Biometrics to replace PINs and passwords boosted by global organization and tech giant

The publication of a new specification to support biometric payment cards and other advanced transaction methods is the most-read story of the week on Biometric Update. Global ID is joining an accelerator that could also provide a path to a new biometrics market, while Google and Microsoft have launched new consumer biometrics and enterprise identity management products, respectively, and ForgeRock is being taken private in a $2.3 billion deal.

Top biometrics news of the week

A new EMVCo draft specification for point-of-sale payment devices and ATMs which supports biometric payment cards has been published. The new Contactless Kernel Specification, one of more than 20 contactless kernel systems used around the world, ensures interoperability between POS systems and cards from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay.

The deadline for biometric SIM card registration in Kenya is Saturday, with 14 million mobile accounts yet to be registered and at risk of being shut down. The telecommunications providers in the Philippines say they are ready to carry out a similar exercise in their country, but would be well advised to take extra care with the security of any data they collect, as shown by a massive breach of SIM registration data in Indonesia.

The first of Pakistan’s new biometric passports has been issued to government officials, while Ghana says its own updated travel document is just months away. Nigeria’s government is putting passport application processes online to sidestep problems the system has faced, while South Africa is increasing the cost of its passports, and Philippine Airlines staff have been accused of suspect handling of travelers data.

Security camera supplier Dahua and facial recognition developer CloudWalk have been added to an official U.S. government list of companies considered to be extensions of China’s military. Businesses on the list do not get sanctioned for inclusion, but is meant to dissuade some potential partners or customers from working with them.

Global ID has been selected to participate in an innovation acceleration program run by RUAG, a tech supplier to the Switzerland’s army. The vein biometrics developer will work on system access security with the help of academic, technical and business expertise provided through the program.

Google has launched biometric passkeys to replace passwords with FIDO-based credentials on mobile devices running Android and Chrome. Passkeys can also enable account log-ins on a separate device using smartphone biometrics. The launch makes the passkeys available to developers, and apps utilizing the technology are expected to reach consumers later this year.

The World Economic Forum-run Known Traveller Trusted Identity program appears to be have been mothballed after being initially grounded by the pandemic. The blockchain-based project would have tested an early implementation of user-controlled digital ID in a complex setting, but with the Dutch side now focussed on EES, it may not be revived. As the America’s CBP and TSA deploy their new technologies, meanwhile, legacy self-service kiosks are being phased out, and retired next year.

Microsoft has brought its version of Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers to enterprise systems with the release of Entra Verified. The company believes its decentralized identity product can help businesses onboard employees, partners and customers, marking a potential big step towards mainstream adoption for the new W3C VC standard.

ForgeRock has reached a blockbuster $2.3 billion deal to be acquired by equity firm Thoma Bravo, which recently also bought Ping Identity. A 53 percent premium on ForgeRock’s stock price is the cost of taking the identity and access management leader private.

Meanwhile Intercede has acquired password management software provider Authlogics for $6 million. The deal gives Intercede access to a much larger customer market, just as it partners with NextgenID on remote identity proofing solutions.

IronVest, a company led by BioCatch Founder Avi Turgeman that offers a decentralized biometric password manager, has come out of stealth with a $23 million seed investment.

The latest episode of the ID 16.9 podcast focusses on a new approach to birth registration from Digitech Development, which has already been used to provide legal identity to millions of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Digital Trust World 2022 is now only a few weeks away. You can meet Biometric Update at the event in London.

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Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  data protection  |  digital identity  |  identity access management (IAM)  |  identity verification  |  research and development  |  standards  |  week in review