Call Center Featured Article

Customer data protection is one of the gravest concerns of call centers operating worldwide. To protect sensitive data available to customer care agents, IBM (News - Alert) India Research Laboratory has developed an advanced data masking technology that helps call centers protect sensitive data shared during the interaction between customers and call center executives. IBM plans to implement the technology initially in its own call center operations. 

 

The new data masking technology helps information technology enabled service (ITES) companies and call centers protect audio files containing confidential information against misuse and data theft. It helps enterprises to comply with various security and privacy legislations and comply with multiple industry standards, said officials at IBM's India Research Laboratory.

The voice and screen masking technology utilizes a combination of speech analytics and metadata to detect private and sensitive information collected from audio recordings of conversations between customer care agent and customers. In a normal call center environment this information is circulated and shared among many individuals for various purposes such as auditing, quality assessment, and training. As a result, many unauthorized individuals get the access of highly confidential information such as personal identification numbers (PIN), bank account number and credit card numbers.

 

The new technology screens audio files and detects various types of confidential information.  It will then mask the information by blocking that particular part of the call during playback by unauthorized persons.

 

“Call centers and the agents who answer customer questions and address their concerns play a vital role in reinforcing their organization's brand experience while maintaining customer trust,” said Guruduth Banavar, director at IBM’s India Research Laboratory, in a statement. “The ability to maintain customer trust requires organizations to be able to ensure the security of their customers' private information, such as credit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PIN), social security numbers and other information collected through agent-customer interactions.”

 

“Designed to transform data for better security and privacy, this technology, developed by IBM Research, helps to ensure effective measures to safeguard company brands and manage customer trust,” Banavar added.

 

“Though the technology can be used in any setting, it is especially vital for contact centers and the ITES industry where sensitive information is exchanged,” added Mukesh Mohania, head of Information Management research team at IBM's India Research Laboratory, in a statement.