Smart Eye Technology releases multilevel biometric authentication for on-screen privacy, document security

Atlanta-based company Smart Eye Technology has launched a multilevel biometric authentication platform which blocks risky screen snooping and protects against unauthorized access to shared documents, the company announced.

By combining facial, voice, and fingerprint recognition with end-to-end encryption, the platform prevents visual hacking, fraud, forgery, and counterfeiting. The application is already available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

In an email interview with Biometric Update, Dexter Caffey, founder and CEO of Smart Eye Technology, shares details about how the company was established and future plans, top achievements and why he believes the technology is superior to anything currently available on the market.

Luana Pascu, Reporter, Biometric Update: Where and how did it all start for Smart Eye Technology?

Dexter Caffey, Founder and CEO, Smart Eye Technology: I was at a cybersecurity event in Israel a few years ago and was talking with one of the cybersecurity experts, and happened to see his laptop and could clearly see several important documents on his screen. I asked myself – why is it that I can see what’s on this person’s screen? It’s none of my business. At the same time, he should be able to keep things moving back at the office while at this event.

If this was happening at a cybersecurity conference, then how many people across the world were opening themselves up to the same risks, whether it be in coffee shops, airports, and other public places? The inspiration for Smart Eye was born in that moment of realization.

We set out to create an app that would automatically and instantaneously block a mobile device or computer screen when another face is recognized through facial recognition that isn’t the user’s face. Nothing like this existed in the marketplace and our team spent months doing extensive research before the development phase to come up with the first and only all-in-one screen privacy and document security technology platform. Our multilevel biometric authentication platform uses continuous facial recognition along with voice recognition and fingerprint recognition (behavior and iris recognition are being added soon) to allow users to share and access files securely and help combat visual hacking, fraud, forgery, and counterfeiting.

We are extremely pleased with the feedback we are receiving from those who have demoed and tested Smart Eye. A number of public and private companies in the finance and banking, legal, accounting, manufacturing and healthcare sectors have seen our platform and have expressed a great deal of interest. As soon as they see how it works and how user-friendly it is, the wheels immediately begin turning and the usefulness of the application becomes very clear to them.

BU: How does the system work, and what kind of biometric technology does it use to prevent strangers from snooping?

Smart Eye Technology: Visual hacking and shoulder surfing is quick, easy and all too often, unnoticed. Smart Eye Technology uses facial recognition that continuously monitors the authorized user’s face. If an unauthorized user’s face is detected in the background, the app blocks the entire screen of the device with a warning sign to alert the authorized user.

And when you open and view any type of file in the Smart Eye app, your device authenticates your identity and access through continuous facial recognition. Moment by moment the device scans your face. If you put your phone down while the file is still open, a warning sign pops up on the screen to prevent others from seeing the file.

We are currently developing a version of continuous facial recognition that will detect a face with a mask or if there is partial face visibility. We expect to launch it by first quarter 2021 at the latest.

Whether it’s highly confidential business files, contracts or presentations or private personal documents, photos or videos, no one should be able to view or have access to them except you and anyone else you authorize to see them.

BU: Why is your technology a “game changer”? Why do you claim it is superior to other systems in the market?

Smart Eye Technology: We’re the world’s only all-in-one screen privacy and document security technology platform. Smart Eye offers the most comprehensive multilevel biometric authentication and user control functions. In addition to selecting multiple biometrics, the recipient must authenticate to see a document; the owner of a file has a variety of other control options. How long can the recipient have access? 24 hours? 72 hours? Can they share it? Can they download the document? You can then get notifications and keep track of activity along the way.

There are a lot of biometric solutions out there, but they are focused on one time – static authentication. Smart Eye Technology ensures privacy and security the whole time a document is opened in the platform.

Furthermore, our e-signature solution uses biometrics to authenticate the signer. This is the first time in history that a signer can be validated digitally. Only the authorized signer will be able to access and view the document before they can even sign it through continuous facial recognition. Other e-signature platforms are looking into ways to identify signers through ID verification. We have ID verification and have taken it one step further with continuous facial recognition to add an even higher level of validation.

BU: What are some noteworthy uses cases and deployment opportunities industry-wise?

Smart Eye Technology: I have a business background and am focused on having Smart Eye provide users a peace of mind by addressing real business risks and issues such as wire fraud, protecting Intellectual Property, ensuring document security when working from home, and validating e-signatures.

One of the most prevalent and costly issues we’ve heard from companies has to do with invoice and wire fraud where their employees receive an email with an invoice or wire change instructions that they forward onto Accounts Payable. The issue is that frequently, these invoices and wire changes are coming from a fraudster impersonating the vendor.

The Smart Eye platform prevents this from happening. A company must approve another organization to collaborate and communicate with them through the platform. No one else will be able to collaborate or communicate with that company. Furthermore, both the sender and receiver of documents are verified through continuous facial recognition.

BU: How can voice biometrics be used in document sharing?

Smart Eye Technology: Smart Eye users sending files can require the recipient to authenticate themselves with up to three levels of biometrics, including facial recognition, fingerprint recognition and voice recognition. We are also in the process of developing print behavior and iris recognition as additional layers which will be introduced soon.

When a user sets up voice recognition, they are prompted to record a series of numbers which they are again prompted to speak into their device’s microphone any time that biometric is required to open a document. If the voices don’t match, then the document won’t open. We recommend at least two biometrics always be used before the receiver can access your file.

BU: Is your current focus on the U.S. market, or are you looking into international partnerships? If you’re targeting international partnerships, which would be the first countries you’d be interested in and why?

Smart Eye Technology: For now, we are primarily focused on the U.S., but we are interested in global partnerships. We would be interested in working with advanced economies, such as Japan and countries across Europe, but we also think there is opportunity in developing economies such as India.

BU: Is there enough data privacy awareness? How can companies overcome ethical and compliance challenges?

Smart Eye Technology: There is not enough awareness around data privacy and security as a whole. It’s a serious and persistent issue that deserves much more attention. In 2018, there were 350 million records exposed in data breaches and $500 billion dollars is lost annually from U.S. companies due to fraud. Smart Eye Technology was founded to vigilantly protect everyone’s right to digital privacy and we want to put a greater focus on this issue and provide the most advanced technology that can mitigate these risks.

Companies can overcome ethical and compliance challenges through using technologies to compensate for the human element and biometrics can play a big role. There was a recent report that forecasted the global biometrics market to grow by $18.1 billion from 2020 to 2024 on increasing demand for security and surveillance applications.

BU: Have consumers grown more comfortable with biometric authentication solutions?

Smart Eye Technology: There is no doubt consumers have become increasingly more trusting of biometric authentication, as it has become part of their daily routine and the digital world we all live in. Their smart phones and other electronic devices have made them more comfortable with these technologies and the security and convenience they offer. If they are anything like me, they also enjoy not having to remember multiple passwords and worry about the risks associated with using the same go to password on multiple sites. Biometrics pose a simple solution.

BU: Given the COVID-19 crisis, will companies and users be more open to switching to biometrics authentication for enhanced security, and how do you see this develop in the long run?

Smart Eye Technology: As cyberattacks have significantly increased since the onset of COVID-19, we are seeing further interest in using biometrics to safeguard document privacy and security. For example, ransomware attacks increased 72 percent during the first half of 2020. Unfortunately, we believe this trend will continue as companies continue to navigate the new normal of how and where their employees work and the vulnerability this creates. We need more advanced ‘good’ technologies to combat the advancements in technologies that facilitate fraud.

BU: What’s next in the cards for Smart Eye Technology?

Smart Eye Technology: In terms of biometrics, our platform will include print behavior as an authentication method in September and iris recognition in early 2021 to give additional security options to our users. Smart Eye will also be able to recognize faces with masks within the coming months.

Beyond that, our current development roadmap also includes adding voice commands to create a hands-free experience for users to send files, which is expected to be available early 2021. Our mission is to revolutionize the way people protect their screens and private, confidential documents from prying eyes and we will continue to innovate so that our users can have the peace of mind they deserve.

Article Topics

access management  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  continuous authentication  |  cybersecurity  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  Smart Eye Technology  |  voice biometrics