Behavioral monitoring solutions, also called user behavior monitoring (UBM) systems or behavior monitoring tools continuously follow and analyze the actions of users across different platforms and applications. These collect data such as login times, keystrokes, mouse movements and application use patterns. Through studying this information these tools can recognize any strange or unusual activities that could be indicative of a security threat.

What are Behavior Monitoring Solutions?

Biometric authentication is an identity verification technique that looks at patterns in how people behave when they type on keyboards, move mouse, waggle joysticks, use touch screens etc., as well as changes to those which may indicate something has gone wrong. This approach provides insights instantly to recognise the unusual behavior pattern. Security-conscious organizations from all sectors now insist upon including biometrics among their protective measures so they can keep private information safe while maintaining confidence among users.

Identity verification that looks at behavior patterns of users is called Behavioral biometrics. Through this dynamic approach, real-time insights are provided which makes it difficult for scammers to infiltrate an account illegally. In order to protect sensitive data and maintain trust among its users, businesses across various industries are increasingly adopting behavioral biometrics.

The Key Benefits of Behavior Monitoring Solutions

Proactive Threat Detection:

Behavior monitoring solutions enable proactive threat detection by observing unusual user behavior through multiple digital touchpoints, allowing organizations to respond promptly and reduce risks.

Advanced Fraud Prevention:

Behavior monitoring solutions enhance defense mechanisms against cyber criminals by examining user interactions and identifying abnormal activities, protecting enterprises’ finances and reputation from damage caused by attacks.

Better User Experience:

Behavior monitoring software is a superior security method that minimizes false positives and friction for users, ensuring a seamless online experience for both external and internal clients, including staff members using organizational portals regularly or occasionally.

Adaptive Risk Management:

Adaptive risk management uses continuous learning to identify and mitigate cyber threats, implementing behavior monitoring solutions and automatically changing risk thresholds to prevent human intervention.

Implementing Behavior Monitoring Solutions Effectively

Comprehensive Data Collection:

It should ensure that it collects all digital channels’ data which is important for accuracy of analysis and anomaly detection.

Fine-Tuned Algorithms:

This means that organizations have to invest in the development and fine-tuning algorithms used to differentiate between normal and suspicious behavior.

Integration with Existing Systems:

Behavior tracking software needs to be integrated into the existing security infrastructure so that there can be coordinated threat identification and reaction at all times.

Continuous Monitoring and Analysis:

For potential security threats, establish robust processes for real-time monitoring of user behavior and data analysis.

Types of Behavior Monitoring Solutions

There are numerous brands of behavior monitoring solutions available today, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. Some common types include:

Network-based Behavior Monitoring:

This type of solution analyzes network traffic in order to identify suspicious activities like unauthorized access attempts or data exfiltration.

Endpoint-based Behavior Monitoring:

This type of solution records activity on individual devices like laptops and computers. It identifies malware, keystroke logging and other malicious acts.

Cloud-based Behavior Monitoring:

This type of solution watches over actions taking place in cloud environments such as IaaS platforms and SaaS applications. It can detect unauthorized access, data breaches, among other security threats.

Behavior Monitoring Solutions Across Industries

Nowadays, in a digital world where everything is connected through the internet there are certain industries which include banking and finance, cryptocurrency, fintech, healthcare, insurance, online gaming, telecoms, border customs and security etc. These industries have adopted behavior monitoring solutions for strong identification verification. They take advantage of these new inventions by using complex mathematical formulas to study how people behave thus ensuring safety against frauds.

The usefulness of this technology cannot be understated in the banking sector alone; it has helped identify suspicious transactions that could have led to huge financial losses if not detected early enough. On the other hand, healthcare providers use them as part of their compliance strategy with HIPAA regulations since they help protect patient’s personal information from unauthorized access. Online gaming companies also benefit greatly from such systems because they improve user experience by preventing hackers from gaining unfair advantage over other players’ accounts. Cybersecurity measures are beefed up when ecommerce platforms integrate behavior monitoring tools into their websites

Choosing the Right Behavior Monitoring Solution

Security Requirements:

Various businesses have several security requirements. Protection from external attacks may be necessary for some companies while others may be concerned with safeguarding against insider threats.

The business’ Budget:

The cost of behavior monitoring solutions can be free or several thousand dollars per year. Businesses should select an option that fits within their budget.

The Business’ Technical Capabilities:

A few behavior monitoring solutions are harder to implement. Companies must therefore opt for a solution they have the technical know-how to support.

See More, Know More: IDMERIT’s Top Behavior Monitoring Solutions

IDMERIT is a top provider of identity verification tools which include those used for behavior monitoring purposes. Their software tracks behaviors using advanced machine learning algorithms so as to detect any suspicious activities by users. Corporations utilize IDMERIT’s products across different sizes in order to keep off fraudulent acts and other forms of insecurity. According to this article about improving security posture through fraud prevention; it states that when seeking ways to tighten up protection against scams, one should consider utilizing behavior tracking systems because they enable establishments to identify cyber threats beforehand thereby protecting valuable resources.

The post Stop Fraud in Its Tracks: How Behavior Monitoring Solutions Level Up Security appeared first on IDMERIT.

• Easy integration with the existing security infrastructure
• Recent trends in biometric technology
• The shifting identity verification trends with Blockchain technology
• Frictionless KYC-KYB identity verification processes
• Growing remote work culture post-pandemic
• Rising awareness of AML-KYC Compliance worldwide 

From time to time, regulatory developments in AML-KYC Compliance have molded the identity verification trends and the technologies in use. Today, securing a user’s identity is as important as the user-identity verification process itself. Hence, the AML-KYC industry has greeted various hi-tech innovations to create a safer global identity verification market for the financial and regulated sectors.

Let’s discuss how tech advancements dominate the current global identity verification market and the kind of outgrowth which regulated industries look forward to keeping up with the changes to ensure the better safety of their onboarding customers and protection against identity theft.

Easy integration with the existing security infrastructure

The first and foremost is embracing easy and compatible AML-KYC integration with the existing organizational security structure. For example, financial and regulated institutions prefer identity verification tools that quickly integrate within their existing systems, as they don’t want any turbulence in the core technologies which are in operation for years. In addition, advanced integration methods check the compatibility levels during the prototype phase, making the AML-KYC implementation process extremely time and cost-efficient.

Recent trends in biometric technology

Next, recent trends in biometric technology have overcome various longstanding security loopholes. Biometrics identity solutions verify identities through iris and retina scans, fingerprints, palmprints, facial recognition, and facial comparison technologies. With every new standard, a new iteration in the biometrics ID verification is set. As a result, many regulated products and services are now relying on this technology to fight identity theft.

With ID theft and financial fraud among the top AML regulatory concerns, various RegTech giants have conceptualized and introduced innovative prototypes in the digital identity verification market to combat the growing money laundering threats. Thus, Multimodal Biometrics, i.e., two or multi-factor biometrics verifications, is emerging as the most powerful option for businesses from a security standpoint. Furthermore, digital identity is not only the identity stated in one’s id documents; it also entails the individual’s univocal identity, with geolocation, social networking, and biometric features.

The shifting identity verification trends with Blockchain technology

AML-KYC connoisseurs assume Blockchain technology will mark its way in the global identity verification market, 2023-25. If we evaluate the recent identity verification trends from a technical perspective, Blockchain is expected to grow manifold, disrupt the AML industry, and bring information decentralization in the next decade. On the contrary, there is ongoing research to overcome challenges like deepfakes in Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence technologies. Besides, identity verification on Blockchain-based technology is relatively more secure, as this trustless record-sharing method eliminates the middleman channel while authorizing and streamlining the identity process.

Frictionless KYC-KYB identity verification processes

Identity verification is now apparently inevitable in both financial and non-financial industries. For example, any process that requires businesses or individuals to open accounts, pay online, and deal with financial instruments is subject to Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) authentication. Similarly, every industry that deals with the mass user onboarding process must also apply advanced identity verification methods as part of AML Compliance measures.

Though a growing number of individuals and businesses today are looking for a more secure way to verify their identity, contrarily, many people have started perceiving the onboarding or diligence process as an added burden owing to the recent rise in data breaches. Also, biometric, eco-sign or ID proof procedures create additional friction in the user experience. On the face of it, there is a critical need for sleeker technologies to verify user identity without friction or unwanted halts during the onboarding process, as that could make users grow skeptical to the extent that they might decide to withdraw their submissions.

Growing remote work culture post-pandemic

An upward graph in the digital channel adoption post-COVID-19 pandemic has also shown increased cyber threats and safety vulnerabilities. The demand for an all-inclusive digital identity verification market is surging continuously to combat these security threats. New verification methods have responded aggressively to the intensifying cyber terrors and other susceptibilities at organizational levels. The vigorous scope of remote operations has brought forth the bring-your-device (BYOD) trend, which is now driving the identity markets. BYOD trend also has derivatives like bring-your-own-phone (BYOP), bring-your-own–technology (BYOT), and bring-you-own-personal-computer (BYOPC).

Organizations have widely adopted biometric verification methods as their integral security measures as an increasing number of work-front operations are performed remotely post-pandemic. As remote operations are becoming a new normal, hand-in-hand fraudsters are adopting new technologies to trick the victims into the sophisticated email, SMS, and other identity scams. Customers are now more susceptible to phishing, account takeovers, lending fraud, and other identity cons. Hence, organizations must perform proper due diligence checks to detect and combat identity threats in real time and save themselves from financial and reputational loss.

Rising awareness of AML-KYC Compliance worldwide

Identity verification procedures have been in application for years. Still, with emerging regulations, financial and regulated organizations are now more open to implementing advanced Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning algorithms to keep up with the AML-KYC regulations.

International laws and regulations, including the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), EU Anti Money Laundering Directives (AMLD), and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations, have brought evolving standards to the AML-KYC industry. And to maintain these standards, businesses must maintain the AML regulations, and financial institutions must introduce up-to-date technologies to identify individuals and businesses. Also, in the wake of recent data breaches, enterprises have increased their due diligence budget to organize safer and frictionless onboarding of their customers.

IDMerit is a global identity verification market pioneer and offers the best-in-class identity verification solutions to businesses worldwide. Book an IDMerit product demo with our AML-KYC Compliance expert; we help global businesses remain AML regulatory compliant.

The post A Talk on Recent Identity Verification Trends and Technology Advancements appeared first on IDMERIT.

Since the 1900s, a lot of research hours, brainpower, and investment have gone into perfecting the biometric verification system and discovering new ways to use it in the fight against fraud, and identity theft and to simplify everyday processes. Though there are some misconceptions about the use of biometrics, every year brings new advancements and stronger biometric identity verification systems. Installing a biometric identity verification system isn’t as complicated, costly, or intrusive as you may think, but can it be your business’s last line of defense against fraudsters.

What is a Biometric Identity Verification System?

Biometrics is the science of measuring the human body as it relates to unique human characteristics. A biometric identity verification system verifies the identity of individuals by using their biometric characteristics. Biometrics authentication currently uses DNA, ear shape, eyes, fingers, gait, keystrokes, heartbeat, odor, signature, veins, and voice to verify identity. 

Biometrics is used in a variety of applications, such as security, medical diagnosis, and human resources. However, biometrics has long been the subject of controversy. Some argue that the use of a biometric identity verification system violates individual privacy due to mass surveillance. This is to be expected, as there are some downsides to biometric authentication.

As with any new technology, there will be some growing pains. It took centuries for biometric identity verification to be where it is now. And in the last decade, developers have made huge leaps in progress with their biometric identity verification systems. For now, there are still rare instances of false matches, misuse, and implementation woes, but the use of biometrics is still a safer option when it comes to creating the ultimate identity verification solution. 

Biometric identity verification systems are different from traditional identity verification systems, such as passwords and knowledge-based systems, in that they use the unique biological characteristics of an individual to verify their identity. Unlike traditional identity verification systems, which can often be fooled by fraudsters, biometric verification is singular to an individual and are therefore far more effective at confirming their identity. Today, most biometric identity verification systems use fingerprint, facial, and palm print biometrics.

How Do We Use Biometric Identity Verification Systems?

In the past, fingerprints were the most commonly used biometric authentication method. However, in the past few years, biometrics verification methods have become more advanced and safer. Biometric identity verification systems are becoming increasingly common as businesses and government agencies realize the many benefits of using a biometric verification system.

There are two types of biological identifiers:  morphological and biological. For biometric identity verification, we mainly use morphological identifiers which consist of fingerprints, hand shape, finger, vein pattern, the eye (iris and retina), and the face’s shape. Medical and police forensics use more biological identifiers like DNA, blood type, saliva, and urine.

Biometric identity verification systems are now used almost everywhere: –

• Security sign-ins
• Commercial use (user and customer onboarding)
• E-Learning platforms
• Gaming
• Online security
• Travel security and border control
• Voter identification
• Physical access (home, office, smart devices, etc.)

Biometric identity verification systems are fast, easy to use, and accurate, making them a great method for verifying the identity of individuals. Biometric authentication can also be used to verify the identity of individuals when traditional identity verification methods, such as physical tokens and handwriting, are not reliable or acceptable. Biometric identity verification systems are also an excellent way for businesses to increase the security of their operations.

Traditional Identity Verification Solutions

Biometric identity verification is different from traditional identity verification solutions, as it uses what is intrinsically you to verify identity. Traditional identity verification solutions are based on what you have, know, or the existing data. Here are a few common traditional verification methods: –

Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA):

Ever been asked, “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” That’s how KBA works. It’s based on the premise that only you will know the answer.

Physical Token

That driver’s license, ID card, voter registration card you carry around, or birth certificate in the drawer is the standard way to verify identity.

Password/PIN

Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) should be your most guarded secret according to bank officials who have access to your account regardless. And how many of us rely on password managers to save us?

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Uses a combination of 2 types of identity verification.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Uses multiple identity verification methods to verify identity.

Short Message ide (SMS)

Typically, SMS verification is used as part of 2FA or MFA as a backup protocol to verify identity.

Credit Bureau Based Authentication

Similar to database authentication where customer identity is verified by being matched to their credit score or other Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Traditional identity verification solutions have been used by governments and businesses to verify identity for decades. However, these have been proven to be not 100% effective for identity verification. In the past, these methods were somewhat reliable but were still subject to human error and fraud.

Over the past few decades, new updates and advancements in these traditional identity verification solutions, such as the inclusion of barcodes and biometric features, have increased their reliability. Still, they are subject to fraud and misuse due to human error and unprotected databases. Now, most businesses incorporate some form of traditional identity verification with a biometric verification system, such as fingerprinting, to better improve digital identity management.

Types of Biometric Verification

Biometrics has come a long way in the past few years. Today, various types of biometrics are used in a wide variety of different applications. Biometric identity verification is only one such application that gives us a wide range of uses. According to the Biometrics Institute, there are 16 types of biometrics in use today.

DNA 

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is present in all human cellular material e.g. hair, blood, skin, etc. Biometric DNA sampling requires contact with the subject. However, in forensic use DNA may become contaminated with other substances.

EAR

The unique shape of the outer ear has become a proven method of biometric identification outside of law enforcement with the advent of advanced computing algorithms such as convolutional neural networks during the last decade.

EYE

Biometric identification of the eye involves the use of the iris, retina, and sclera vein which are the veins in the white part of the eye. The sclera vein and retina are often used to unlock smartphones as part of a multimodal biometric identity verification system.

FACE

The human face has 80 nodal points which can be used to verify identity. Some include the shape of your cheekbones, jawline, the distance between the eyes, and the width of your nose.

FINGER

We all know about fingerprinting and palm prints, but what about finger geometry? Finger geometry measures the width between your fingers, the thickness, and the length.

GAIT

That sexy statement walk you have is unique to you and it is often how people are recognized even when disguised. So as Shakira says, the hips don’t lie.

HAND

Aside from your palm print, your hand can be measured using other unique features such as width, side profile, and thickness.

HEARTBEAT

Apparently, your heart can beat special for someone. However, not as special as you think. Your heartbeat’s electrical signature that is unique to you is what makes it special.

KEYSTROKE

This may give you some doubts about the validity of biometrics. The use of keystrokes to identify someone requires a previously recorded session to match their keystrokes.

ODOR

Now all those werewolf romances make sense. You can identify someone by their unique scent. Only it’s not as romantic when they use machine olfaction devices.

SIGNATURE

The tried and somewhat traditional method of identity verification. Only now it is dynamic signatures captured on digital devices or static signatures matched to online databases.

VEINS

Did you know the veins on your hands form unique patterns that can be used to identify you? Vascular veins are captured by infrared light and recorded on a charge-coupled device camera.

VOICE

Your voiceprint can be combined with other biometric features like the shape of your throat and the length of your vocal cords for speaker recognition. Not to be confused with speech recognition which recognizes what is being said rather than who is speaking.

Biometrics has become an integral part of our lives. From unlocking our smartphones to accessing our homes and cars, we are surrounded by biometrics. As more and more aspects of our lives become automated with the help of biometrics, the demand for biometrics identity verification services continues to grow.

Why Does Your Business Needs A Biometric Identity Verification System?

Firstly, let’s clear up a few major misconceptions about biometric verification systems. One, it isn’t complicated to use. After all, we are already using it in smartphones. Two, it’s not as costly as billion-dollar data breaches. And three, no massive changes to your current systems are needed unless you want to be MI5.

Typically, identity verification requires three ways to verify identity: –

• Something you own
• Something you know
• Something you have

Multimodal biometrics combines several biometric sources to increase security and accuracy. Multimodal biometric systems require two or more biometric credentials for identity verification. Using two or more biometric features almost guarantees a perfect identity match and eliminates the need for knowledge-based authentication and passwords.

In your business, a biometric identity verification system can streamline many organizational processes, and improve data management and overall business security. If you are in the financial sector, health. In private security and in the age-restricted industry, a biometric verification system will be an invaluable asset in every sector of your operations. A biometric identity verification system can help: –

• Improved customer journey
• Better B2B customer onboarding
• Avoid age verification scams
• Safer data security
• Ongoing behavior monitoring of key staff

Traditional identity verification solutions are slowly becoming outdated as cybercriminals, scammers and fraudsters become more advanced. Biometric identity verification systems can give you peace of mind as it protects almost every aspect of your business. As the ultimate identity verification solution, biometric verification makes it easier for businesses to verify anyone, reduce security risks, and protect their business and customers from fraudsters and other cybercriminals.

Biometric Identity Verification Systems from IDMERIT

Most people are already familiar with the idea of fingerprints as a means of identification, but in recent years facial recognition software and other biometrics have become important parts of identity verification. We at IDMERIT have a suite of APIs with built-in multimodal biometric capabilities.

We currently use facial verification along with 12 other behavioral biometrics to verify identity and keep your biometric data secure. Our biometric identity verification systems allow you to verify anyone, anywhere, and at any time without strenuous changes to your current customer onboarding software. Combined with biometrics we use device fingerprinting, geolocation, IP addresses, and live video for stronger real-time identity verification.

Get real-time identity verification during B2B customer onboarding and design the ultimate behavior monitoring system for high-risk customers. Identify even the unbanked and those who try to hide behind their devices and false digital identities. Protect your staff, business premises, and consumer data with ease both online and off.

As the use of biometrics has increased, so too have the clear drawbacks of traditional identity verification methods. This is why we believe in multifactor authentication powered by AI-assisted methods and multimodal biometrics to give you the best options for digital identity security. Unmask fraudsters and get the ultimate identity verification solution for your business.

Talk to one of our reps today!

The post How Biometric Authentication can be the Ultimate Identity Verification Solution? appeared first on IDMERIT.

Difference between Face Verification and Face Recognition

Face recognition and face verification are used almost interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. To understand the differences, one simply has to understand the meanings of recognition and verification. Recognition is all about recognizing the face and verification is about matching an identity to the face.

Maybe the confusion over face recognition and face verification stems from the fact that face recognition has a history and face verification is only a recent term. Because of that history, we know more about face recognition than its descendant face verification. Though face recognition is used to identify and verify a person’s identity, in terms of identity verification solutions, it’s called face verification.

The funny thing about face recognition technology is that a lot of millennials view it as tech created in their era. When in fact, facial recognition research started way back in the 1950s. It was already being used way before the millennials arrived. One thing millennials can take credit for is the various applications for face recognition.

Uses of Face Recognition

As much as many of us admire face recognition as a cute feature on our smart devices, face verification does so much more for digital identity security. However, that doesn’t lessen the risks facial recognition apps put all their users in for entertainment. And with some major corporations refusing to share their data with law enforcement officials, what exactly is your face recognition data being used for?

Global ID Verification

Facial verification systems are installed at airports, borders, and points of entry into countries, states, and regions. As people move through these points of entry and across public spaces, security systems are equipped with facial detection and recognition software ready to identify those who try to evade the system. Due to its cross-border nature, it needs global ID verification capabilities to get the job done.

Real-Time Identity Verification

Law enforcement agencies were one of the first adaptors of face verification and continue to push for its widespread adaptation across the globe in the name of digital identity security. This is why they are always clamoring for access to private corporate facial verification systems to increase match success. Real-time identity verification is a crucial factor for these agencies.

Age Verification

One place face ID verification can be put to good use is on online gaming and gambling platforms. Facial verification systems can protect minors while being a deterrent to bad actors who have a tendency to infiltrate these sites. Age verification will keep minors out of age-restricted sites and reduce the impact of scammers who love to pretend to be kids.

KYC Verification and AML Compliance

Next to global security, automated KYC verification is the best use of face verification. As part of your user or customer onboarding strategy, face verification can be part of your permanent digital identity security system. In banking or other high-risk industries with assets to protect, global ID verification will give your face verification system an added edge in terms of asset protection and transaction monitoring. You can choose to implement your own face verification system (a bad idea) or outsource from a face verification service.

Mobile Face Verification

Do you want to find out who is related to you or not? There’s a face app for that. It’s one of many face recognition apps that perform different functions depending on the algorithm. For instance, popular face recognition apps like AppLock which allows users to unlock their smart device, and FaceAPP which allows them to change their identity can be utilized for mobile face verification.

What your face verification system is capable of will be based on the type of algorithm that guides it. How the data is used will be based on the people controlling the face verification system. And many of the benefits or problems with face verification will be based on the algorithm and the people that control the system.

Benefits of Face Verification

Face verification is rooted in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning and when used correctly there are a lot of good things that can come from that. In the last few years, there has been a push into the blockchain which has the potential to redefine face verification and digital identity security. Even without the addition of blockchain, there are still a lot of benefits of using face verification.

• Safer online
• Improved security systems for law enforcement
• Better picture quality with camera autofocus
• Smoother user and customer onboarding
• Age verification
• Automated KYC
• Improved digital identity management

Overall, the convenience of not remembering passwords or looking for keys

In fact, many of the uses of face recognition and the benefits we reap with face verification. The convenience of not having to memorize passwords and the connectivity of global ID verification makes a huge difference in our personal data security and how we do business. Real-time identity verification gives us the ability to validate the ID in real-time and save lives that could have been lost to human trafficking and protect the vulnerable in our society.

Though we love those facial recognition apps that allow us to unlock phones, make silly faces, and play games, improved digital identity management is supposed to be one of the major benefits of face verification. However, unsecured face recognition applications have made digital identity security a challenge. And knowing cybercriminals, it won’t be long until your child’s biometric features can be aged to open his adult accounts.

The Trouble with Facial Verification Systems

Of course, once you are dealing with ever-changing technology, there are going to be a few hiccups along the way. Ironically, what held back the development of face verification was technology, public fear, and proper databases for comprehensive global ID verification. Even with everything in place, face verification can be your best bet for digital identity security or your worst.

Because after all, the human factor is still involved, and with it comes a bit of trouble. One particular irony of face verification is that it can actually end up not matching faces! And while we can expect some technical issues, sadly having the technology used for ill, is something all developers and users must be wary of.

Mismatches and Poor Match Rates

As mentioned before, 100% perfection isn’t expected, but 58% means a child had better chances of identifying that person than that algorithm did. The harsh reality of the facial verifications systems industry is that miss-matches and low match rates do exist. Glitches, settings issues, database access, and compatible software and hardware makes acquiring higher match rates more difficult.

Digital Identity Management

To acquire high match rates, you need access to a database that is credible and has validated images of the individual like the U.S. Department of State. And that is the problem with most facial verification services. No credible database and no access to one. Then there is the added nightmare of improper security around the faceprint data that can lead to leaks, stalking, and identity theft.

Altered or Tampered Images

As the technology evolves there is becoming less and less of an issue with altered or tampered images. However, as technology evolves, altered images are getting more sophisticated over time. Not only that, but masks also as we have been wearing for the last two years, can complicate matters when attempting to match a complete image. Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) allows face recognition app users to alter their faces and that is why most of the data generated on these apps are practically useless, but not harmless.

Bias and Privacy Concerns

There is a lot of concern around the management of faceprint data and rightly so. Even government security agencies can’t guarantee absolute protection. Tech giants like Google and Apple go to extreme lengths to protect personal data even from potential governmental interference. And they may be right in their approach as government agencies have been found in putting their human biases into the system leading to racial profiling and increased miss-matches.

Marketing Data Collection

Research and data are necessary for continued success in marketing. How that data is collected and used is another matter altogether. Imagine walking past a TV and based on the recognition software, you are now bombarded with ads that match your assumed age, race, and gender. That is how far marketing data collection has become and though it benefits marketers and businesses, customers are not fully on board with using their facial images to sell them goods and services.

Face Verification as Part of Your Identity Verification Solution

Despite the fears over privacy, bias, deep fakes, and racial profiling, face verification is already a part of our everyday existence in cameras, smart devices, machine-readable passports, and other forms of face ID. So, embracing face ID verification is not the real issue, using it correctly is. In fact, many of the problems with face ID verification stemmed from its users and applications.

A face verification system is supposed to have a match rate of a minimum of 91%. Anything with an error rate above 9% needs to be re-tested and should not be considered an identity verification solution. Pay attention to the level of human involvement in guiding the application. Too many increases the risk of biases and mismatches.

That’s why our face verification APIs have limited human interaction with no racial demographic segmenting to reduce bias. Control and access to large credible global databases increase our match rates to 95%.

IDMscan is not just about face verification. IDMscan validates documents and when paired with IDMdevice and IDMaml, it is a complete identity verification solution for customer onboarding and AML compliance. Providing real-time identity verification, device fingerprinting, and watchlist screening to identify potential bad actors.

Biometric identification is the future of digital identity security. And though using the last thing that is uniquely yours to safeguard your personal and business data, seems like taking an unnecessary risk, done correctly it can be the highest form of protection you’ll have to date. All it takes is reaching out to an expert at IDMERIT to learn how we can develop a secure face verification system for your business.

Let Us Prove It! Contact us, today!

The post The Importance of Face Verification for Digital Identity Security appeared first on IDMERIT.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) proposed a law to apply the travel rule to cryptocurrency transactions, effectively making them completely traceable. The Travel Rule requires businesses who are engaged in or are an intermediary to, cryptocurrency transactions to collect and share the personal data of participants in a transaction. This rule already applies to wire transfers such as those completed through a bank or Western Union.

What Is The Travel Rule?

The Travel Rule is the industry term for the FATF Recommendation #16 focused on anti-money laundering efforts. The rule requires both financial service firms and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on transactions exceeding 1,000 USD/EUR.

In addition to basic biographical information, VASPs and banks are required to collect a further layer of information from senders during a transaction: their physical address, unique ID number (national identity number, etc.), customer identification number, or date and place of birth.

Initially, the Travel Rule only applied to banks. The Travel Rule’s scope was extended in 2009 to include crypto companies. The G20 and other jurisdictions have begun to incorporate the travel rule into their local AML/CFT laws to aid money laundering investigations and provide true transaction clarity. This change will undoubtedly assist law enforcement agencies and regulators during investigations and with the enforcement of anti-money laundering laws and regulations. 

According to FinCEN’s guidance report on this matter, a few frequently asked questions include: 

1. Are all transmittals of funds subject to this rule?

No. Only transmittals of funds equal to or greater than $3,000 (or its foreign equivalent) are subject to this rule, regardless of whether or not currency is involved. In addition, transmittals of funds governed by the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (Reg E) or made through ATM or point-of-sale systems are not subject to this rule. (January 1997)

2. What are the “Travel” rule’s requirements?

All transmittor’s financial institutions must include and send the following in the transmittal order:

• the name of the transmittor
• the account number of the transmittor, if used
• the address of the transmittor
• the identity of the transmittor’s financial institution
• the amount of the transmittal order
• the execution date of the transmittal order 
• the identity of the recipient’s financial institution

    and, if received:

• the name of the recipient 
• the address of the recipient 
• the account number of the recipient, and 
• any other specific identifier of the recipient.”

What is important to understand is that as this rule is being extended to VASPs and crypto transactions, the entire transaction traceability process will become much easier and less time-consuming.

Want to learn more about the Travel Rule and how it applies to your bank? Contact one of our  Identity Executives today. 

Who Regulates Cryptoassets & Crypto Exchanges? 

The European Union (EU) is composed of 27 member states, each of which has its own regulations and laws relating to cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges. 

There are a number of banks and commissions which regulate the cryptocurrency industry/crypto exchanges including:

• European Commission (EC)
• European Central Bank (ECB) 
• European Banking Authority (EBA)
• European Insurance & Pension (EIOPA)
• European Supervisory Authority for Securities (ESMA)

These agencies have been busy proposing and implementing rules to build a strong framework that is intended to combat ML/TF and illicit activities including fraud, spoofing, and abuses of the financial system. 

Identity Checks For Money Laundering & Fraud Prevention in the EU

Identity checks are particularly important for banks and financial institutions to screen for money laundering, fraud, and past illicit financial activities. KYC, or Know Your Customer, is the process of verifying a customer’s identity to ensure they are providing accurate personally identifiable information (PII) as well as in order to understand their past financial behavior with previous institutions or money service providers. 

The Know Your Customer (KYC) process helps to ensure that the financial institution’s services are not misused for identity theft, money laundering, and the funding of criminal organizations. KYC ensures that organizations are both compliant and that customers with a suspicious financial background are not approved for an account at the bank or financial institution.

The essential documentation required for a successful Know Your Customer process is as follows:

Proof Of Identity (POI):

• A UID/passport, driver’s license, or voter’s ID card
• A PAN (Permanent Account Number) card with a picture matching the customer
• A current ID card issued by the State
• Any valid Debit or Credit card issued by a bank

Proof Of Address (POA):

• A copy of utility bills such as electric bills with a verifiable address
• Visa/Driver’s License with a digital picture
• A copy of a registered sale agreement or lease for residence
• Any identification document in the name of one’s spouse

Proof of Income/Past Financial Activities

• Income Tax Returns
• Credit Report
• Paycheck Stubs or Bank Statements

A new client may attempt to use one or more of the above documents for identity verification and the key for a bank/financial institution to understand is the vulnerable nature of current identification documents in the EU and worldwide. Despite security innovations, fraudsters are still engaging in many legacy techniques to fraudulently obtain access to a bank’s offerings.

European Union Moves Toward Full Transaction  Traceability, Applying the ‘Travel Rule’ To Cryptocurrency Transactions 

Are companies ready for this drastic shift? As of October 2020, according to the Finbold’s Bank Fines 2020 report, global authorities issued $13.74 billion in AML fines, with three large US banks, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase accounting for over half of that total. Many crypto exchanges lack the necessary compliance procedures required to even begin to apply these laws. Many id verification solutions were not built to comply with the level of complexity required to root out potential bad actors and limit their access to modern bank systems. 

“These proposals have been designed to find the right balance between addressing these threats and complying with international standards while not creating an excessive regulatory burden on the industry,” the European Commission said in its statement.

The rule change will require that: 

• A company handling crypto assets for a customer must include the customer’s PII information. This would include the customer’s name, address, date of birth and account number
• Transfers must include the name of the person who will receive the crypto assets
• Providing anonymous crypto-asset wallets will be prohibited
• The recipient’s service provider must also check if any of the required information is missing

The drastic change in this rule seems to be that this information must be verified to be accurate and that anonymous crypto wallets will no longer be permitted. This rule change will definitely assist in transaction traceability during criminal investigations and retrieving transaction data. 

In a play on words, the Travel Rule ensures that personal data is shared with participating banks during domestic and international transactions. There literally is no way to avoid this transaction trail or transaction traceability because the personal data of the transacting parties ‘travels’ along with their transfers.

Interested in a robust fraud and compliance solution for your bank? Contact IDMERIT today. 

Will Anonymous Crypto Wallets Disappear? 

One of the major issues surrounding cryptocurrency transactions includes their ability to be monitored and regulated including transaction traceability especially when relating to cryptocurrency’s ‘anonymous’ crypto wallets. Modern id verification solutions must be able to collect, verify, and share data during the customer onboarding process or during these sometimes complex cryptocurrency transactions to prevent fraud and abuse. 

Bitcoin founder ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ created Bitcoin with the intention that his financial system without ‘third-party intermediaries would be the wave of the future. One major tenant of this system would be that people would be able to send and receive funds anonymously. While this would be a major leap forward in fundamental privacy protections, this type of unregulated system would present a number of issues both in terms of oversight and the complete unfettered ability to commit illicit offenses such as money laundering, fraud, and terrorist financing. 

Building a ‘Harmonised Framework’

The EC and the FATF have since their inception advocated for uniformity in applying specific anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations. In fact, both entities have been quite vocal about their views. 

“We shouldn’t have different rules for the financial system. They should apply across digital currencies as well,” said EU commissioner for financial services, Mairead McGuinness, during a press conference. 

Future of Cryptocurrency Transaction Traceability 

Implementing these rule changes will undoubtedly change the landscape for both cryptocurrency traders and regulators alike. Gone will be the days of drawn-out, costly, investigations as transactions will be easily resolved along with their senders and receivers. Cryptocurrency exchanges, banks, and fintech companies will need to adapt to the new regulatory climate, including enhanced identity verification solutions being the norm, not just the exception. 

IDMscan is a robust fraud and compliance solution to help you comply with AML/CFT obligations. Contact one of our Identity Executives to get started. 

IDMscan: Fast, Secure, & Global Identity Verification Solution

IDMscan can authenticate and verify government-issued identity documents in online and offline conditions. It is a part of several identity fraud solutions that IDMERIT has created which offer fraud detection before it happens. 

Our document verification solution provides powerful security in the airline industry, at home and abroad.

• Multi-Language support
• Integrate seamlessly with IDMaml and IDMdevice
• Easily integrate into your system with a simple API
• Biometric facial recognition & face liveliness technologies are used to produce a live match
• Validate your customers in less than 6 seconds
• We can validate Passports, Drivers Licenses and National ID’s from 175+ countries
• Indigenously built Deepfake recognition and liveness recognition models with the highest degree of accuracy in the world

Contact one of our identity specialists to Schedule a Demo of IDMscan today.

Follow our LinkedIn and Facebook pages for anti-money laundering news and significant regulatory changes.

About IDMERIT

Headquartered in San Diego, California, IDMERIT provides an ecosystem of identity verification solutions designed to help its customers prevent fraud, meet regulatory compliance and deliver frictionless user experiences. The company is committed to the ongoing development and delivery of offerings that are more cost-effective and comprehensive than other solution providers. IDMERIT was funded by experts who have been sourcing data on personal and business identities across the globe for over a decade. This access to official and trusted data throughout the world has become increasingly important as companies find themselves completing transactions across borders as a standard course of business. www.idmerit.com

The post EU AML Crypto Rule Update: European Union Moves Toward Full Transaction Traceability appeared first on IDMERIT.

Biometrics is a process by which a person’s identity can be verified using their unique biological characteristics. These characteristics could be fingerprint geometry, iris patterns or color, and facial features. Biometrics are routinely used in identity verification by law enforcement personnel, authorities at airports, or within the banking and fintech industry. Using biometrics to verify customer identity risk profiles is a challenging task considering the determination of fraudsters. 

The role of identity verification using biometrics is expanding rapidly due to the enactment of new laws and regulations worldwide. Due to the pandemic, identity fraud and identity spoofing are also becoming more prevalent. 

Several forms of identity verification exist include: 

• Biometric verification (facial recognition, iris identification, fingerprint match, voice comparison)
• Two-factor authentication
• Knowledge-based authentication
• Credit bureau-based authentication
• Online verification (remote or eKYC)
• Database methods (government pr LEO database records search)

Specific forms of identity verification used during the Customer Identification Program (CIP) include: 

• Iris recognition
• Fingerprint scanning
• Facial recognition 
• Finger-geometry recognition
• Hand-geometry recognition

Despite the numerous amount of identity verification techniques, illicit actors and criminals attempt to circumvent the security features within these techniques to access banks’ services.

Identity Verification with Biometrics, Liveness Detection, & Facial Recognition

The use of biometrics is so widespread that the Federal Bureau of Investigations is now using a custom-tailored system to store and identify persons of interest in cases as well as for general identification purposes. According to the FBI, “In an effort to harness new technologies and improve identifications, the Bureau developed its Next Generation Identification (NGI) system, which provides the criminal justice community with the world’s largest and most efficient electronic repository of biometric and criminal history information.” Like identity verification solution providers, the FBI protects personal data in encrypted files. The FBI’s NGI system also stores biometric data. If this data falls into the wrong hands, or if the data is improperly used, identity fraud can occur (in addition to many other serious crimes).  

The FBI’s NGI system has some of the most advanced capabilities in biometrics, including: 

• Advanced Fingerprint Identification Technology (AFIT)
• Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC)
• Latent and Palm Prints
• Rap Back (authorized agencies and personal can receive information on activities of persons in positions of trust)
• Interstate Photo System (IPS)
• NGI Iris Service

Identity verification solutions like IDMERIT use verification tools and anti-fraud techniques to help identify attempts at fraud and immediately limit access to a bank’s precious resources. In addition to limiting access, risk profiles are delivered to clients to alert them of an applicant’s potentially negative financial activities. Facial recognition is a tool that is used to verify customer identity profiles in seconds.  

Preventing Synthetic Fraud with Biometric Facial Recognition Match

Sophisticated fraud attempts are becoming more prevalent including the use of synthetic identities in order to attain a host of privileges at banks or restricted institutions. When a bad actor attempts to create a synthetic ID, several tasks must be accomplished: 

1. A modus operandi (motive or goal) must be chosen
2. Real personally identifiable information (PII) must be sourced from a worthwhile target
3. Pieces of real and fraudulent information must be stitched together to create an identity the criminal can use to commit an act of identity fraud
4. The criminal must then knowingly use the identity to apply for some sort of benefit via a bank or organization and be able to fool the identity verification or know your customer solution 

Many criminals use brazen techniques to steal PII data or identifying data out of dumpsters or even purchase this data on black market exchanges (in-person or online). Once the criminal acquires this information there are normally two routes to using the information after they are approved for services:  quickly attaining resources and maxing out a financial instrument or using the fraudulently attained resources to build a credit score up over time and simply disappearing after the entirety of funds are depleted.

In order to combat this threat, several techniques are used (including the use of facial recognition), which detects facial features/patterns (nodal points). Techopedia defines facial recognition as, “a biometric software application capable of uniquely identifying or verifying a person by comparing and analyzing patterns based on the person’s facial contours.”

Each human face has 80 nodal points that can be used to differentiate one face from another. When nodal points are combined with authentic data from an independently verifiable database such as those used by identity verification solution IDMkyc. 

Nodal points used in facial recognition include: 

• Distance between the eyes
• Width of the nose
• Length of the jawline.
• Depth of the eye sockets
• The shape of the cheekbones

These nodal points are used to create a distinguishable code/number that matches up to a face in an identity verification database. Criminals are continuously attempting to circumvent facial recognition systems using masks, deep fake attempts, and more. 

“Before the coronavirus pandemic, facial-recognition algorithms failed to identify 20-50% of images of people wearing face masks” according to a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The potential for fraudsters to use these limitations to their advantage has been a concern among the identity verification community, as masks are now mandatory in most countries. 

According to a recent statistic in the Wall Street Journal, “between June 2020 and January 2021 it found more than 80,000 attempts to fool the selfie step in government ID matchups.” One technique to combat this type of fraud is by the use of liveness detection.

Liveness Detection Algorithms

Liveness detection algorithms determine whether in fact there is a live person standing or sitting in front of the camera.  Liveness detection often thwarts fraudsters’ use of Presentation Attack Instruments (PAIs) such as the following list used in face spoofing attempts: 

• “2D static attacks are made with high-definition face pictures on flat paper, simple flat paper masks with holes. 
• 2D dynamic hacks are carried out with multiples photographs to be used in a sequence or a video replay via a low or high quality (4K) screen. The high-definition screen is used to spoof low-resolution cameras. A video sequence with pictures can be used to answer basic challenge/response methods. The holes, in particular, allow for the eyes to blink. These 2D attacks are well documented.
• More recent 2D dynamic potential attacks can include 3D digital doubles or avatars (on a 2D screen) and deep fake puppets so-named because they leverage deep learning processes. 
• In 3D static attacks, impersonators use 3D prints, wax heads, or sculptures.
• IN 3D dynamic attacks, fraudsters can use masks in resin, latex, or silicone with holes for the eyes and other specific areas such as the mouth, lips, and eyes brows.”(Thales)

LIveness detection uses texture and motion analysis in addition to the above-mentioned facial recognition tools that detect specific nodal points to determine if a facial spoof attempt is in progress.

Common Biometrics Myths

There are several myths that exist when it comes to biometric (fingerprint or facial recognition) when it comes to identity verification. In order to verify a customer’s identity, it is important to remember that some criminals may go to the extent of using some of these techniques or believe that these myths are, in fact, ways to help them circumvent an identity verification solution’s system altogether. 

4 Common Myths About Biometrics 

Myth 1: Biometric data is stored as images in easy-to-hack locations

Reality: During the onboarding process, if a bank has previously scanned the fingerprint, iris, or facial features of a potential customer then there will already be a biometric template or mathematical file that the system can compare extracted data to. If not, data from the image (nodal information for instance) is extracted and stored in the biometric template file for later comparison. This data is stored in a secure environment and encrypted which is extremely difficult to hack or gain access to without the proper credentials.

Myth 2: Fingerprints can be easily replicated to ‘spoof’ recognition systems

Reality: It is extremely difficult to replicate or “spoof” fingerprint biometric data. “Despite what we see in Mission Impossible or similar action movies, biometrics are actually quite difficult to replicate,” says Dr Toby Norman, co-founder and chief executive of Simprints. “The large majority of vendors have implemented liveness detection and other forms of anti-spoofing within their solutions that render it increasingly challenging to fake a biometric.”

Myth 3: Biometric data is unreliable and ridden with errors

Reality: Biometric data is extremely accurate and has been battle-tested to ensure that data integrity is maintained at the highest levels and errors are minimal.

Myth 4: Using biometrics for identity verification is expensive and isn’t cost-effective

Reality: IDMERIT’s IDMkyc and suite of identity verification solutions are quite cost-effective and can help you meet your banking compliance obligations without losing quality or efficiency.

Contact one of our identity specialists to Schedule a Demo of IDMkyc today.

Facial Recognition Technology Speeds Up Boarding Time & COVID Health Screening

According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made progress testing and Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) at ports of entry to create entry-exit records for foreign nationals as part of its Biometric Entry-Exit Program. As of May 2020, CBP, in partnership with airlines, deployed FRT to 27 airports to biometrically confirm travelers’ identities as they depart the United States (air exit) and was in the early stages of assessing FRT at sea and land ports of entry.” The results of a recent controlled scenario test by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) showed that facial recognition reached up to 96% accuracy which is a useful statistic for those in favor of this technology. 

Facial recognition and using biometric technology have the potential to improve the lives of millions and deter bad actors at the outset.

Thermal Facial Recognition & Remote Fever Detection Detect PCR Status 

Thermal facial recognition and remote fever detection are used regularly by Airport security and CBP officers to ensure travellers are not currently suffering from symptoms of COVID. 

According to the Oxford Journal of Law and the Biosciences, “ among a growing list of COVID-19 symptoms, fever (defined as a body temperature above 100.4°F/38°C) is one of the telltale symptoms of infection. As the pandemic has gained momentum, government agencies and corporations are increasingly turning to fever checks as a mechanism for gauging the potential presence of SARS–CoV-2 among citizens, travelers, and employees.”

Key Takeaways & Future Trends

The future of using biometric analysis within the onboarding process at banks is becoming standard. Customer Identification Programs now feature the use of remote Know Your Customer (or eKYC) capabilities which require the use of specific liveness detection algorithms and facial recognition technology to remain in compliance. Remote identity verification is being adopted more rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ease of use of systems such as IDMkyc. 

IDMkyc is a best-in-class identity verification solution that can provide quick and easy personal identity verification. Utilizing an API (REST) it can access over 400 official data sources across 175+ countries to provide Know Your Customer (KYC)

• Simple multi-source matching (minimum 2 in-country official sources)
• All Personal Identity Information (PII) match
• Our KYC verification provides a 2+2 match API that meets regulatory compliance including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

Contact one of our identity specialists to Schedule a Demo of IDMkyc today.

Stay tuned to our Identity Insights blog for more content relating to facial recognition, anti-spoofing, and identity verification. 

Follow our LinkedIn and Facebook pages for anti-money laundering news and significant regulatory changes.

About IDMERIT

Headquartered in San Diego, California, IDMERIT provides an ecosystem of identity verification solutions designed to help its customers prevent fraud, meet regulatory compliance and deliver frictionless user experiences. The company is committed to the ongoing development and delivery of offerings that are more cost-effective and comprehensive than other solution providers. IDMERIT was funded by experts who have been sourcing data on personal and business identities across the globe for over a decade. This access to official and trusted data throughout the world has become increasingly important as companies find themselves completing transactions across borders as a standard course of business. www.idmerit.com

The post Facial Biometrics Screening For Identity Verification: Dispelling Myths & Deterring Facial Spoof Attacks appeared first on IDMERIT.

What Are Digital COVID Travel Passes & Which Airports Use Them?

Facial recognition and biometrics are being rolled out across the globe at many international airports. In addition to this innovative approach to PCR test result verification, travel associations and governments are also implementing digital COVID travel passes. IBM says these passes, “enable businesses to verify health credentials for employees, customers, fans and travelers entering their site based on their own criteria.” Airports Currently Using Digital COVID Travel Passes:

• France: Paris-CDG & Paris-Orly
• Dubai: Dubai International Airport (DXB)
• United States: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
• Japan: Haneda Airports
• Brazil: Florianópolis Airport
• Singapore: Changi Airport

Biometrics, Digital Apps, & Facial Recognition Add Security & Speed To Security Lanes Worldwide

As the travel industry returns to semi-normal conditions, major glitches still impede smooth travel for passengers. Long lines and wait times were the norms at security checkpoints even before this crisis began. Thanks to the adoption of biometrics, facial recognition technology and digital travel pass apps, that is rapidly changing. COVID Health Travels such as CommonPass, IBM’s Digital Health Pass, and many more are available for uses to download. These digital apps streamline the boarding and security checkpoint processes.

Facial Recognition Technology Speeds Up Boarding Time & COVID Health Screening

According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made progress testing and Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) at ports of entry to create entry-exit records for foreign nationals as part of its Biometric Entry-Exit Program. As of May 2020, CBP, in partnership with airlines, deployed FRT to 27 airports to biometrically confirm travelers’ identities as they depart the United States (airexit) and was in the early stages of assessing FRT at sea and land ports of entry.” The results of a recent controlled scenario test by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) showed that facial recognition reached up to 96% accuracy which is a useful statistic for those in favor of this technology. Additionally, the GAO notes, “According to TSA officials, automating current identity verification capabilities through the use of facial recognition technology has the potential to improve this process by better identifying impostors, or travelers using valid travel identification documents for fraudulent purposes at the checkpoint.” Facial recognition and using biometric technology have the potential to improve the lives of millions and deter bad actors at the outset. IDMscan, IDMerit’s flagship identity verification tool, can help your compliance team leverage facial recognition and biometrics to streamline your identity verification program. Examples of biometric technology include:

• Iris recognition
• Fingerprint scanning
• Facial recognition
• Finger-geometry recognition
• Hand-geometry recognition

Thermal Facial Recognition & Remote Fever Detection Detect PCR Status

Thermal facial recognition and remote fever detection are used regularly by Airport security and CBP officers to ensure travelers are not currently suffering from symptoms of COVID. According to the Oxford Journal of Law and the Biosciences, “[a]mong a growing list of COVID-19 symptoms, fever (defined as a body temperature above 100.4°F/38°C) is one of the tell–tale symptoms of infection. As the pandemic has gained momentum, government agencies and corporations are increasingly turning to fever checks as a mechanism for gauging the potential presence of SARS–CoV-2 among citizens, travelers, and employees.”

Airports in France, UK, and Japan First To Adopt Digital Health Travel Passes

France Uses Facial Recognition & Digital App To Determine Negative PCR Test Results

France became the first EU country to implement an app-based COVID Health Travel Pass. According to American Airlines(AA), this feature on the government’s TousAntiCovid app allows “users to upload antigen or PCR tests by scanning a QR code on the test result form.” Additionally, AA goes on to state, “A negative test result can be used for limited air travel to Corsica on Air France and Air Corsica flights and to overseas territories beginning at the end of May.” Common features of COVID digital health travel apps include:

• upload antigen or PCR tests
• Third-party data sharing
• Upload digital photographs
• Cryptography protects personally identifiable (PII) data

British Airways Adopts Self Boarding as COVID Crisis Continues

Self-boarding has been underway at Heathrow during the pandemic but recently British Airways has also begun to adopt self-boarding or “touchless travel” procedures. The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) was approved and is expected to enable travel within the EU in early July. The EUDCC will be, “proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recovered from an infection.”

Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport recently implemented digital COVID travel passes and continued the mandatory use of masks in some areas of the airport. “Pre-COVID-19, passengers, on average, spending about 1.5 hours in travel processes for every journey, the organization suggested. The time included check-in, security, border control, customs, and baggage claim,” Alarabiya News reported. Over the last six months, 154,000 travelers have used Dubai International Airport’s biometric system to prove their COVID vaccination or current negative PCR test results. Other international implementations of facial recognition and biometrics include:

• Japan: Face Express, a new facial recognition system is being launched throughout Japanese airports this July
• Brazil: Florianópolis airport is also preparing to integrate facial recognition into its processes in July

Privacy Still Up For Debate

Facial biometrics legislation is still being debated but some privacy think tanks are lobbying to “give people the information they need to accurately decide how they want to share their facial data with companies. It also gives them control over how their facial information is shared with companies that use facial biometric identity verification. The goal of the legislation is to prevent consumer-focused facial recognition Software companies from mismanaging people’s facial data.” Despite privacy concerns, identity verification and digital COVID travel passes are now the norms, not the exception.

IDMscan: Fast, Secure, & Global Identity Verification Solution

IDMscan can authenticate and verify government-issued identity documents in online and offline conditions. It is a part of several identity fraud solutions that IDMERIT has created which offer fraud detection before it happens. Our document verification solution provides powerful security in the airline industry, at home and abroad.

• Multi-Language support
• Integrate seamlessly with IDMaml and IDMdevice
• Easily integrate into your system with a simple API
• Biometric facial recognition & face liveliness technologies are used to produce a live match
• Validate your customers in less than 6 seconds we can validate Passports, Drivers Licenses and National ID’s from 175+ countries
• Indigenously built Deepfake recognition and liveness recognition models with the highest degree of accuracy in the world

Contact one of our identity specialists to Schedule a Demo of IDMscan today.

Follow our LinkedIn and Facebook pages for anti-money laundering news and significant regulatory changes.

About IDMERIT

Headquartered in San Diego, California, IDMERIT provides an ecosystem of identity verification solutions designed to help its customers prevent fraud, meet regulatory compliance and deliver frictionless user experiences. The company is committed to the ongoing development and delivery of offerings that are more cost-effective and comprehensive than other solution providers. IDMERIT was funded by experts who have been sourcing data on personal and business identities across the globe for over a decade. This access to official and trusted data throughout the world has become increasingly important as companies find themselves completing transactions across borders as a standard course of business. www.idmerit.com

The post Digital COVID Travel Passes: Biometrics & Facial Recognition Ensure Airline Passenger Health Worldwide appeared first on IDMERIT.

Retina Scanning

The retina is a thin tissue of neural cells located in the back of the eye. It contains a complex arrangement of capillaries which supply the retina with blood. Every human has a unique pattern of retinal capillaries. The network is so unique that even identical twins do not share the same pattern of capillaries. Retina patterns typically stay the same throughout the course of a person’s life; although, they can be altered by certain diseases like diabetes, glaucoma or retinal degenerative disorders.

During retina scanning, the unique pattern of a person’s retina is mapped. With the appropriate lighting the blood vessels in the retina can be identified. A retina scan is performed by casting a beam of low-energy infrared light into a person’s eye as they look through a scanner’s eyepiece at close range. As the light travels through the retina, the amount of light reflected varies. Retinal blood vessels absorb more of the light from the light beam than the rest of the eye, causing the variances in the reflection. The pattern of variations is then converted into a code that is stored in a database. Retina scanning is one of the most accurate forms of biometric technology, with an inaccuracy level of 0.0001% FAR. This makes it a powerful fraud prevention solution for security teams.

Iris Scanning

 The iris is a thin, circular structure at the front of the human eye. It is responsible for dictating the size and diameter of the pupils, which determines how much light reaches the retina. The iris determines the color of the eye, and it varies from person to person. The larger the pupil gets, the more light can enter the retina.

During iris scanning, camera technology is used to acquire images of the iris with infrared light. Iris scanning obtains a detail-rich image mapping out the intricate structure of the iris. The image can then be converted into a mathematical and statistical pattern that can identify an individual. Databases contain these templates and are searched by matching engines at extremely fast speeds. False match rates with this technology is infinitesimally small. The NIST claims the technology is around 90-99% accurate. This makes it a scalable KYC solution for a variety of different security focused businesses.

The Similarities between the Two Fraud Prevention Solutions

The main similarity between iris scanning and retina scanning is that they both use the human eye for identification. Some other similarities between the two biometric methods include:

• Low false positives
• False negative rates are low
• Reliable biometric method since no person has the same iris or retina pattern
• Both methods authenticate individual identities quickly
• An amputated eye cannot be used to gain access because both the iris and retina decompose too quickly

The Differences between the Two Biometric Methods

While both iris scanning and retina scanning use the eyes to biometrically identifying an individual, they are distinctly different than one another. On the one hand, iris scanning uses camera technology to capture an image of the iris. This makes it usable in customer-not-present scenarios, which is becoming more and more common in the digital age. Iris scanning is considered a nonintrusive method of biometric identification since an image of the iris can be taken from a distance.

Retina scanning, on the other hand, requires scanning a beam of light deep inside the eye to capture an image of the retina. It requires specific equipment to be performed and is better suited for in-person identification procedures. Retina scanning is a method of biometric identification that is more invasive than iris scanning since the retina is located on the back of the eye. It is less accepted as a KYC solution than iris scanning for this reason.

Some other differences between the two fraud prevention solutions include:

• The retina can be altered by disease, while the iris remains mostly stable
• Retina scans are 70x more accurate than iris scans
• Iris scans capture an image of the iris from a distance, while retina scanning does it by placing the person’s eye near to an eyepiece
• Retina scanning is best suited for physical identification
• Iris scanning can take place in physical and digital scenarios
• Retina scanning takes longer to complete than iris scanning
• Iris scanning is more widely accepted for commercial use than retina scanning

Afghanistan Begins Biometric Registration of Civil Service Employees

In a recent turn of events, Afghanistan’s Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) is now registering biometric data of all civil service employees. The first person registered in the new Human Resources Information Management System (HRIMS) was the head of IARCSC. Biometrics and retinal scanning bring both challenges and improvements to identity verification and security.

AMBIS Biometric Identification Ready for Deployment in India in 2020

AMBIS (Automated Multi-Modal Biometric Identification System) is now ready for full deployment across Maharashtra, India. THis system was developed to assist law enforcement with identity verification. AMBIS was developed in France based on National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and process guidelines. According to India Times, ” Equipped with an advanced face recognition technology, the system can be connected with the CCTV cameras installed at railway stations, airports, traffic signals, markets and bus stands.” This will have a huge impact on crime and fraud prevention in India.

Conclusion

Differentiating between iris scanning and retina scanning is important if your company is considering investing in biometric technologies for security. It can help your team determine which scanning method is the most appropriate fraud prevention solution for your business. If you are looking for wide consumer adoption of the technology, iris scanning may be a better choice for your company. Likewise, if high accuracy and increased security is important for your business, retina scanning may be the choice for your company.

References

Mayhew, S. (2019, February 18). Afghanistan begins BIOMETRIC registration of civil service EMPLOYEES: Biometric update. Biometric Update |. https://www.biometricupdate.com/201902/afghanistan-begins-biometric-registration-of-civil-service-employees.

Mohammed Akhef / TNN / Dec 30, 2019. (n.d.). AMBIS to roll out across state from 2020, help in better crime detection: Aurangabad news – times of India. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/aurangabad/ambis-to-roll-out-across-state-from-2020-help-in-better-crime-detection/articleshow/73022336.cms.

The post How Do Iris Recognition and Retina Scanning Enhances Digital Payment Security? appeared first on IDMERIT.

Reducing Patient Fraud with Biometric Identity Verification

Being able to identify patients is critical in the healthcare industry. It is said that healthcare records could be worth thousands of dollars to online hackers as compared to social security numbers which are worth ten cents, in contrast. If healthcare records end up in the wrong hands, healthcare fraud can occur which leads to billions of dollars in losses every year.

Biometric technology, including facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, can help in the process of biometric identity verification. A fraud prevention solution can eliminate the possibility for individuals to pose as other patients for patient care. Fingerprints, facial recognition and retinal scans are difficult to replicate, although not impossible. In most cases, biometric technology will be an effective barrier preventing healthcare billing for services not rendered. It offers hospitals a way to identify individuals before they receive patient care.

Enhancing Language Barrier Assistance with Biometrics

Sometimes it is difficult to determine what type of medical assistance is needed by a patient. For example, say an unconscious patient is admitted into a hospital for an unknown reason. The patient has also been brought to the hospital without any form of identification. Biometric technology can help a physician determine who the patient is since their identifiable information is part of their body. If the biometrics are attached to their medical history, then a biometric scan can be used to access their previous medical records. This will help doctors better identify how to assist individuals who are difficult to identify through traditional means and give them the proper medical care they deserve.

Patient & Employee Safety with Biometric Technology

Biometric technology has proven its usefulness in many industries—not just in healthcare—by improving safety. In hospitals there are typically restricted areas for both patients and employees. These places are only available to specific, privileged health personnel.

For example, many hospitals have specific areas for surgeries that rely solely on key cards for access to these areas. This is a huge vulnerability for hospitals because if a key card is stolen or misplaced, it can get into the wrong hands. This can lead to severe breaches or even risk lives. Biometrics can help solve this problem by only allowing users with permission access to restricted areas in hospitals.

Biometric fingerprint, facial recognition or retinal scanning are all fairly difficult to replicate and can increase security in hospitals. Plus, for facial recognition and retinal scanning in particular, these biometrics offer hospitals a more sanitary solution for security.

Identifying Malpractice with Biometrics

If biometric technology is added to hospitals, it will also help identify malpractice when it occurs. Currently, if malpractice occurs a hospital cannot know with certainty what doctor is responsible. Biometrics are a fraud prevention solution that can help solve this issue by identifying what individuals accessed restricted areas or restricted pieces of equipment during the time of the malpractice. Biometric identity verification will help reduce malpractice at hospitals because it will be much easier to determine the individuals involved in the act.

Greater Satisfaction

Ultimately, the biometric possibilities described above can greatly improve customer satisfaction and service with healthcare providers. Biometric technology authentication is a fraud prevention solution that can increase healthcare efficiency leading to improved treatments, medical prescriptions and health advice. The technology can reduce unwarranted access to restricted individuals, equipment or areas of hospitals, reducing malpractice in the process. Biometric technology will help hospitals prevent unnecessary fatal events on their premises.

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