Socure, trinamiX earn biometric security certifications

Socure has met NIST’s Digital Identity Assurance Level 2 requirements in testing by the Kantara Initiative. Meanwhile, trinamiX has announced that its face authentication technology has been certified by Android and the FIDO Alliance for strong biometric security when mounted behind an OLED display.

Socure’s ID verification and fraud platform certified by Kantara for government use

Socure met the Kantara Initiative’s approval for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2), matching requirements from U.S. federal agencies implementing high assurance digital identity services.

The Kantara Initiative’s Board of Directors approved Socure as a Component Service, in compliance with the requirements of NIST SP 800-63 rev.3 Class of Approval, at IAL2. The approval by the global digital ID association lends the company credence when applying for government contracts.

“This important certification from the Kantara Initiative provides further validation of our platform’s ability to enable agencies to securely deliver fast, streamlined access to benefits and services for qualified constituents while significantly reducing losses, and ensuring equitable and inclusive treatment for all,” says Johnny Ayers, founder and CEO of Socure.

The company took steps in 2021 to bring its biometrics and identity verification technology to the public sector with the hiring of biometrics veteran Matt Thompson as its general manager of Public Sector Solutions, opening a public sector business to offer its selfie biometrics to U.S. government agencies, and hiring Jordan Burris, former chief of staff at the White House Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer as senior director, product market strategy for the pubic sector.

Kay Chopard, executive director of the Kantara Initiative, says, “Socure brings industry-leading expertise in identity verification and fraud prediction for regulated industries and government agencies, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of ‘hard to identify’ consumers. We will be working together to ensure that the industry standards we champion continue to reflect best of breed solutions and provide equitable access to services for all citizens.”

trinamiX approved by Android and FIDO for facial authentication behind OLED screens

BASF subsidiary trinamiX has been approved by Android and the FIDO Alliance for biometric security demands while the hardware is placed behind a smartphone’s OLED screen, potentially setting it up for deployment in Android smartphones.

The company passed the Android Biometric Security Test and FIDO Biometric Component Certification, which it claims is a first for a facial authentication and liveness sensor implemented behind an OLED display. The tests pit the technology against thousands of spoof attempts with tools such as silicone masks, over a period of several months. trinamiX says it passed both tests with the highest possible rating, with a spoof acceptance rate of 0 percent in testing to Android Biometric Class 3, and fulfilling the requirements of FIDO Level C — the incoming top standard.

trinamiX says its skin detection technology based on beam profile analysis technology adds a “unique dimension” to face authentication, as it detects skin versus other materials to determine if the object in front of a camera is a human. This adds security against presentation attacks such as photo-realistic masks, 3D sculptures, and detailed 2D printouts, the company says.

trinamiX joined Qualcomm’s accelerator program in February 2020 to turn the liveness detector into a product aimed at original-equipment manufacturing companies selling systems with infrared sight and depth-mapping function. Its face biometric authenticator was demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai in February 2021.

“We aim to create a future, in which sensitive user information is protected by reliable and convenient authentication steps,” says Stefan Metz, director of the 3D Imaging Business at trinamiX. “This is where we see huge potential in facial biometrics — if smartphone manufacturers are able to close the security gaps that common technologies still have. At trinamiX we have found a way to provide that next-generation technology.”

Metz says the development of the biometric authentication allows smartphone creators to “erase the need for a notch” to allow for “sleek, maximum display designs” while bolstering security and user privacy. Passing Android’s test allows for its integration into Android smartphones, as well as for sensitive applications, according to the announcement.

Article Topics

Android  |  biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  certification  |  digital identity  |  facial authentication  |  FIDO Alliance  |  IAL2  |  Kantara  |  NIST  |  skin detection  |  Socure  |  standards  |  trinamiX