FEATURE : PHYSICAL SECURITY
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// enrolled trusted image . Typically , if you are verifying someone against their identity document , you ’ re doing it as an identity check which may be part of a process during on-boarding to a financial service or alternatively , you may be checking when they cross the border as part of an immigration check at border control .
In both cases , what you want to check is that the individual who is presenting themselves
is the same as the individual described in the trusted identity document . For example , when comparing them against a previously enrolled trusted image that is typically being carried out for log-on authentication – password replacement , two-factor authentication – where you ’ re making sure the person matches the account .
It ’ s very similar technology but used in two very different use cases – one is for onboarding and border checks and the other is for authentication .
We enable people to verify their face on their own device , unsupervised and unattended . And the key to that is not just the face matching which by now is a very wellestablished technology .
What impact do you see this contract having on iProov and the development you will be making ?
Transformational . Being in the business of authentication and ID verification , what we are essentially doing is providing our customers – enterprises of all types – with trust . Obviously , it takes time and proof-points to build trust and the fact that the DHS has selected us and said so publicly has proven to be an immense source of confidence in the market .
What does the decision say about the kind of technology being produced in the UK ?
It can only be a huge expression of confidence in the cybersecurity industry of the UK that such an important American institution is prepared to look beyond its borders and buy from us . I think it says a great deal about the quality of the industry in the country , a great deal about the
WE ’ RE NOW SEEING MORE AND MORE CASES OF GOVERNMENTS AND BANKS TURNING TO SELF-SERVICE , SPOOF- RESILIENT FACE VERIFICATION AS THE BIOMETRIC OF CHOICE .
effectiveness of links between industry and university , an enormous amount about the impact that Innovate UK has and a lot about the value of support the Department of Media , Culture and Sport is giving to the cybersecurity sector .
How do you see the business evolving in the near future ?
You will always find that I am having two conversations with you – one is about authentication and the other is about ID verification .
Iproov is uniquely valuable in both but they ’ re two different markets with different dynamics .
With ID verification , there ’ s no doubt we will move towards a more technology assisted self-service approach to immigration and border crossing . More reliance will be placed on people using either their own technology , or technology supplied at transport hubs to do things which are currently being done manually by border control staff .
That will have a tremendously positive effect upon both travellers , who will see shorter queues and faster transit times and also upon the quality of national security , because people today who are carrying out routine low-risk detection that machines are capable of , will instead be able to focus on higher risk enforcement action . So self-service border control and self-service border crossing will lead to a better experience for travellers and will be beneficial for national security .
I think over time we will see the development of national online databases of trusted identity which people will be able to authenticate themselves against using just their faces , rather than having to pull out their passport and driving licence .
When it comes to authentication , enterprises all over the world have , for the last five years , understood they need to replace passwords .
CISOs know that a high percentage of all breaches are due to compromised access control , computers left lying around with passwords saying ‘ 1234 ’ on them . Everyone knows it ’ s an absolute imperative to introduce some sort of two-factor or strong authentication for access to all enterprise systems . But the challenge you ’ ve always got is one of ubiquity and usability .
I think we will see iProov becoming an absolutely fundamental tool for enterprises who find that it provides an effortless hardware independent but extremely strong way of authenticating employees and business partners , for access to enterprise systems .
And finally , we have financial institutions who are gearing up to implement the new authentication requirements next year for which iProov is absolutely ideal .
So , I think we are going to see this market move rapidly towards technologies like iProov . I think we are at the beginning of a revolution .
Do you have plans for expansion ?
We will become a global business , it ’ s just a matter of when we open our US office but we are also gaining interest from all the other continents .
If you ’ ve got something uniquely valuable , then organisations like the DHS , which are fundamentally interested in doing the best job possible , will come to you wherever you are . •
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