Login.gov Deputy Director Hanna Kim to assume top role in May

The serving deputy director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS)’ Login.gov site will take the helm as director next month, as the single-sign on web portal prepares to begin piloting facial recognition for identity verification. A report in Fedscoop says Hanna Kim will assume the director’s role on May 11. Outgoing director Dan Lopez-Braus will transition to a senior adviser position with TTS.

According to TTS Director Ann Lewis, Kim “will lead the team to implement the recently-announced launch of an optimized pricing structure and a new pilot for selfie-based identity verification, both of which will empower even more agencies and programs to use Login.gov to benefit people nationwide.” The system will employ selfie biometrics matched against a government ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

The GSA has committed a total of $194.5 million over the next ten years in contracts with eight identity firms to provide biometric technology for Login.gov. The move is an attempt to better protect the site against cyberattacks and data breaches.

Kim became the first-ever deputy director of Login.gov in January, after serving for five years as a product manager for Amazon, where she worked on “cutting-edge AI-based technology to scale policy enforcement.” Prior to that, she held policy positions with the departments of State, Treasury and Defense.

Government watchdogs have taken note of Login.gov’s biometrics plans. A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released this week listed the site among federal government use cases of biometric identity verification. Per an article from the Federal News Network, the facial recognition technology being used in the May pilot meets standards set by the NIST’s 800-63-3 Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) guidelines. However, last year a brief adoption of Login.gov by the IRS was scuppered when the tax agency decided the site did not meet IAL2, as it had previously claimed.

It is perhaps not surprising, in light of all this, that the GAO continues to push policymakers to pass more laws or regulations on the use of biometrics, conduct regular evaluations to assess the effects of biometric tech, and get better at sharing and communicating information about biometric tools.

Meanwhile, Kim is staffing up as she prepares to take over Login.gov on May 11, posting on LinkedIn about an opportunity to work as the site’s senior policy lead. The incoming director is seeking “candidates who have policy and technical expertise in the space of digital identity (familiarity with NIST guidelines is a plus!) and are excited to deep dive into complex technology policy issues, including data privacy.” The job posting is expected to fill quickly.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital identity  |  Hanna Kim  |  identity assurance  |  identity verification  |  Login.gov  |  U.S. Government