LaserLock: An interview with Neil Alpert, CEO

The need for identity verification is becoming clear in many industries today, and as such an increasing number of companies are introducing biometric technology to their offerings.

LaserLock is one of these companies, and though it has a primary focus on anti-counterfeit technologies, identity verification plays an important role in what the company does. I had a chance to chat with Neil Alpert, CEO of LaserLock about the role that biometrics and identity verification play in anti-counterfeiting, as well as his own priorities as CEO.

LaserLock acquired VerifyMe, a platform for identity verification last year and has since integrated it into many of its other products.

“VerifyMe SSO is our personal identity services smartphone app for consumers that delivers password wallet and single sign-on capabilities that incorporate authentication technologies like a gesture swipe, which is literally as simple as connecting the dots,” Neil Alpert, the company’s CEO said. “Currently we’re working to expand VerifyMe SSO’s authentication mechanisms to include face and fingerprint biometric notification services that will let you know when and how your identity is being used. We’re also working with some partners to integrate financial wallet and payments capabilities.”

In February, LaserLock filed a provisional patent application for a “Characteristic Verification System,” which uses existing technology in smartphones to capture both “overt and covert anti-counterfeiting measures to verify the identity of a person performing an action.”

“We see a great opportunity due to the rapid proliferation of digital cameras, particularly in smart phones, to turn these devices into tools for identity verification,” Alpert said. “These devices are so sophisticated that a number of biometric authentication techniques can be fully integrated into software without needing additional hardware.”

LaserLock also recently announced a facial recognition solution to determine the ages of players on internet gaming platforms using a similar system.

“In the future, we hope for a world where everyone has the ability to verify the authenticity and provenance of any material good and the identities of others. It’s clear today that counterfeiting and identity theft have become global problems that affect us all,” Alpert said.

Though anti-counterfeiting doesn’t enter the biometrics discussion often, the marriage is a sensible one, as identity thieves are essentially identity counterfeiters and a large part of identifying counterfeit items is understanding who and where they came from.

“We don’t want people to die from counterfeit medicines, foods or beverages. We don’t want people fooled by thieves and charlatans. We don’t want governments held hostage by terrorists and organized crime,” Alpert said. “Our mission is to provide technology that will hopefully [solve these problems].

As CEO for LaserLock, Alpert has the focus of a typical CEO to a publicly-traded company, but his work in anti-counterfeit has also found him focused on solving problems.

“When I began my professional career I was always striving to think outside of the box, but my lack of experience sometimes made that difficult,” Alpert said.  “Now, more than a decade later, I find that there are many ways to attack a problem and sometimes head-on is not the most effective.  I have also been very fortunate to work with some amazing people ranging from Plácido Domingo to Michael Steele, and most recently Michael Sonnenreich, who is not only the Chairman of our Board of Directors, but also a friend and mentor. I learn from him every day, so while my past experiences have certainly shaped my role as a CEO, I would also say that I learn tremendously from my daily experiences.”

Recently, LaserLock filed another provisional patent application for a three-factor authentication system, which includes facial recognition from a mobile device.

In addition, the company appointed Giles Kyser as its new Chief Operating Officer earlier this week.

Article Topics

anti-counterfeiting  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  LaserLock  |  mobile