticate users through various physiological factors, including palm size, press size, hand tremors and eye-hand coordination, as well as behavioral factors such as touch and measurements taken by the phone's accelerometer (a component that measures tilt and motion).

In addition to mobile banking applications, this technology can also be applied to mobile e-commerce platforms and any app that requires users to sign in.

The first patent is titled “System, device and method of detecting identity of a user of a mobile electronic device”; a patent with the same title, revealed in February 2015, was device-based and allowed for the use of touch and the phone's accelerometer to authenticate mobile device users. The new patent extends this protection to the cloud, enabling every app developer to implement BioCatch's technology within their app.

“System, device and method of detecting identity of a user of an electronic device” grants BioCatch a patent for its “Invisible Challenges” – hidden tests that the company developed. The challenges evaluate the personal response to a variety of on-screen cues. By processing all of these factors, BioCatch identifies a unique cognitive signature that cannot be imitated, lost or stolen.

“The granting of these important patents underscore BioCatch's commitment to providing our customers with an unmatched technology platform to help them best combat fraud,” Avi Turgeman, chief technology officer and founder of BioCatch, said. “Continuing to grow our IP portfolio in order to offer new methods of fighting cyberattacks is crucial to our business and the granting of the patents is recognition of our achievements.”

The Australia-based Telstra reported that a quarter of U.S. consumers would share DNA with their financial institution to secure banking and personal information. Additionally, a majority said they want biometrics as authentication for mobile banking.

In the recently published 2015 Unisys Security Insights Survey, consumer perceptions regarding the effectiveness of biometrics saw mixed results in the U.S., with about one-third viewing biometrics as effective, while a similar percentage of respondents were unsure. The survey also showed that consumers have mixed feelings about the use of biometrics to protect smartphone data, with only 38% of respondents believing that it strengthens security.