Safran Identity & Security is putting a spotlight on the growth of mobile biometrics. In a new blog post, Safran executive Philippe Le Pape highlights the advancing sophistication of such technology, and the importance of multimodal security.

It’s a follow-up to Le Pape’s previous blog entry on the civil identity applications of biometric identification, in which he discussed how biometric technology could be used to authenticate citizens seeking online access to government services. Similarly, it can provide a powerful authentication mechanism on mobile devices, and such applications are becoming increasingly important as new threats emerge: Le Pape points to a 2014 Symantec study, for example, that found that 17 percent of all Android apps included malware. Moreover, the rise of mPayment systems means that users are transmitting more sensitive data over their mobile devices, and it’s no wonder that leading platforms like Apple Pay have embraced biometric authentication for mPayment security.

Speaking of which, Le Pape uses the example of Apple’s Touch ID to highlight the importance of the user experience in promoting biometric security, noting that while the Motorola Mobility Atrix 4G was the first smartphone to feature a fingerprint sensor, back in 2011, it was the “deep integration” with iOS and “Apple’s well known ease-of-use” that allowed Touch ID to really popularize the technology. Going forward, Le Pape says, the need for multi-factor authentication will lead to an embrace of multimodal biometrics—”I am absolutely certain that the devices we use in the very near future will contain a fusion of biometric authentication features for increased security,” he writes. That should allow for even more secure mPayment transactions, not to mention a wealth of other mobile interactions.

Read Le Pape’s full blog post on Safran’s website.