The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) plans to expand its Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstrations following a recent round of evaluations at the Maryland Test Facility. A new challenge focused on selfie-to-document matching is already in the pipeline, with participant selection scheduled for the end of April.
The demonstrations, also known as “Rallies,” bring together commercial technology developers and subject their systems to rigorous, real-world-inspired testing scenarios. In the most recent evaluation, systems were assessed for their ability to authenticate identity documents, detect liveness in selfie photos, and verify identity using smartphone-captured images. The aim is to help the government and industry stakeholders gauge the current state of identity tech and push performance forward through structured, independent testing.
Face Recognition Outperforms Other Modalities
Among the three tested areas—document authentication, selfie liveness detection, and face recognition—facial recognition technologies delivered the strongest results. According to Arun Vemury, Senior Advisor for Biometrics and Identity at S&T, this may be due to the government’s long-standing practice of independently testing facial recognition algorithms and providing feedback to developers.
“We saw massive improvements with face recognition in the last decade,” said Vemury. “We could see similar performance gains from these other technologies through similar public-private partnerships.”
A Model for Accelerated Innovation
S&T launched the Rallies in 2018, drawing inspiration from challenge models like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s self-driving car competitions. The program is designed to provide a level playing field for companies of all sizes, from large vendors to startups, with clearly defined performance metrics and goals.
By publishing testing protocols and performance benchmarks, S&T aims to bring transparency to government technology needs while encouraging commercial developers to align their innovations with real-world demands. According to Vemury, the agency is also working toward automating the evaluation submission process to streamline participation in future events.
“Running evaluations like these on a regular basis can help developers plan and iteratively make improvements,” he said. “This accelerates the innovation cycle and fosters an ecosystem where the best ideas can rise to the top.”
Focus on Threat Modeling and Continuous Testing
In addition to evaluating system performance, S&T is also working with partners across government and industry to study emerging threat vectors. The goal is to ensure that technologies are tested not just for accuracy but also for robustness against real-world attacks. According to S&T, this feedback loop can help identify potential vulnerabilities early in the development process and lead to more secure identity systems.
Updates on future challenges will be published on the Maryland Test Facility website. Additional details are also available on the agency’s Biometric and Identity Technology Center page.
Source: Department of Homeland Security S&T
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May 13, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy and Alex Perala
