The EU Has Selected Its Digital ID Vendor: 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:

Scytáles Wins EU Digital Wallet Contract

Stockholm-based Scytáles and its Luxembourg-based partner Netcompany-Intrasoft have been selected to develop the European Digital Identity Wallet. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it is a project of monumental importance, with European Union authorities aiming to roll out a digital ID solution that can be used across member nations’ borders. “We are honored to have been awarded the EU Digital Wallet contract with our reputable partner and proud that Scytáles’ world leading technology gets recognized,” said Scytáles CEO Konstantin Papaxanthis.

EBA Guidance Stresses Need for Accuracy in Biometric Onboarding

New guidance from the European Banking Authority (EBA) highlight the need for accuracy and integrity in biometric onboarding technologies. Published near the end of last month, the EBA guidelines acknowledge the growing use of biometrics to remotely onboard new customers, and mandate that credit and financial institutions take measures to ensure that the biometrics collected are “sufficiently unique to be unequivocally linked to a single natural person.” The guidance will take effect six months from its publication date.

IATA Publishes ‘OK to Fly’ Standard

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced a new standard aimed at further promoting the development of digital solutions enabling contactless, biometric passenger screening at airports. Part of the “One ID” initiative, the “Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility” is focused on the mechanisms enabling travelers to obtain all of the needed government authorizations prior to their trip, ultimately letting them share an “OK to Fly” status with their airline that will let them bypass document checks at the airport.

Password Manager Goes Passwordless

Bitwarden, the provider of an open-source password manager tool, has launched a passwordless authentication feature that enables users to access their password vaults via biometric authentication, a security key, or a one-time password. The company has also partnered with DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused search engine, with the companies collaborating to integrate Bitwarden’s password manager into the DuckDuckGo app for Mac users.

IdentityX Comes to AWS

Daon’s renowned IdentityX platform is now available on the AWS marketplace. The platform was among the first to pioneer mobile biometrics, offering support for multiple modalities including face, fingerprint, and voice biometrics, and its identity proofing tool now has the capability of reading more than 7000 government-issued documents from around the world. It is highly customizable, and its availability on the AWS marketplace means that AWS customers can now procure it through their existing discount structures.

At-home Methadone Startup Gets Grant Funding

Dallas-based Berkshire Biomedical Corporation has been approved for the second phase of a two-phase Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Drug Abuse, with total grant funding amounting to $2 million. The funding will support Berkshire Biomedical’s continued development of an at-home methadone administration system that uses remote monitoring and analytics to deliver controlled doses of medicine to biometrically authenticated end users.

Polish Biometrics Startup Teams With ID R&D

BiometrIQ, a Polish biometrics startup, has selected ID R&D as its ‘preferred supplier and strategic partner’, the companies have announced. “By including ID R&D identity verification and authentication technologies in our portfolio of biometric subsystems, we are able to extend the capabilities of our solutions with best-in-class technologies with the highest efficiency,” explained BiometrIQ Managing Director Andrzej Tymecki. The announcement comes shortly after the news that TECH5, another biometrics specialist, had integrated ID R&D’s voice biometrics technology.

Apple Secures iMessages Against ‘Advanced Adversaries’

Apple plans to introduce new security features for high-risk individuals using the iPhone for sensitive messaging. When activated, the iMessage Contact Key Verification tool will alert users if “an exceptionally advanced adversary, such as a state-sponsored attacker” were to gain access to cloud servers in order to eavesdrop on conversations, Apple explained in a statement. The company also announced coming support for third-party security keys. That functionality is expected to launch globally in “early 2023”, whereas Apple said only that iMessage Contact Key Verification will arrive “in 2023.”

Another Breakthrough From Wuhan

A team of researchers at China’s Wuhan University have developed a coat designed to render the wearer invisible to surveillance systems designed to detect pedestrians. The coat features algorithmically-designed camouflage prints that are meant to confuse AI systems, as well as embedded thermal devices that can disrupt thermal imaging cameras. The researchers claim that in testing they have found that the coat reduces the accuracy of pedestrian detection systems by 57 percent.

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December 7, 2022 – by Alex Perala