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Businesses win with flexible biometric system architecture


Johannesburg, 16 Mar 2021

In today’s data-rich market, system architecture not only has to be flexible, but it also needs to be exceptionally secure.

In pursuit of flexibility, many businesses and organisations opt for open source coding. However, this approach poses a significant security risk when integrating systems and can leave companies vulnerable to attack.

According to Gur Geva, Founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii, the leader in face authentication on the continent: “Some open source architecture is hackable, and when we consider the value of data, the incentive for fraudsters is profitability.”

In our increasingly online world, identify theft is a lucrative activity at the root of much organised crime. The Financial Cost of Fraud Report reveals that fraudulent activities cost businesses and individuals over R81 trillion globally.

Geva elaborates that while security measures are in place, the practice of escalation means businesses and organisations need to stay on guard. The reality is that for every additional action taken towards securing personal information, fraudsters develop new ways to break through. In other words, every time a company builds a higher wall, a determined fraudster simply builds a higher ladder. This is evidenced in the sky-rocketing increase in instances of info-stealers and mobile spyware which, according to Nokia’s latest Threat Intelligence Report, make up 35.76% of all Android infections.

“Consumers need to understand that while big businesses like banks, reputable online stores and insurance companies do have high levels of security in place, no system is infallible. A balance between closed system architecture and a flexible security solution is crucial. Each organisation from the public to private sector has to provide continuous and convenient services to their client base without compromising security.”

Successful systems follow a robust and stringent know your customer (KYC) philosophy. KYC involves taking actions to ensure customers are genuine and enables the company to assess and monitor risks. These processes ensure the prevention of identity theft and all activities that may follow from it, like financial fraud, theft, illegal funding and corruption. In practice, this means that biometric identity is successfully matched to a selfie, valid ID document and a final authentication check with the recorded identity at the Department of Home Affairs. This triangulation approach is what enables iiDENTIFii to provide a biometric facial recognition solution that is accurate and validated on three different levels.

Despite the benefits of facial recognition software, biometric security has often come under fire for racial bias. Geva believes the right approach to scalable and statistical testing eliminates these biases.

“Our system has proven accuracy on a global level with successful implementations not only in Africa, but across the globe too. We are also fully compliant with POPI (Protection of Personal Information Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), therefore abiding by correct data protection policies.”

Geva adds that organisations need to understand that the selfies loaded onto their systems have to be provided voluntarily. For example, a successful system can onboard a new user within 30 seconds while grasping the unique nuances of a person’s face. This mitigates racial bias while driving down the risks of false positives, and increases trust between organisations, governments and their clients or citizens.

Geva concludes that, “Having spent over four years developing our identity authentication platform, we have the benefit of the largest sample size of facial biometric data in Southern Africa. Through our artificial intelligent algorithms and embedded deep learning engines, we are able to maintain this competitive advantage and provide our clients with a solution that enables flexibility and security.”


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iiDENTIFii

iiDENTIFii (identify) is a world leading digital identity solution with multinational clients in banking, insurance, retail, e-commerce, health, gaming and education industries. iiDENTIFii seamlessly verifies the identity of natural and juristic customers. Specific services include automated identity verification, fraud prevention, Know Your Customer (KYC), identity verification, biometric digital verification, compliance, digital onboarding, technology, and security. At the recent Future of HR and Africa Tech Week Awards was held on a digital stage, where iiDENTIFii - a global trailblazer in biometric identity, took the award for AI Leader. 

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