National ID in Focus With ID4Africa Underway – 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:

FISMA Report Tracks Phishing Uptick

The latest Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) report, which tracks cybersecurity incidents across federal agencies, has found an overall decline of six percent in such incidents between 2021 and 2022. But email and phishing attacks were up, from 2,962 incidents in 2021 to 3,010 in the latest fiscal year.

Kenya Plans ABIS Upgrade, National ID Effort

Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, says the country will upgrade from its current Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) that will also support facial and iris recognition technologies. Speaking at this week’s ID4Africa event in Nairobi, he also said that the country will implement a digital ID system that uses a ‘Unique Personal Identifier’ issued to all newborns. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok had earlier indicated that authorities would start issuing these ‘UPIs’ to newborns on September 16 of this year. Block also said Kenya’s digital ID system will rely on Pakistan’s digital identity program as a model.

IDnow Gets First LSTI ISO/IEC 30107 Certificate

Two French testing laboratories, CLR Labs and LSTI, have launched an ISO/IEC 30107 conformity assessment program that is meant to enable them to evaluate any product or service using biometric technologies. IDnow, a Munich-based identity verification company focused on selfie-based biometric technology, has become the first company to obtain the new LSTI ISO/IEC 30107 certificate through the testing program, for its VideoIdent solution.

Madagascar National ID Pilot Uses Neurotechnology Tech

The government of Madagascar is working with the administrators of MOSIP on a pilot program exploring the issuance of digital ID credentials, and is using Neurotechnology’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) in the process. The pilot covers registration and ID generation, and is being overseen by the Madagascar Ministry of Digital Development, Digital Transformation, Posts and Telecommunications (MNDPT). “As more technology providers continue to join our growing ecosystem, we look forward to a long, fruitful partnership with Neurotechnology to help accelerate MOSIP’s efforts with their vast experience in the field of biometric solutions,” said MOSIP’s Country Implementations Head, Krishnan Rajagopalan.

Credence ID Attains MOSIP Compliance

Credence ID has obtained MOSIP Compliance for its CredenceECO and Credence-3 authentication devices, which support fingerprint and face biometrics. MOSIP is an open source platform for the development of national identity programs; Credence’s products are now confirmed to meet its Secure Biometric Interface standards at the highest level – SBI 2.0. The announcement comes shortly after the news that Credence ID had worked with IBM spinoff Kyndryl to deliver mobile ID reading technology to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division.

FacePhi Wins First Middle Eastern Client

FacePhi has entered the Middle Eastern market, thanks to a new partnership with Qashio, a spending management company based in Dubai. The partnership will enable Qashio’s corporate clients to take advantage of FacePhi’s selfie-based identity verification technology, which can verify end users’ identities by comparing their faces to images of their official IDs. Qashio is FacePhi’s first Middle East-based client, signing on after FacePhi established an EMEA-focused subsidiary last year.

HID Launches Mobile ID-focused Partner Program

HID has announced the “HID Origo Technology Partner Program” for companies focused on mobile technologies. The program is meant to help partners design, test, and market products that integrate HID Origo, a cloud-based mobile access platform, via APIs and SDKs. In announcing the program, HID emphasized the growing popularity of digital IDs and wallets, including offerings from Amazon, Apple, and Google.

Experian Teams With Keyless On Financial Services Solution

Experian has partnered with Keyless to offer a joint customer verification solution for financial institutions. Experian will offer an initial KYC check, while Keyless brings to the table a facial recognition system for identity verification. Keyless added this capability to its portfolio near the end of last year, through a deal with the selfie-based identity verification specialist Jumio.

NADRA Launches Biometric Onboarding Platform for Startups

Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has launched “Nishan Pakistan”, a biometric identity verification platform aimed specifically at startups, to help them fight fraud. The system supports contactless fingerprint scanning and matching through a smartphone.

Kuwait Gets Biometric Border Control (and Payment Cards)

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has implemented a biometric border screening system designed to capture eye, fingerprint, and face data from adults entering the country. Biometric scans are required for anyone over aged 18 or older, and the General Department of Criminal Evidence has reportedly deployed biometric devices to all air, land, and sea ports.

Meanwhile, Kuwait International Bank, which has 20 branches across the country, is now offering fingerprint-scanning Visa cards to “VIP” customers. The cards are based on the Zwipe Pay platform, and are being produced by Inkript.

Yoti Offers Digital ID Docs

Yoti has launched a “Digital Identity Toolkit”. It is not a new product from the identity and age verification specialist; rather, it is a collection of documents meant to explain the concept of digital identity, covering the basics, offering case studies, and touching on the issues of data privacy and security.

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May 24, 2023 – by Alex Perala