Biometrics ‘universal anchor’ for Regula’s ideal verification stack of the future

A research report from Regula suggests that advanced biometric identity verification (IDV) tools are considered the most effective in fighting AI-related fraud such as deepfakes – and that they’re central to a functioning business in an increasingly digitized economy. It also identifies threats and opportunities connected to the future of identity verification, and the strategic implications for businesses.

New forms of fraud, including deepfakes and synthetic IDs, mean that common fraud prevention tools such as SMS codes, OTPs and app confirmations no longer provide adequate protection. For fraud prevention, biometric verification ranks as the third most trusted tactic among surveyed businesses and organizations, behind multifactor authentication and behavioral biometrics. But Regula sees biometric verification as a key piece of the ideal identity verification stack of the future – and biometrics as the “universal anchor,” and the “backbone of the future IDV stack.” 

“Today’s identity verification priorities center on advanced technology implementation and operational problem-solving,” it says. “Organizations are primarily focused on two areas – machine learning-powered biometrics and fully automated real-time verification – which together represent almost half of today’s top priorities.”

The findings indicate that, among verification options, biometrics was found to have the “lowest drop-off rate” among users and “high growth potential” with about 21 percent of respondents expressing a wish to adopt it because it is “simple for users, scalable for businesses, and trusted by regulators.” Biometric tech has gained ground in sectors such as aviation, crypto, healthcare, banking, telecom and fintech, and is positioned to play a major role in emerging markets like gambling and vaping.  

Nonetheless, the report says that developments in fraud mean very few safeguards will work in isolation. “To stay ahead, firms must reset how they evaluate effectiveness – shifting from ease-of-deployment to resilience.”

Ihar Kliashchou, Regula’s Chief Technology Officer, says fraud is now centered on verification itself. “Deepfakes, synthetic IDs, and AI-driven impersonation are hammering the very step we once trusted most. The way forward isn’t mysterious: automate what machines do best, orchestrate the tools into one flow, and let humans focus on the calls that really matter. Identity verification has to graduate from a box-checking step to the backbone of trust.” 

“The future of fraud prevention isn’t about relying on easy-to-deploy solutions in isolation. It’s about building resilient, layered defenses with advanced biometric verification as a backbone and orchestration tying it all together.”

In some markets, like Germany and Singapore, human review is required for compliance purposes when making high-stakes decisions with biometric IDV, according to the Regula report.

Regula recently rolled out a digital ID resource to serve as a guide for digital ID project deployment.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  deepfakes  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  Regula  |  synthetic identity fraud