IQ Structures, a research and manufacturing organisation focused on nanotechnology engineering, a member of the IQS Group, announced that it has received orders for anti-counterfeiting protection for nearly 50 million personal documents for this year. These include polycarbonate passports, ID cards and driver’s licenses. The applied product is IQ proID.
The company has thus confirmed its position among the market leaders in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Earlier, it announced its victory in the tender for Czech ID cards. It expects to start further major projects this year.
The IQ Structures product IQ proID is the most widely used for the protection of polycarbonate documents. Its main benefits are:
Seamless integration in the card, through the microsegmentation of the security layer. Any attempt to remove it ends up disintegrating the security element into thousands of miniature parts.
Protecting all the information on the card. The size of the protective element is unlimited; it can cover the entire surface of the card up to the edge.
Integration with other technologies. IQ proID optical security features can be seamlessly integrated with other security technologies such as security printing, UV and OVI printing, tactile surface embossing, etc. This will create something that is a unified security feature from the perspective of the supervisor, plus from the perspective of the counterfeiter, the challenge of having to counterfeit different technologies will remain.
Unique visual effects developed in IQ Structures laboratories. E.g. key-hole, see-through holograms in transparent windows, flip-flop (two holograms in one), white 3d bas-relief and full 3d, fluent changes in transparency, a combination of transparent and metallic effects and printed elements, etc.
In order to be able to deliver new contracts, IQ Structures had to expand its production capacity. This is not an elementary task, as they have to comply with strict security measures due to the nature of their business. In addition, they operate on the site of a nuclear reactor, and all safety regulations apply. It is also difficult technologically because of the extremely high quality requirements, operating on the order of tens of nanometers (100,000 in one millimeter).
Petr Franc, CEO of IQ Structures, said: “IQ Structures has been certified for all relevant standards, including ISO 14 298 (Intergraf) for security printing and ISO 27 001 for information security. Behind this is strict process control. Implementing changes is therefore slightly more complicated, as the highest level of security must not be compromised, even temporarily. I am proud to announce that we have succeeded in building a unique production centre and are ready for the next big projects technically, organisationally and in terms of personnel.”
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is in recipient of the Secure Driver License Award 2022 which recognises advanced security by design in national state-issued ID documents which combat fraud and counterfeiting.
The drivers’ license design featured anti-counterfeit characteristics including raised lettering, signatures and embossed images and two images of the ID holder’s photo and birth month which display at different angles the card is tilt.
The state seal around the driver’s license card was redesigned using a process called multiple laser etching.
The plaque was awarded to DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder on 15 December, 2022, by the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License President Brian Zimmer.
A new law is impending from May 3, 2023, which will see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security demand a valid passport or other federal ID document, driver’s license or ID card, to fly within the United States and access secure military bases and federal facilities.
In 2018, Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration also received commendation award of National Security Excellence for manufacturing multi layered, securely designed state driver’s license credentials.
DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said in a press release that DMV were “honoured to receive such an important award that recognises the work we have done to make sure that the driver licenses and non-driver ID cards we provide New Yorkers are as secure as possible. “Our identity documents utilize the most state-of-the-art security features currently on the market, making them nearly impossible to counterfeit”.
The Cost of Living crisis is not only forcing difficult decisions to be made between heating and eating but with fees behind obtaining a photo ID to vote, many are feeling their right to take part in elections is being traded for a commodity.
As of December, showing a photo ID at polling stations in the UK became mandatory to lessen cases of identity fraud in voting.
One deputy leader at Coventry City Council, Abdul Khan, told the BBC that residents may look to conserve their earnings to support their households rather than having to pay to rexercise their right to vote.
Those without a typical photographic ID, such as passport or drivers license, will need to expense photographs themselves for a free voter card.
“We want elections to be free so people can take part regardless of their financial ability” Khan said.
Conservative ministers and the election commission poured scepticism over photo IDs not being fully secure, accessible or workable and said it would treat the Spring May election with as a “learning opportunity” to determine if the benefits outweighed the inefficiencies with people voters expected to be turned away without the right ID credentials.
IAM in Focus looks at the future of identity and access management, evolving processes, policies and tools for controlling user access to secure data systems.
It is also a track that explores how we can enhance workflows across multiple industries, data security and secure exchange of information systems. Martin Sandren will open this track, followed by a star-studded panel with fantastic personal credentials to talk about identity management. The panel is made up of Fabrizio Di Carlo, Amardeep Ginday, Aditya Kumar, Henk Marsman, and Manuel Garat Loureiro.
Our IAM track is almost full. You can view our entire live agenda and secure your early bird ticket here: https://lnkd.in/enWFEAwC
Our exhibition floor at Identity Week Europe 2023 is substantially bigger than previous years to cater for a bigger show but floor space is filling up fast with more of the industry’s vendors and organisations signing up to be part of a central European show!
Do not miss the opportunity to showcase your identity solutions to thousands of market leading companies and decision makers at this year’s Identity Week Europe!
This year we are radically upscaling our venue, larger exhibition floor and curating more quality theatre tracks to welcomes over 4,000 attendees across two days, exploring the latest innovations within the identity ecosystem.
Identity Week Europe will be welcoming senior representatives from key industries including banking, travel, enterprise, telecoms, healthcare and government to name a few.
This is a can’t miss event packed wall-to-wall with the latest identity innovations!
Key decision makers from the likes of Mühlbauer, iProov, Thales, Entrust, IDEMIA and OVD Kinegram have already confirmed their spots early at Europe’s leading Identity event. Don’t delay in securing your booth to be in with the best chance of kicking of 2023 with fruitful partnerships, projects, case studies and more.
The National Service of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Ecuador, which is a subsidiary of the national police, equipped their forensic laboratories in two major cities––Quito and Guayaquil––with Regula 4308 dual-video spectral comparators. Regula devices were chosen to modernise forensic research in the country and get the required technology for investigating the authenticity of IDs, banknotes, signatures, documents, and so on.
After using some devices for over a decade, the National Service of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Ecuador felt the lack of modern technology. The organisation was aspiring to cover all the major issues of document analysis with a single device, which was powerful enough to perform profound investigation of any document feature, including inks and writing. On top of this, the public entity was eager to get a new dedicated technological partner and receive comprehensive vendor support.
“Upon equipping our forensic laboratories with Regula’s devices and databases, we finally managed to reach the required high level of technology to perform any kind of document investigation––quickly, conveniently, and efficiently. We are happy with the technical features of the Regula 4308 comparator, with the quality of their databases (which are constantly updated), and with their support and involvement. Not only did Regula provide its products, but the company also organised training for our experts to help them use the device to the fullest and get insights on security features of different documents,” says Cristian Ernesto Salgado Ortega, Technical Coordinator at the National Service of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Ecuador.
The Regula 4308 dual-video spectral comparator is designed for advanced examination of all possible documents, as well as art and collectibles. It allows forensic experts to thoroughly investigate document printing methods and surface relief, as well as overlapping objects, such as signatures or stamps. For efficient verification of IDs, this dual-video spectral comparator has modules for reading MRZs, RFID chips, hidden images (IPI), and barcodes. With over 30 types of light sources, more than 20 light filters, and 320x magnification, Regula 4308 helps to investigate even the tiniest details.
Apart from the devices, the National Service of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Ecuador obtained Regula’s information reference systems (IRS) on documents and banknotes. They are comprehensive databases of a vast majority of travel documents, banknotes, driver’s licenses, and vehicle registration certificates, with detailed descriptions and images of the documents captured in different light sources. This reference system is a perfect comprehensive
information assistant for forensic experts who rely on this data to examine the security features of each document or banknote more efficiently.
To get the most of the newest devices, special training was held for the Ecuadorian forensic laboratory experts. It was organised by Regula and delivered by Juan Manuel Padrón Primo, a renowned forensic document examiner and Regula’s long-term partner. He highlighted the capabilities of the device and trained forensic labs’ staff to use it effectively. “It goes without saying that equipment plays a key role in forensic laboratories. Regula 4308 revolutionises the approach to document examination––it speeds up the analysis while enhancing its quality and outcome. And it’s the first time in Latin America that a single device covers all the major issues of optical analysis of inks and writing to highlight possible illegal alterations in documents via inconsistencies in pigment, traces, luminescence in infrared light and so on,” comments Padrón Primo.
We are thrilled to be welcoming the new year with the announcement of our latest keynote speaker for Identity Week Europe 2023 – taking place for the first time at the RAI Amsterdam on the 13 – 14 June.
Joe Palmer Chief Product & Innovation Officer iProov Ltd
Andreas Wolf Principal Scientist Biometrics Bundesdruckerei GmbH
Christoffer Bonn CTO Finnish Immigration Service
Louise Cole Head Customer Experience & Facilitation IATA
Secure your conference ticket to gain thought leadership perspectives from thousands of European governments, travel authorities, and biometrics disruptors as they come together for leading insight into 2023 biometric security!
JOIN THE 2023 START-UP CITY
This year we are hosting 100 disruptive start-ups in our Start-up City!
Seize your chance today and apply for your free 1m² space to present your innovative solutions to investors, global press and multinational companies looking to find the next identity unicorn.
Plus: be in with the chance to pitch your start-up at our on-floor seminar theatres!
The top passports for travelling to destinations around the world without a visa have been ranked in a latest study.
The study by Henley & Partners found that Japan ranks the highest for the last 5 years, permitting travel to 193 out of 227 destinations without a mandatory visa. In the positions behind, South Korea and Singapore were ranked joint second where 192 destinations are open to travel to without a visa. Germany and Spain occupied third place and Luxembourg, Italy and Finland also allow non-visa travel.
The Henley Passport Index provides information on 199 passports and 227 places in the world that is opening up to freer travel, especially with eased restrictions. Global travel has resumed to 75% of pre-pandemic levels and the events of the passed 3 years has even led to the term “revenge travel’.
Perhaps unsurprising, it is not easy to travel seamlessly with passports from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, facilitating 12% of travel worldwide and contributing to 1% of the global economy.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners who began the Passport Index 20 years ago, said the findings were eye-opening to the “passport power” and what it means for the value of the aviation sector and secure travel documents.
“The Henley Passport Index measures visa-free access to 227 destinations across the world, which of course makes it an extremely useful tool for travellers. However, for global citizens and international businesspeople, a better measure of economic mobility and opportunity afforded by their passports is an indication of what share of the world’s GDP is accessible to them visa-free. Our latest research into how much global economic access each passport provides is a useful tool for investors, in addition to giving new insight into the ever-widening economic inequality and wealth disparity that has come to define our world”.
US and China share the highest levels of GDP with 25% and 19% respectively.
The UK Government is set to increase passport application fees. Following suit of many costs rising due to inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, the Home Office is asking for more funds from those who regularly use the service.
This will reduce funding from taxation to help the Home Office continue to function and manage manufacture costs, processing passport applications and support overseas for lost or stolen passports.
Passport fees have remained level over the last 5 years but will now better reflect the services provided by the Home Office and help the government to continue improving its services.
While the changes are due to be reviewed by Parliament, they are expected to be implemented, meaning the average online application will cost £82.50 for adults, an increase from £75.50, and £53.50 for children.
Applications made via post are also subject to the price increase from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
The changes will come into effect for all applications on 2 February 2023. Fees for priority sends are being standardised so all customers will pay the same.
After more demand following the pandemic, since January 2022, the majority (95%) of basic passport applications have been processed within 10 weeks. The advice to customers is still to make an application in good time before the need to travel.
In a tweet to its 1.8 million followers, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said it is supporting the global effort to enable national ID in over 25 countries.
Encompassed in the UNDP’s mission is the goal to assign legal identity upon birth registration until death and build national ID systems to open up everyday services and opportunities.
The statistic from the World Bank and quoted by the UNDP that 1 billion people are still without a legal form of identification is a gross abandonment of basic human rights.
The Sustainable Development Goal 16 is to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”
No identity
The UNDP is working towards achieving ID equity starting from governments adopting national ID programs and overseeing the issuance of National Identification Number s(NIN) and bearer documents. A NIN enables citizens to have unrestricted access to other public services which significantly improve livelihoods such as obtaining a Work and Resident Permit, Business Registration, Land and Property Registration, making financial and bank Transactions and enrolling for School or University.
On a local level, the UN Legal Identity project is making a real difference in small, third countries like Honduras where the program is focused on displaced peoples, minorities, the LGBTQI+ community and people with disabilities who are more excluded from having an identity.
UNDP said 5.4 million people are now enrolled in the new population database in Honduras, helping to build better citizen databases to enable voting. This effort significantly helped in the 2021 elections.
The Target 16.9 is to, by 2030, “provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.”
About 237 million children under the age of five do not have a birth certificate. And the shocking statistics permeate through a lot of third- world countries. Only half of 2.8 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan are registered under the Government’s database and countries like Rwanda, Mauritania, and Eswatini also face similar obstacles in obtaining digital IDs for their citizens.
Although it is a myth to suggest whole continents like Africa are not establishing digital identity programs and embarking on digital development. Nigeria has reached digital ID milestone, surpassing over 90 million NIN, demonstrating a unified approach to ID and a working ecosystem model.
Nigeria Digital Identity for Development (Nigeria ID4D) initiative is also in a support role “to strengthen the foundational ID system, and in the process, improve national data protection, bolster Nigeria’s digital economy and close the inclusion gaps in access to identification and related key services, while fostering inclusion for marginalised groups, such as persons living with disability, the rural poor”.
iProov, a leader of Genuine Presence Assurance technology, were exhibiting and Gold Sponsors at Identity Week America, in October.
Between taking to lively sessions and manning their busy stand, SVP Americas, Ajay Amlani had time to share their recent successful applications in this interview with Evie Kim Sing, Editor of IdentityWeek.net.
The last couple of decades have marked successes for iProov, namely their involvement in the US visitor program with the US Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Excited eyes were starting to take notice of biometrics and the myriad of benefits which this profiling technology could provide to businesses, personal security and more.
iProov were greeted in the US market with biometric solutions that recognised genuine users as well as bad actors without friction.
“The evolution of biometrics from a physical layout to a digital layout to allow remote involvement and application…has been a tremendous achievement for the industry itself”.
Genuine Presence Assurance ensures any anomalous user has a genuine identity and is authenticating in real time.
Year-long delays to the passport process could be resolved quite soon, says Lebanon’s Directorate General of General Security.
The production of passports in use was brought to a halt after a tender dispute. The ending of the supplier’s contract created a huge demand and backlog of passports, impacting travel into Lebanon and abroad.
Passport appointments through the platform were also in short supply too but finally the news shared by Abbas Ibrahi could end the major disruption. The platform will remain in use after it was launched to manage the high demand amid the economic crisis.
The issuance of passports is promised to increase from 1,500 to 3,000 per day.
“On February 15, we will bring back the passport production machine to how it used to be before the crisis, “because it constitutes a civilized form for submitting applications for any transaction in the country, and we hope that it will be applied in the rest of the ministries and institutions”.
Te dispute over passport manufacture costs, lira exchange rate and political factors stopped funding for the contract.
Our Start-up Village is an important section of the conference which ensures a balance is struck between engaging the industry about the state of identity and creating viable routes for new companies to reach the marketplace.
2023 is already exceeding estimations. We announced in late 2022 that the event will be relocated to Amsterdam. Amongst our frequent attendees, we assessed a need and interest to move the conference to a more accessible location, which fits our growing needs. We event is bigger than ever – we hope you can join us at this new and improved venue!
A brand-new vast expo floor and modern stages will elevate our discussions and demos by our exhibitors. However at our core, we’re still focused on bringing together the most qualified identity experts in the industry which have a significant bearing on identity innovation.
Whether you’re a startup founder, enterprise looking to align with organisation strategies for digital identity, or vice versa looking to fulfil a tender with the best-in-class technology provider, Identity Week Europe fulfils expectations for all attendees.
Practical networking that leads to new partnerships, tenders, and deployments is our goal and renewed promise in 2023!
Meet people who would not normally be in your orbit and get new calls in your calendar.
Here’s a sneak preview of how our 2023 Identity Week Europe show is shaping up!
Vendors include: iProov, IDEMIA, Muhlbauer, AU10TIX, Aware, Entrust, Cetis, FacePhi, Infineon, QOMPLX, OVD Kinegram, Thales, TECH5, Covestro, Melzer, Regula, Aratek and so many more.
Organisations include:Ofcom, Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), Finnish Immigration Service, IATA, Salesforce, Ministry of Justice Netherlands, AVPA, HM Passport Office, , Ministry of Justice and Security, Netherlands Government, European Commission, Women in Identity, United Nations, Netherlands Ministry of the Interior, Open Identity Exchange, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), MOSIP, Document and Identity Investigation Office, Ministry of Justice and Security, Netherlands Government, National Office for Identity Data, European Parliament.
The first 100 speakers will be announced next week!
Startups include:
KYC Spider – digitising and automating Compliance
DuckDuckGoose – deepfake detection
DigiRoad (formerly NewBridge Technologies) – identification infrastructure of new generation
IAMX – the first Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) solution provider to incentivise consumer activity and comply with the strictest security standards
PresentID – a seamless remote user ID verification solution through the combination of technologies developed in-house including ID Card OCR capture
walt.ID – web3 identity, self-sovereign identity (SSI) and NFT infrastructure for developers
Mark ID – complete identity and document verification solutions for user onboarding.
My Voice AI – speaker verification, anti spoofing, digit verification and emotion, gender and age detection
Mintelium – A mobile data bank that stores workers’ sensitive information privately and securely while granting organizations temporary access with the worker maintaining complete control and ownership of it.
Blue Biometrics – Contactless fingerprint scanner for law enforcement, financial services, digital identity
Clustdoc – Client Onboarding Software for Businesses
KYC Hub – end-to-end customer onboarding and screening platform
Truvity – next-generation digital trust management platform
brighter AI – The world’s #1 image and video anonymization
Do you have a story to tell, or insights to share with the industry’s most important decision-makers?
Join our line-up of leading identity experts from 13-14 June in Amsterdam for Identity Week Europe 2023.
Open to industry experts, professionals, entrepreneurs, universities, R&D centres, associations and organisations — share your powerful ideas, case studies and innovative initiatives with the most influential members of the identity community.
Join our line-up of leading identity experts from 7 – 8 November in Singapore for Identity Week Asia 2023.
Join our line-up of leading identity experts from Oct 3 – 4 at Identity Week America 2023.
The new Israel government is swearing by a significant overturn in policy to determine when immigrants can gain citizenship and obtain a passport.
The mandate proposed by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri promises to make it much harder for immigrants to enjoy the perks of citizenship without settling in the country permanently, as is the current emerging trend.
This would involve rewriting Israel’s long-standing immigration policy, the Law of Return, which states every immigrants with every person with a Jewish grandparent can settle in the country and only by moving to Israel and making “making Aliyah” are they entitled to citizen benefits.
Genuine people looking to settle and become active citizens will be distinguished from those looking to benefit themselves if they establish a permanent residence in Israel. For certain, the new premiership will seek to overturn the 2017 law.
The Religious Zionism party argued for a reversal of the law however with insufficient evidence to suggest the clause was allowing entry of non-Jews and changing the Jewish identity of Israel.
Deri said his office lobbied for the law change to be actioned quicker with the Population and Immigration Authority in support.
What started as a crisis for Uruguay over alleged fake passports getting into the wrong hands of Putin’s spies, has spiralled into a web of accusations reckoning national corruption.
A trusted bodyguard of Uruguay’s President, Luis Lacalle Pou, was arrested on 26 September on charges of allowing the false passports to be obtained by suspicious Russians.The scandal, which the President flatly denied having any knowledge about, was certainly bad publicity when the rest of the world has been united on condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and cut political support as well as alliances on trade.
Astesiano’s assistance was providing false birth certificates that stated Russian citizens had Uruguayan parents, which could be used to obtain Uruguayan passport.
The suggestion was that Russian spies and/or citizens had an anterior motive for obtaining a fraudulent passport to travel freely to Europe and the Unites States and not all of the attempts to get one could be attributed to Russian citizens wanting to escape the corruption to reside elsewhere.
Reportedly a Russian citizen, Alexey Silivaev and his wife, paid for a false passport which recorded relatives that were unrelated, deceased Uruguayans.
Around 20 cases of Russian citizens trying to obtain a passport came to light after it warranted an investigation.
The serious allegations suggest Uruguay’s political corruption – even though integrity of the government is high in polls – in facilitating fake security documents and maintaining a relationship with Russia when the rest of the West has cut ties.
The Financial Times reported the interior and foreign ministry spoke out to claim Astesiano was “very dangerous” and questioned how the passports were approved.
Despite the bad reflection, a steady score of 73/100 shows Uruguay is not considered as corrupt as much of the U.S. and countries scoring below 50, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). It ranked first in Latin America and held 18th place worldwide.
China, where Coronavirus originated, has relaxed restrictions on travel and resumed issuing passports to mainland citizens and long-stay visas for foreign tourists.
While there is still some distrust over the realistic scale of China’s coronavirus problem, officials have downgraded Covid-19 to a less severe category. In China, coronavirus is a Class B infectious disease. It seems unlikely that China has gotten a grip on its believed escalating death toll.
The decision to eliminate nucleic acid tests and quarantine for incoming travellers came one day after the National Health Commission (NHC) made an announcement on the 27 December, instead focusing on how immigration operations could restore for mainland residents and foreigners.
The announcement referred to managing COVID prevention while reviving China’s economic and social position on a world stage by enabling open travel again.
The statement set out the intent “to efficiently coordinate pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development, to actively adapt to the new situation and requirements in the new phase of COVID-19 prevention and control […] and to protect and promote personnel exchange and communication between China and the rest of the world”.
Typical visa services for foreigners will resume to issue or renew stay or residence permits, port visas and exit-&-entry permits for the People’s Republic of China and border regions.
After closing off free travel to China, the publication of immigration measures signals a plan back to normality. Ports by sea and land and crucial channels will also be reopened to allow free entry-exit clearance.
Trained as an engineer with over 20 years of experience in the telecom, banking and now identity industries, Julien Drouet has worked in several highly successful international companies.
1. How can we efficiently secure identity documents against fraud?
As the proven leader in identity technologies, IDEMIA recognizes that document security features are the cornerstone of securing identity. Our vision is clear when it comes to developing our security features portfolio: we build ID documents that are hard to reproduce, but easy to inspect.
Our ID documents are hard to reproduce: each year we invest heavily in R&D to develop innovative security features that will serve this vision. We produce more than 150M ID documents every year (passports, ID cards, driver’s license, etc.) thanks to our extensive expertise, and what we have learned from our customers is that fraudsters mainly target the portrait, as it is the main link between an ID document and its holder. As a consequence, we focus on securing the portrait.
With that in mind, we recently launched LASINK™ 3D, the latest added security feature to our LASINK™ family, which consists of three security features:
– LASINK™ origin: with LASINK™ Origin, the main color portrait of the document’s holder is engraved directly into the polycarbonate structure by a laser during the personalization stage. LASINK™ Origin color photos have a unique linear pattern that acts as a signature to authenticate the document.
– LASINK™ Helios: a polychromatic color portrait integrated in a DOVID. LASINK™ Helios received the award of ‘Best Applied Security Product’ from the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA)
– LASINK™ 3D: a 3D color portrait in a transparent window.
LASINK™ Helios and LASINK™ 3D are secondary portraits of high quality that come reinforce the protection of the primary portrait.
Although the portrait is our highest priority, we have also developed additional security features with moving effects, or what we call a Motion Print. Additionally, we have created features that interlink the data in the document, like steganography, which conceals data within the document. The data can then be decrypted by various devices, such as a mobile phone, when the holder’s identity is checked.
Our documents are widely acknowledged for the high security level they provide. Since 2019, our eID cards in Estonia, Latvia, Morocco and Colombia, have been awarded as best new ID cards by the industry during the High Security Printing conferences.
Our vision also includes innovations to make authentication and inspection of ID documents easier. We are developing security features that can be inspected via automated inspection, through Optical Machine Authentication (OMA) using a scanner or a smartphone. Thus, authentication becomes easier and quicker all while being secure and reliable. Today, LASINK Origin can be authenticated through OMA which opens new use cases for the market. For instance, we can imagine in the near future a fully remote authentication with verification of LASINK™ Origin genuineness, completed by a selfie check.
At IDEMIA, we are truly focused on providing our customers with immediate innovative document security features, while ensuring that we are prepared to meet future digital needs.
2. While physical identity still coincides with digital identity, has the bridge widened as technologies have advanced?
We believe that physical and digital ID complement and complete each other because your digital ID is often derived from your physical ID. At IDEMIA, we strongly believe in an ID ecosystem where the physical and digital ID can co-exist perfectly.
A person’s physical identity has a crucial role when it comes to digital ID issuance. It provides the basis, or Root of Trust, from which identity attributes can be securely derived. For example, a smartphone can be used to both capture and verify a person’s identity so that they can easily use their identity and claim their rights. This is the way in which the physical and digital ID are expected to co-exist and enable a whole suite of secure services for citizens at a cost that is affordable for governments.
In addition to our expertise in physical ID documents, IDEMIA is also working on several digital identity projects. In the United States of America, we have partnered with Departments of Motor Vehicles for more than six years. We are the No. 1 issuer of driver’s licenses in the U.S. and we have also been issuing mobile driver’s licenses for years in Arizona, Delaware, Oklahoma, Mississippi and more. This not only enables law enforcement officers to perform secure and fast ID checks, but also allows for other use cases such as attribute sharing. For example, in the case of age checks at liquor stores, a person can choose to only show their age attribute without having to show all of their personal data.
We are also working on similar projects in Latin America. We are working with the Columbian Government to equip citizens with a new physical identity card alongside a digital extension on smartphones. The new digital ID provides a robust foundation to extend this infrastructure to future use cases. It will allow online authentication services, starting with governmental use cases and expanding to private sector services —such as access to financial services.
With regard to Europe, we are closely following the wallet trend that consists of storing multiple identity documents within your smartphone, an expanding trend thanks to the expected regulation eIDAS II and its interoperable European Mobile ID wallet.
3. How does IDEMIA’s technology contribute to more secure national identity schemes?
The first consideration here is that it is up to governments to decide what and how they want to develop and secure their national identity scheme, and IDEMIA, works directly with governments to help them achieve these goals.
IDway is IDEMIA’s identity management system that securely manages ID credential requests (both physical and digital). It guarantees the delivery of a foundational, legal, trusted identity. The full suite can handle the management of a citizen’s identity from birth and throughout life.
IDEMIA has been deploying ID management systems globally for more than 25 years. To give you one figure, IDEMIA ID systems now serve almost 40% of Latin America’s population.
One of our latest deployments was in Nepal: with a vision of continually developing and modernizing its digital infrastructure, the country is undergoing mass transformation and is evolving fast. As a long-term partner of Nepal, IDEMIA has already been supporting the Nepalese people on this journey by providing national ID cards, an AFIS system and Machine Readable documents.
IDway is a modular solution, meaning that it can be tailored to local needs, existing infrastructure and the needs of governments. Governments can protect their investments as the modularity allows for easier evolution of the systems.
It is also fully compliant with the OSIA standards which enable seamless interoperability. With this open standards approach, governments can be confident that their systems can evolve without compatibility issues in the future.
We developed IDway using a DevSecOps approach, securing the solution at every stage of development. This well-known approach is based on a central multi-biometric engine which ensures the uniqueness of each individual’s identity through a deduplication process.
Moreover, IDEMIA has extensive expertise in biometrics. Our algorithms regularly rank in the top tier in the NIST benchmarks. The latest results from the NIST and DHS has confirmed our leading position in the three main biometrics: face, fingerprints and iris. For example, our technology was ranked first on the False Match Rate (FMR) fairness test among the 100 most accurate algorithms from the NIST, with more than twice the fairness of the 20 most accurate solutions. In India, IDEMIA is a major contributor to the world’s largest biometric-based ID program, “Aadhaar”, and has enabled mass-enrolment of more than 1.3 billion people to date.
IDEMIA is the leader in identity technologies and we are very proud of the innovation and expertise we provide to our government partners.
4. Can you describe some of the most exciting applications you have developed across different sectors in the last few years?
We are particularly proud to be part of the digital transformation of a country, as it also means more inclusion. Thanks to our extensive expertise in identity, both physical and digital, we have recently supported Morocco and Colombia in modernizing their ID ecosystem.
The Kingdom of Morocco is widely recognized for its digitalization. With the aim of increasing efficiency within public services and improve overall citizen satisfaction, they established a strategic plan to digitalize government services.
IDEMIA has provided support throughout this important project, from the supply of state-of-the-art eID cards in 2020 (over 10m card already delivered) to the implementation of an authentication platform for digital services in 2022, and the design of a dedicated smartphone app.
Today, citizens of Morocco can now connect to the platform to access several governmental and private services, using their new eID card. They enjoy easier and more convenient access to online public and private services, but most importantly more secure access thanks to the use of the eID card.
Colombia has also taken major action toward digital transformation of the country. As part of the national digital strategy, the Colombian Government has emphasized a citizen-centric approach and has made the development of remote services a priority. To do so, they decided to go for a coupled approach in which they requested a new national ID card and its derived version on smartphone to co-exist.
As a long-term partner of the National Civil Registry of Colombia (RNEC), IDEMIA was selected to support them in the deployment of this project.
Since 2020, Colombian citizens have had access to a brand-new ID card, made of the most up-to-date security features, and also the ability to have their ID card in their smartphone. With their mobileID, they can easily authenticate online or in-person.
We are also closely following the developments of the European wallet. Our role is to ensure that governments will be able to take advantage of the benefits of a secure and reliable digital ID, and guide them in defining and implementing the right secure digital identity scheme. As the leader in identity technologies, we intend to play a significant part in the ecosystem.
The new year, 2023, has officially begun, so what’s in the pipeline for our partners in identity?
The much-talked-about arrival of a single European ID wallet, to store all modern digital credentials, promises to one of the greatest deployments in 2023. The wallet will be launched in September with member states being required to make it accessible to every EU citizen who wants one.
The benefits will be widely felt by enterprises, citizens, governments, unifying key digital credentials and common forms of ID across members states. A recognised e-ID has still not been adopted by all EU states to eliminate bad actors during authentication, despite formal trust frameworks – namely the eIDAS Regulation – being enacted in 2014. Pre-existing
eIDAS, summarised in the words of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, should “secure European e-Identity” so any citizen can travel or make a transaction “anywhere in Europe…a technology where we can control ourselves what data and how data is used.”
With multi-facets for storing digital credentials, the wallet be underpinned by interoperability with different service functions, including the exchange of health records, travel documents, and electronic ID for public and private use.
Forbes’ predictions for 2023 mount pressure on global as well as region-specific development and adoption of verifiable digital identities that block out fraud and enable the user more autonomy over their personal data.
HMRC looks set to migrate to the government’s One Login digital identity service, guiding users to secure authentication when accessing their services.
iProov predicts that 2023 will be another year of seismic innovation combating new problems.
Biometric devices will overshadow password usage for two-factor authentication
Meanwhile the threatening levels of synthetic identity fraud will still pressure vendor solutions and break records
Travel disruption 3 years on from the start of the pandemic will be curbed by enabling and enforcing remote ID checks
Liveness checks will become mandatory for online identity verification in financial services
The Metaverse giving way to an unprecedented wave of identity theft and cybercrime
More trust frameworks and privacy focused government digital identity schemes
Websites and enterprises will adopt identity verification as a defensive tool
Identity Week hosts global identity events that unite stakeholders behind meaningful objectives and pipelines for the rollout of identity schemes, initiatives and region- specific deployments.
Save the dates of our events taking place in Amsterdam on 13th and 14th June; Washington on 3-4 October; and Singapore on 7-8 November.
IQ Structures, a research and production organisation focused on nanotechnology engineering, is launching holographic technology for virtual ID cards based on an unforgeable physical document. The new solution overcomes the weakness of leaving holders of the virtual IDs themselves vulnerable to hacking attacks.
If there is no physical document and the record in the database is falsified or altered, the user is put in a very awkward situation. In extreme cases, the identity may even be completely stolen and someone else may act on his or her behalf. In the hybrid document concept, a person still holds a physical document that proves his identity and can be clearly proven not to have been forged. A physical document may be required for the most sensitive transactions.
The solution works by loading the authentication data from the protective hologram and the personal data from the chip into a mobile app. Based on this, a virtual ID card is created. However, in case of any doubt, it is possible to return to the physical document.
Robert Dvorak, the Managing Director of IQ Structures, explained: “The basis must be a completely reliable document. This means issued and personalised using a correct and secure procedure, completely resistant to forgery and containing data about the holder that cannot be mistaken. There is no room for compromise. This is where our IQ proID technology is virtually unrivalled. This creates the security on which hybrid identity documents can then be based,”.
IQ proID is a technology for optical security features that look like very sophisticated holograms. However, they are controlled nanostructures behind. This makes it possible to cover the entire surface of the document (or both sides), protect all data and integrate various security technologies, along with a number of other benefits.
New optical authentication solutions for a high denomination African banknote and an ID document were joint winners at the Excellence in Holography Awards 2022, organised by the industry trade body, International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).
Germany’s Louisenthal and France’s IDEMIA were joint winners of the ‘Best Applied Security Product’ category.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi’s new 5,000 Kwacha features a LEAD foil stripe from Louisenthal, which appears on the left of the notes and displays a combination of vibrant effects and tones created from holographic and micro-mirror technologies. The top shows an animated sun, true colour portrait of former president Dr Banda, denomination value, a three-dimensional fish from Lake Malawi with depth background, ‘Reserve Bank of Malawi’ and RBM logo. This foil shows achromatic and rainbow effects when the note is tilted.
The judges were particularly impressed by the high public recognition the feature provides together with its application as a strong security and authentication device to thwart banknote anti-counterfeiting.
IDEMIA’s LASINK Helios technology is linked to a DOVID (Diffractive Optical Variable Image Device) and combined with holographic technology displays striking optical effects, such as colour variations of the portrait including a full polychromatic view with true colours, which vary depending on the angle of view. Easy to inspect, resistant to multiple types of fraud and durable, the use validates both secondary and main portrait images on ID documents, thus confirming the identity of the document holder – both images are interlinked to make forgery virtually impossible, deterring any attempted fraud.
Germany’s foil and security feature producer KURZ was flying high after winning the ‘Innovation in Holographic Technology’ for its KINEGRAM DYNAMIC technology that showcases innovative surface-applied security features for banknotes. The technology, launched earlier this year, is based on micro-lenses which, in combination with diffractive features, provides security effects with movement, colour change and depth that can be checked by the public to confirm a banknote’s authenticity.
The Excellence in Holography awards recognise outstanding achievement, marking success for suppliers, manufacturers and end-users at the forefront of the sector who have brought forward innovative or commercially viable hologram products or techniques over the last 12 months.
The event, held online 5-6 December, came as the IHMA continues to develop its role as the leading voice for those involved in global commercial holography.
Chair of the IHMA, Dr Paul Dunn, commended the standard of entries as being of the highest quality, representing an innovative industry at the forefront of the fight against brand piracy and counterfeiting.
In congratulating all the winners, he said: “These awards mark ongoing advancement in the design, development and technology of commercial holograms, which continue to find fresh and innovative ways to add value and heightened levels of security to products used by millions of consumers the world over.”
