New WEF Cybersecurity Report Underscores Need for Biometric Solutions

“…while the report does not explicitly mention biometrics, this shift suggests a growing importance of ensuring the authenticity and origin of data, which is a crucial aspect of biometric technologies.”

A new report from the World Economic Forum argues that the focus of cybersecurity is shifting from protecting information confidentiality and availability to ensuring its integrity and provenance, amidst the rapid pace of digitalization and emerging technologies, necessitating a global effort towards developing trusted standards and balancing digital sovereignty with interoperability. And while the report does not explicitly mention biometrics, this shift suggests a growing importance of ensuring the authenticity and origin of data, which is a crucial aspect of biometric technologies.

The pace and scale of digitalization, along with emerging technologies like AI, automation, quantum computing, and IoT, are identified as key drivers of changes in the global security landscape. The report notes the importance of developing and deploying quantum-safe cryptography and acknowledges the potential security challenges in space-based systems due to the integration of advanced technologies​​.

These insights underscore the need for biometric systems to adapt to and integrate with these advancing technologies.

The report also gestures to the ongoing debate about internet fragmentation versus a “free and open” internet. This discussion includes the challenges of balancing technology value-chain interdependencies with digital sovereignty. The report mentions a call for trusted standards that incentivize interoperability in cybersecurity and AI security. In regions like Africa, there’s an increasing need for regulation and enforcement of security and privacy standards.

This aspect is critical for biometrics, as these technologies often involve cross-border data exchange and require adherence to various regional standards and regulations​.

The WEF’s reports are typically the result of collaborative efforts involving experts from various sectors, ensuring a comprehensive and multifaceted perspective on the issues they address. The “Cybersecurity Futures 2030: New Foundations” white paper names UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and CNA as co-authors along with the WEF.

Source: WEF

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January 11, 2024 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team