Advent’s Biometrics Ecosystem Expands, FPC Wrests Supply Chain Control, and More: Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

Another Data Breach Headache for LastPass

LastPass has suffered another hack attack, announcing that it is currently investigating a breach of a third-party cloud storage service. An unauthorized party used information obtained through a hack attack the company reported in August to gain access to “certain elements” of LastPass users’ information, according to the latest notice from LastPass CEO Karim Toubba. “Our customers’ passwords remain safely encrypted due to LastPass’s Zero Knowledge architecture,” he asserted.

Advent-controlled Mangopay Reveals Acquisition of Behavioral Biometrics Startup

Mangopay has acquired Nethone, which offers an anti-fraud solution based on “behavioral data collection, hardware, software, network intelligence, as well as biometrics”, the company explained in a blog post. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed. Nethone will continue to operate as a standalone company, but CEO and co-founder Hubert Rachwalski von Rejchwald has joined Mangopay’s Executive Committee. The news comes after Mangopay revealed earlier this year that Advent International, the parent company of IDEMIA, had become its majority shareholder. Mangopay implemented biometric onboarding via Onfido in early 2021.

Jammu-Kashmir NGOs Must Use Biometric Attendance Tracking to Get Aid

Non-governmental organizations seeking grants from the Government of Jammu and Kashmir will need to ensure they they use a functional biometric attendance system for staff, according to newly published requirements for the region’s ‘Grant-In-Aid’ programs. NGOs also must ensure that their facilities are “under CCTV surveillance around the clock,” among other conditions required for the grants.

FPC Seeks Supply Chain Control With MCU Development

Fingerprint Cards is developing its own microcontroller unit (MCU) as well as two new fingerprint sensors that will be optimized for PC applications, all of which are expected to help the company better target the PC biometrics market. In announcing the plans, FPC emphasized that establishing its own MCU would give the company “total system ownership” in the PC domain, and offer “better overall system performance.” But it also noted other benefits including “increased supply chain control” – an important consideration after the company laid out the deleterious impact of supply chain disruptions in its most recent corporate update.

IDEX Gets Another Biometric Cards Partner

IDEX Biometrics has established a biometric payment cards partnership with Accomplish Financial, a London-based provider of card and e-payment solutions. Echoing its announcement of a similar partnership with India’s M-Tech Innovations yesterday, IDEX explained that Accomplish Financial will launch biometric payment cards based on its TrustedBio Turnkey solution and Infineon Technologies’ SLC38 chip. The fingerprint-scanning cards are expected to reach consumer in Q1 of next year.

Las Vegas Casino Embraces Remote Onboarding, Mobile Biometrics

Resorts World Las Vegas is now allowing guests to verify their identities remotely so that they can start gambling as soon as they reach the casino, without having to get their physical ID verified by a staff member. The remote onboarding system was added to the Resorts World Las Vegas platform in collaboration with Sightline Payments, which also delivered a biometric authentication system for the Resorts World Las Vegas’s mobile wallet app.

Simplex Quantum Registers Patent for ECG Authentication

Tokyo-based Simplex Quantum has registered for a US patent covering a system that is designed to use an individual’s electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform data for authentication. The system was developed in collaboration with the Public University Corporation of the University of Aizu, a Fukushima-based school focused on computer science and engineering.

Vuzix Glasses Enable Real-time Patient Biometrics Monitoring

A collaboration between Vuzix, Japan’s Kyocera, and Tokyo Medical Dental University has produced a health monitoring system supported by wearable smart glasses. The system uses a small ECG reader to track a patient’s biometric readings, including pulse and oxygen saturation, with the data fed to Vuzix Blade smart glasses worn by the physician.

VSBLTY Reports Higher Revenues, Lower Costs

VSBLTY, a specialist in facial recognition-based security and smart signage solutions, has issued a corporate update showing increased revenues and lower costs. The company made $0.8 million in sales in Q3 of 2022, a 53 percent increase over Q3 of 2021; and for the first nine months of this year, revenues increased by a whopping 459 percent. Its operating loss for the latest quarter was $2.9 million, compared to an operating loss of $3.7 million a year ago. For the first nine months of 2022, its operating loss amounted to $7.8 million, down from an operating loss of $10.8 million in the first nine months of 2021.

ROC CEO Leverages Hometown Advantage for School Biometrics Contract

The Board of Education for Doddridge County Schools in West Virginia has approved the use of facial recognition software from Rank One Computing in an effort to enhance school security. The system will be deployed through a camera network that is already in place, and will be used to alert staff when individuals who are on a watch list are spotted. The deployment was approved after the Board met with ROC CEO Scott Swann, a Doddridge County native.

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December 1, 2022 – by Alex Perala