The ‘killer app’ for identification

The evolution of how federal and state agencies document, verify and secure identity has evolved rapidly over the past 20 years.  Several converging needs have led to an evolution in how identity is used to verify an individual is who they say they are and now includes more sophisticated and secure methods of verification to enable secure access to networks, facilities and government services.  The path we are currently on will see wider adoption of digital identification credentials that operate in parallel with traditional physical identity documents, as well as biometric technologies that add a new dimension of security and verification.

Traditionally, state motor vehicle departments have issued IDs in the form of a physical credential.  Just as paper currency has transformed to combat the age-old issues of counterfeiting and fraud, physical ID credentials now feature a host of embedded features making them more secure than ever.

Physical IDs, however, have their limitations while the use cases requiring secure identification credentials have expanded exponentially. Chip-enabled cards are now used for access to banking networks as well as to secure government and private-sector networks. And digital identification technologies are now coming into the fore. Many states have begun issuing digital (or mobile) IDs, and adoption by smartphone manufacturers will accelerate consumer acceptance of these new forms of identification.

The “killer app” for identification, however, is biometrics. When the goal is zero trust, few other methods of verifying identity are as accurate and secure as matching a fingerprint, an iris or a face. Digitizing identity using biometrics is not a new concept. Fingerprints have been used by law enforcement for 100 years to verify identity, while automated systems making that process faster and more efficient have been in place for decades. Biometrics have enabled trusted traveler programs to deliver on their mission of security, while offering convenience to the public. Consumers have widely adopted fingerprint and facial recognition to access their smart devices. These examples are just the beginning for the role biometrics plays in providing the most advanced identity verification technologies we have seen to date. And, as a consequence of the pandemic, there is stronger demand for contactless, or “frictionless” identity solutions, which, in turn, is driving greater adoption of biometrics.

At the national, state and local level, these solutions have enormous potential to deliver government benefits to the public and reduce fraud and abuse. Knowing the person is who they say they are at the beginning of a transaction for services holds considerable benefits for eliminating abuse of certain government programs. By contrast, in today’s environment when fraud is detected, the bad actors are tracked down after the fraud has occurred. Some states leverage biometrics and mobile identification for the distribution of state services like unemployment, saving them millions of dollars in fraud abuse avoidance. In light of the recent hurricanes, one can see how access to digital identity might speed the process for applying for disaster relief compared to how that function is traditionally performed.

In the states, background checks that include fingerprint and photo verification are required for any number of occupations such as teachers, certain transportation workers, volunteers working with children and those who carry firearms. In addition to facilitating enrollment in these programs and registering biometrics for these uses, states including Arizona, Oklahoma and Mississippi have been introducing mobile ID as an option. Biometrics and mobile ID are potential game changers for creating more efficient identity verification.

Demand is now growing for identity solutions that allow access to facilities and networks using some form of biometrics. Just as facial recognition has replaced the password to access one’s smartphone, logging onto a network will be easier, and more secure, with a fingerprint or some other identifier that is entirely unique to the authorized user. Some of the nation’s newest, most advanced commercial office buildings use biometric verification as part of their security posture – a person’s identity can be verified to grant them entry to the building, while access control systems grant them access only to the areas for which they are authorized.

As with any technology breakthrough, important questions arise including whether a given solution creates issues of fairness, equity or accessibility. Recently, a pandemic relief program was deployed with a biometric requirement; however, in the rush to deliver needed benefits, issues arose for serving certain sectors of the population that did not have their own technology or means to access the benefit.

To address accuracy and fairness of these new solutions, both the National Institutes of Standards and Technology and the Department of Homeland Security have created rigorous and regular testing programs that have established rankings of identity verification systems and algorithms. These efforts have developed the tools state agencies can use to ensure that the identity solutions they seek to implement do not lead to unintended consequences.

The question now isn’t will biometric identity solutions become a reality, but rather when.

Josh Hyde is a federal identity expert with IDEMIA.