MOSIP in final stages of biometric device certification framework development

Sanjith Sundaram, ecosystem head at the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) says a lot of ground has been covered regarding collaborative efforts aimed at developing a certification framework for biometric devices.

Sundaram was speaking earlier this month as he moderated a community meeting organized by the open-source software provider to give updates on the work that is being done to draft the certification framework.

MOSIP is working with partners including BixeLab on this new biometric device certification program.

During the partner community Zoom meeting, Sundaram said they are in the final stages of drafting the framework and are looking forward to the concluding cycle of public comments before the final document is published.

Issues discussed during the meeting included an overview of the framework, the progress made so far in terms of the documents produced, efforts at opening up new avenues for comments review, a review of additional documents and collaboration opportunities, the role of compliance test kits, status of lab onboarding, the dry certification run project and how it will unfold, as well as plans for follow-up meetings.

In the course of the meeting, Sundaram explained the technicalities and objectives of the Secure Biometric Interface (SBI) Standard 1.0 for biometric registration devices which MOSIP developed. He said this standard has four objectives which include biometric replay/injection, cryptographic traceability, standardized interfaces and purpose-driven capture.

Further explaining the importance of the standard, Sundaram said users always lookout for assurance on biometric products before they go for their adoption. For devices to meet requirements of that certification standard model, he added, they must have certain specifications grouped under four categories, namely: interfaces, image quality, hardware and other requirements such as liveness/presentation attack detection.

Sundaram mentioned that the organization is working on different initiatives including API test kits, the MACP (MOSIP Advance Compliance Program) Framework and its experience centers as part of the push to put in place a framework that provides standardized assessment criteria and standard operating procedures to test devices or solutions against set out criteria.

This, he says, will “enable the establishment of standardized MOSIP biometric device certification programs which are capable of providing independent certifications to MOSIP users through empanelled labs.”

Suraj Sivaraman, another MOSIP official, took some time to explain technicalities about the compliance tool kit (CTK), which is an online platform which can be used by MOSIP partners to test compliance for their products developed with MOSIP guidelines and specifications.

Speaking on the dry certification run, Sundaram said the process is part of building the certification network in some sense. The objective, he mentioned, is to strengthen the certification framework and produce first reference of certified products.

Three slots across device profiles will be included in the dry run, he said, and nominations are now open with shortlists expected to be announced either in December or January. “We don’t want many devices to be going through the dry run because it is a highly expensive exercise and then its just a learning exercise,” said Sundaram.

“It is a voluntary program but it is highly recommended because it is an assurance program at multiple levels when it comes to the devices,” he added.

Meanwhile, partners and other stakeholders have till November 24 to summit their final review and comments regarding Version 1 of the certification framework draft documents.

MOSIP adoption projected to jump in next 18 months

As MOSIP advances with its plan to establish a certification framework for biometric devices, it has been projected that the number of users of the software could hit one billion in the next 18 months, Deccan Herald reports.

Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation, a technology think tank, recently referenced MOSIP as India’s top software export during a science policy summit dialogue to discuss regulatory frameworks for disruptive technologies.

He said with MOSIP already serving around 100 million users in eleven countries, adoption of the software is expected to grow exponentially in the next year and a half.

The foundational digital ID ecosystems of a growing number of countries in Africa and Asia are based on MOSIP.

During a recent event to launch a digital public infrastructure initiative, many countries were in favour of building DPI using open-source platforms such as that offered by MOSIP.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  certification  |  digital ID  |  India  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  standards