The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is moving ahead with its ‘registered devices’ plan to add further security to Aadhaar, the national biometric ID program it administrates, reports Financial Express.
The move entails new specifications for devices using Aadhaar for authentication, revolving around encryption of data on the devices themselves. Speaking to media, UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said the device-side encryption would complement existing security measures in place at the level of the agencies using Aadhaar authentication and the UIDAI itself.
The development follows the announcement of criminal investigations against firms over their alleged misuse of Aadhaar for authentication, which then prompted government authorities to reassure the public that their ID data is safe. While the UIDAI insisted that there has never been a breach of citizens’ biometric data, it did indicate that it would implement a program of using “registered devices” for biometric capture, with devices adhering to the new encryption standards evidently being considered such registered devices.
However, Pandey suggested this new measure has nothing to do with the recent investigations, saying that the UIDAI had been negotiating with device manufacturers over the issue for the last year and a half. The new specifications take effect June 1st.
Source: Financial Express (via UIDAI)
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March 20, 2017 – by Alex Perala
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