Identity News Digest – July 23 2024

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

IDEMIA Brings Iowa Mobile ID to Samsung Wallet

IDEMIA Public Security North America has integrated Iowa’s mobile ID into the Samsung Wallet, increasing the digital ID’s accessibility for users with Samsung devices. Initially unveiled in 2021, the planned mobile ID app met ISO/IEC DIS 18013-5 standards through independent testing with data from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). The mobile ID officially launched in October 2023. It allows Iowans to use their mobile IDs as official identification at various airports, including Des Moines and Eastern Iowa, and 25 other US airports. TSA Iowa Federal Security Director John Bright highlighted the convenience and security benefits of this technology for travelers. IDEMIA’s technology currently supports digital IDs in six states, with Iowa and Arizona among the first to integrate with Samsung Wallet.

AuthenticID Mid-Year Fraud Report Charts AI-Fuelled Spike

The 2024 Mid-Year Identity Fraud Review by AuthenticID reveals a significant rise in fraudulent transactions and consumer anxiety about identity fraud. Based on a survey conducted in North America during Q2 2024, the report notes a 73 percent increase in fraudulent transactions and an 84 percent rise in suspected fraud compared to the previous year. AI-enabled fraud, including deepfake technology used in account takeovers and injection attacks, is highlighted as a growing threat. The survey also found that 40 percent of respondents experienced personal data breaches in 2024, and 91 percent had difficulty distinguishing real individuals from deepfake images. Additionally, 68 percent of consumers reported that concerns about identity fraud affected their purchasing and business decisions. However, there is a growing acceptance of biometric authentication and mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) among consumers.

VA Joins SSA in Mandating Login.gov or ID.me for Online Accounts

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that veterans must transition to either Login.gov or ID.me for accessing benefits and healthcare services online within the next year. This shift is part of the VA’s efforts to modernize and streamline its online login process. The MyHealtheVet user ID system will be phased out after January 31, 2025, and the Defense Department’s DS Logon will be discontinued after September 30, 2025. About 3 million veterans and beneficiaries will need to transition to one of these identity verification platforms. The move aligns with a similar policy by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which now mandates the use of Login.gov for users with online accounts created before September 2021, although those with ID.me accounts are exempt.

CISA Wants ‘Brutal Honesty and Feedback’ on Public-Private Cybersecurity Partnerships

Jeff Greene, the Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has called for “brutal honesty and feedback” from the private sector to improve public-private cybersecurity partnerships. During an “open house” discussion hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Greene emphasized CISA’s willingness to accept constructive criticism from private companies to enhance their collaborative efforts. His appeal follows reports of companies withdrawing from the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC). Greene highlighted his agency’s commitment to addressing feedback and improving coordination to strengthen cyber defense efforts across both government and private sectors.

Rio de Janeiro Gets Face-based Fare Payment, Care of Cognitec

Rio de Janeiro is implementing a face-based fare payment system for its transportation network, using biometric technology provided by Dresden-based Cognitec Systems. The system operates through the “Jaé” mobile app, which has around four million daily users. Approximately 11,000 biometric capture devices have been installed across the city’s transportation system. Commuters can register via the app, and the devices will use facial recognition to verify their tickets. Cognitec’s technology boasts a high accuracy rate, with a 98.7 percent rank-one identification rate in visa-like immigration photos and over 97 percent accuracy with older images, as confirmed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s latest Face Recognition Technology Evaluation report.

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Airport to Implement Biometric Departure Screening

Abu Dhabi Airports has launched a biometric Smart Travel project at Zayed International Airport in partnership with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP). The initiative aims to streamline airport operations and enhance the passenger experience through biometric authentication, using ICP databases for facial recognition without requiring prior registration for departing passengers. Since the opening of a new terminal in November 2023, biometric systems have been deployed for automated traveler registration, self-service baggage delivery, and e-gate and boarding gate facial recognition. The current phase expands these systems to five more airlines and includes new e-gates in transit areas. Future expansions will cover Etihad Airways lounges and duty-free outlets.

TECH5 Looks to Template Protection with New ISO 30136-compliant Solution

TECH5 has developed new biometric template protection technology, compliant with the ISO 30136 standard, to secure sensitive biometric identity systems. The ISO 30136 standard provides guidelines to ensure privacy and security for biometric templates by focusing on cancelability, unlinkability, irreversibility, and maintaining high accuracy. TECH5’s solution addresses the critical issue of protecting biometric data, which can be linked to personally identifiable information and is classified as sensitive data under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. The company’s technology allows administrators to cancel or revoke compromised templates and issue new ones, ensuring that even in large-scale breaches, new templates can be deployed for affected users. The solution also ensures that different templates of the same individual are not directly linked and makes it extremely difficult to recover unprotected biometric templates from protected ones.

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July 23, 2024 — by Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala