CMO at Identy.io

How biometrics guarantees access to digital health and the correct dispensing of medications

Andrés Alvargonzález — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:49:41 +0000

The digitization that the healthcare sector is undergoing, through the integration of different digital technologies in areas such as prevention or the treatment and monitoring of diseases, represents one of the biggest changes that this industry has undergone in recent years. This innovation has transformed the way patients and medical staff interact with the system.

One of the pillars of this transformation is the electronic health record, which allows medical information to be stored and shared securely and efficiently. Thanks to this, different professionals can access the same file in real time, reducing and improving continuity of care. Telemedicine is another key element. Through video calls, digital platforms, and mobile applications, patients can consult with specialists without having to travel. Telemedicine not only significantly improves access to medical care in rural areas, but also optimizes the system’s time and resources.

However, access to these resources is not equal for all countries and their different regions, which often face territorial inequalities and budgetary constraints. Thus, the focus is not always on implementing highly advanced technologies, but rather on strengthening basic infrastructure and expanding coverage to ensure that all citizens can benefit, regardless of their place of residence or socioeconomic status.

How to ensure secure access to digital health

In turn, digital health handles a person’s most sensitive data, such as medical records, diagnoses, and prescription medications. Protecting this information is therefore essential to ensure patient privacy and ensure that only the right people have access to this critical information. In this context, biometrics is positioned as the solution that guarantees security, unlike passwords or single-use codes, as it allows a person’s identity to be linked to unique and non-transferable physical characteristics. In this context, thanks to biometric recognition of the user’s face, fingerprints or palm using passive liveness technology, the Identy.io platform is able to identify the user in a way that is virtually impossible to falsify, even detecting the use of 3D masks or deepfakes created using artificial intelligence.

The innovative contactless biometric verification solutions from Identy.io can be integrated directly into the patient’s mobile phone, facilitating secure access to health portals, official applications, and remote care systems. Through their device, users can quickly and easily authenticate themselves using their own biometrics, creating a unique link between their identity and their digital medical record. The solution’s intuitive interface and simple operation make it accessible even to older people or those without digital training, which is especially important for promoting the inclusion of these population groups and ensuring their access to social and health services.

Biometrics as a guarantee of correct medication dispensing

Biometrics not only protects secure access to platforms and clinical data, but is also a key pillar in ensuring the correct dispensing of medications, which is a real critical point in the care chain. Biometric authentication at the point of dispensing allows verification that the person collecting the medication is actually the prescription holder, reducing fraud and duplication. In addition, biometrics strengthens traceability and therapeutic continuity because, by uniquely linking the patient to their clinical history, duplicate delivery of medications and dosing errors are avoided.

Unlike traditional systems that require patients to travel to kiosks with specialized biometric scanners, Identy.io’s contactless biometric verification solutions are mobile-first, so they integrate seamlessly with patients’ mobile devices. This allows them to present their credentials at dispensaries when picking up medications and ensure they are receiving the correct treatment, even if they share the same first and last names as another patient. This is because the device generates a unique and non-transferable token that links each prescription to its patient.

Integration with healthcare systems is designed to align with local regulatory frameworks. In Brazil, this includes compatibility with LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados) data governance requirements and ANVISA guidelines for digital health tools. In Mexico, Identy.io’s on-device processing model supports compliance with COFEPRIS regulations and INAI’s position that biometric data must be treated as sensitive personal data. Healthcare institutions should validate integration pathways with their compliance teams prior to deployment.

Reducing inequality in access to digital health and medicines

The inequality generated by the digital divide means that many communities that lack stable internet access have very limited or no access at all to digital services for accessing healthcare. For example, in 2025, Brazil had approximately 29.2 million people without internet access, limiting the participation of a significant percentage of the population in digital healthcare services. A similar situation is seen in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, where disparities between urban and rural areas are evident, with the latter sometimes facing poor technological infrastructure and limited or non-existent connectivity.

In response to this, and acting as a social shield to ensure that all citizens have an identity and can securely access health services and their medications, the solutions offered by Identy.io are designed to work without requiring an internet connection and on virtually all mobile phones on the market, even low-end ones. This helps democratize access to secure biometric verification for the entire population, regardless of the region in which they live, their technological knowledge, or their economic status.

This is possible because the system is designed to process all critical identity data locally on the user’s cell phone, using a model with a basic camera and flash. This in turn increases security and reduces infrastructure costs, as data is not sent to the cloud and no specialized infrastructure such as biometric scanners is required. Additionally, Identy.io’s touchless biometric identification solutions meet the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) digital identity management strategic guidelines by supporting eKYC (Electronic Know Your Client) processes and patient data protection requirements under frameworks such as LGPD (Brazil), LFPDPPP (Mexico), and Habeas Data (Colombia).

At a time when the healthcare industry is being transformed by digitalization, including biometric verification solutions protects users’ sensitive data and ensures the correct dispensing of medications. At the same time, innovative solutions from Identy.io help reduce the digital divide thanks to their ability to operate without an internet connection, on any device, even low-end ones, using only a camera and flash.

La entrada How biometrics guarantees access to digital health and the correct dispensing of medications se publicó primero en identy.io.

Identy.io to Join Global Border Officials at the World Border Security Congress, April 14-16, 2026

Andrés Alvargonzález — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:47:02 +0000

CEO Jesus Aragón to present on the importance of rapid mobile biometric binding for border security

DOVER, DE (April 7, 2026) – Identy.io, a leader in biometric identification, today announced it will be attending the World Border Security Congress on April 14-16, 2026, in Vienna, Austria.

The conference brings together senior border officials from around the world to discuss and debate current and future policies, implementation issues and developing technologies that contribute towards safe and secure border and migration management.

On April 15 at 2:00 p.m. CEST, Jesus Aragón, CEO and Co-Founder of Identy.io, will present a technology workshop titled “The Importance of Rapid Mobile Biometric and Biometric Binding for Modern Border Security.” During the session, Aragón will discuss how biometric binding is solving critical challenges at the border by linking travelers’ live biometric captures to identity documents early in the visa application process.

“Identity fraud at the border is becoming a major problem. Authentication techniques have shifted from physical to digital, and bad actors are exploiting this gap. By submitting legitimate documents during the application process, then digitally swapping identities at the point of entry, they can evade detection,” said Jesus Aragón, CEO and co-founder of Identy.io. “Rapid, reliable identification at border crossings is now mission essential. Mobile biometrics allow agents to instantly capture and verify faces, fingerprints or irises against central systems, strengthening security and speeding up processing.”

Biometric binding is achieved by cryptographically linking live facial and fingerprint captures to an individual’s identity documents during the initial visa application process. This creates an immutable connection between the applicant and their credentials, enabling border officials to verify that the arriving traveler is the identical individual who submitted the application.

Identy.io currently deploys its NIST- and ISO 30107-3 liveness-compliant biometrics binding technology at airports expected to process millions of passengers in 2026. Integrating with existing border infrastructure, the mobile-first architecture requires only a standard smartphone camera, eliminating capital expenditure on specialized kiosks or fingerprint scanners.

All biometric processing occurs on-device, with no requirement to send biometrics data to the cloud, processing and reducing exposure to data breaches while protecting end-user privacy.

“We’re already implementing our technology in ways that improve efficiency and reduce fraud. By embedding our solution into existing e-gates and immigration systems, officers can easily verify someone’s identity in real time,” said Aragón. “Since it’s used before a traveler even boards a flight, agents can flag fraudulent or stolen documents before it’s too late. That creates fewer bottlenecks, faster processing and stronger overall security for travelers putting their trust in officers and agencies.”Identy.io recently became the only system to achieve zero attack acceptance in the Department of Homeland Security’s Remote Identity Validation Rally (DHS RIVR) face liveness evaluation, while recording the fastest transaction times and highest end-user satisfaction in the Active PAD evaluation.

La entrada Identy.io to Join Global Border Officials at the World Border Security Congress, April 14-16, 2026 se publicó primero en identy.io.

Biometrics as a key ally in the fight against human trafficking

Andrés Alvargonzález — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:15:45 +0000

Human trafficking continues to be among the most serious and complex human rights violations worldwide. It is a silent, highly organized crime that is difficult to detect, relying on the vulnerability of victims and the manipulation of their identity to facilitate their recruitment, transfer, and exploitation. In this context, biometric technology has established itself as an essential tool to prevent these crimes, accelerate the identification of victims, and support their rescue.

Identity as a key element in human trafficking

Despite institutional and social efforts, human trafficking remains a largely invisible phenomenon. A significant portion of cases is never formally reported, whether due to fear, coercion, or lack of access to effective protection mechanisms, which consequently hinders the actions of authorities and allows criminal networks to continue operating with relative impunity. In addition, the main victims of trafficking are often women, children, and people in situations of particular vulnerability, which, combined with contexts of poverty or irregular migration, creates a complex environment that criminals exploit.

This is why one of the fundamental pillars sustaining human trafficking is the manipulation of identity. From the first contact to the exploitation phase, criminals systematically resort to the falsification, alteration, or suppression of victims’ identities, as the use of forged documents or documents belonging to third parties allows criminal networks to move victims between cities and even countries, making them difficult to track. Considering this, social networks, dating applications, and other digital environments have become one of the main sources of information for traffickers, as the lack of robust and reliable identity verification processes facilitates impersonation and access to personal data that are later used for recruitment and blackmail.

Biometrics as a new standard of security and protection

Identification systems based exclusively on physical documents are insufficient in the face of increasingly sophisticated criminal organizations. These documents can be stolen, forged, or manipulated with relative ease, especially in contexts of cross-border mobility, making it essential to adopt technologies capable of verifying unequivocally a person’s identity, regardless of the documentation they carry or its location.

Biometric solutions are based on the capture of unique and immutable physical characteristics (such as fingerprints or facial features) to reliably identify a person. Unlike traditional documents, these credentials cannot be lent, stolen, or easily falsified, positioning biometric authentication solutions as a widely adopted global security standard, with a direct impact on the prevention and detection of crimes such as human trafficking. Thus, the generation of biometric digital credentials provides a reliable identity backup in cases of disappearance or suspected trafficking, as they can be matched within seconds by law enforcement authorities at border controls, airports, banking institutions, or reception centers.

Biometrics does not only act once the crime has already occurred. Its true potential lies in prevention, limiting the recruitment of victims through digital services with robust verification and preventing unauthorized movements in financial or administrative environments. Even when a person has been displaced or their identity has been altered, biometric systems allow for identification during routine checks, generating automatic alerts that accelerate the response of authorities. Thanks to the existence of these biometric databases and the ability to perform reliable real-time matching, it is possible to identify victims even years after their disappearance.

How does Identy.io’s biometric technology help combat human trafficking?

Identy.io has developed biometric identification solutions designed to operate in any context and location, even in environments with technical or connectivity limitations, where the protection of people is most needed.

Advanced biometric capture on-device

Identy.io’s technology allows the capture of all ten fingerprints directly from the user’s mobile phone, without the need for additional devices. Using the phone’s own camera, the system obtains high-resolution biometric images comparable to those captured by traditional readers, ensuring an adequate level of accuracy and enabling a fast and intuitive authentication process by reducing the technical and logistical barriers that typically hinder identity registration, especially in vulnerable or hard-to-reach contexts. This is key to preventing human trafficking. In cases of disappearance, attempted forced transfer, or border crossing, the registered fingerprints can be immediately matched by law enforcement authorities, even if the victim lacks documentation or if it has been falsified.

Passive liveness detection to prevent fraud

Through passive liveness detection, Identy.io’s solution verifies that the biometric capture truly corresponds to a person present at the time of registration, without requiring specific movements or predefined actions from the user. Unlike other more intrusive methods, this approach automatically analyzes multiple biometric and contextual indicators during capture to confirm that it is not an image, a mask, or a deepfake. This capability is essential to prevent the use of digital doubles, forged fingerprints, or silicone replicas, techniques increasingly used by criminal networks to impersonate identities and evade security controls. By ensuring that each biometric record is unequivocally linked to a real, living person, the reliability of the identification process is significantly strengthened.

Local processing and offline operation

All biometric data captured by Identy.io’s solution is processed locally on the device, without the need for an Internet connection, which not only speeds up registration but also allows the technology to operate in remote environments, rural areas, or emergency situations where access to data networks may be limited or nonexistent. This approach ensures that sensitive information never leaves the device until the user decides to share it securely, reinforcing privacy and data protection against unauthorized access. In addition, by eliminating dependence on connectivity, law enforcement authorities can perform immediate matching anytime and anywhere, which is especially critical in the location and rescue of victims.

Interoperability with official systems

Identy.io works with international entities, NGOs, and programs for the protection of minors and vulnerable individuals like The Exodus Road, placing its biometric technology at the service of investigation, prevention, and victim rescue. Through this collaboration, Identy.io provides accessible and reliable tools to law enforcement authorities, facilitating interoperability with official databases and ensuring that biometric records are processed securely and privately. This way, technological collaboration not only strengthens the operational capacity of authorities but also contributes to the prevention and deterrence of trafficking networks, ensuring that the protection of people is faster, more coordinated, and more effective.

Technology with purpose: Identy.io’s commitment

All these technological advances presented by digital identity verification solutions represent a decisive step toward minimizing the impact of these crimes and restoring people’s right to identity.

For Identy.io, technological innovation goes hand in hand with social commitment, which is why its biometric solutions are designed not only to offer the highest level of security but also to protect the most vulnerable individuals and actively contribute to the fight against human trafficking and other crimes where identity is key. Biometrics, always used ethically and responsibly, is consolidated as a fundamental ally in building a safer digital and physical environment, where identity becomes a tool to protect social rights.

La entrada Biometrics as a key ally in the fight against human trafficking se publicó primero en identy.io.

Liveness biometrics: key to ensure real identity verification against deepfakes

Andrés Alvargonzález — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:24:00 +0000

We are living at the dawn of the age of artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that, since its widespread adoption in 2021, is revolutionizing everything at an astonishing speed. From entertainment to productivity, AI is everywhere, and among the tools that are having the greatest impact are deepfakes, especially in the field of identity fraud. So, what are they and what impact can they have on society?

The Era of Synthetic Reality

We have already seen videos go viral in which public figures (especially politicians) are shown saying something they never actually said, with all the dangers that this can entail. Of course, this is multimedia content that has been manipulated (or generated from scratch) using artificial intelligence, with the added danger that it looks increasingly authentic. That’s a deepfake, a term that comes from the combination of “deep learning” and “fake.”

A standard definition of deepfake refers to audiovisual content (whether image, audio, or video) generated or modified using advanced artificial intelligence techniques, specifically deep learning, with the aim of realistically imitating the appearance, voice, or gestures of a real person.

The technology behind these videos is neural networks, specifically GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), where two models complement each other to create a video that is realistic to the human eye. On the one hand, there is the Generator, which creates the synthetic content. On the other hand, there is the Discriminator, whose mission is to evaluate the content and detect whether it is real or not.

Deepfakes, a threat to identity

The many different AI tools are proving to be a double-edged sword, with many high-value applications, but also representing a potential danger depending on who is using them. Thus, although deepfakes have positive applications mainly in the film and visual effects industry or in education/museums (to bring historical figures back to life), their fraudulent uses are much more notable.

Deepfakes can be used for a variety of criminal activities, such as disinformation or even manipulation, but one of the most frequent and worrying is identity spoofing and fraud.

As traditional, insecure forms of verification, such as passwords and codes, have been left behind, biometrics has emerged as a fundamental tool for adding layers of security, becoming the standard for identity verification. However, cybercriminals have taken advantage of the emergence of advanced technologies such as deepfakes to bypass and deceive standard biometric verification measures.

The key tool against deepfakes: liveness detection

In this context, one tool stands out as the most effective defense against deepfakes: liveness detection. This technology confirms with almost complete certainty that the person appearing in front of the camera is real and physically present at the time of identification. If the system detects any anomaly that could indicate otherwise, it automatically rejects the verification.

This liveness test has two modes: Active liveness detection, which requires the user to interact with the system, for example, by blinking, smiling, turning their head, or following an instruction. This adds a challenge-response layer to prove that the face is alive.

Passive liveness detection, on the other hand, does not require the user to perform any action; it simply analyzes the person’s image for signs of life.

Identity.io’s passive liveness technology uses AI models that are trained to detect patterns which unequivocally identify a video as real. These patterns include structure and depth, since human faces naturally have depth that varies as the person or camera moves from angle to angle. Another analysed aspect is texture and light reflection because our skin reflects light in a complex and organic way that is difficult to replicate. Finally, the algorithms can detect micro-expressions and involuntary movements that real faces display, but which are not present in artificial ones.

Companies and institutions must bear in mind that the risk of deepfakes is very real and present, and will continue to grow as the algorithms used to create them become more sophisticated and the technology more accessible. It will be vitally important to implement biometric measures using liveness detection to ensure totally secure identification.

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On-Device biometric authentication for mobile banking

Andrés Alvargonzález — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:43:49 +0000

On-device biometric authentication, using a customer’s own smartphone or tablet to verify identity via fingerprint biometric, facial biometric, or other biometric sensors, has emerged as a leading strategy for securing mobile banking. Unlike traditional OTP or server-side systems, on-device biometrics keeps sensitive templates on the user’s device, reducing fraud risk and strengthening privacy. Industry standards (notably FIDO2) and regulatory frameworks increasingly favor biometric “something you are” factors as part of strong authentication. For finance leaders, this approach lowers business risk from account takeover (eliminating vulnerabilities like SIM‑swap attacks) while enhancing user experience with fast, passwordless logins. It aligns with data-protection laws (e.g. GDPR classifying biometric identifiers as sensitive) and scales efficiently since each device handles its own matching. Solutions like Identy.io’s FIDO-certified on-device platform (which uses a phone’s camera for touchless fingerprint verification) illustrate how banks can deploy strong authentication that is both secure and user-friendly. This article examines how on-device biometrics balances security, trust, compliance, user experience, scalability, and deployment models, concluding that it offers a strategic advantage in mobile banking.

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Business risks and security On-Device biometric authentication

Mobile banking faces escalating fraud threats (phishing, account takeovers, identity theft). Legacy methods like SMS OTP or passwords are increasingly inadequate: OTP messages can be intercepted or hijacked (via SIM swap or SS7 attacks). On-device biometrics (often implemented via FIDO2 standards) eliminate these vulnerabilities by tying authentication to the user’s own device and biometrics. A recent FIDO Alliance report notes that device-bound authentication “eliminates the need for SMS OTPs”, thereby thwarting SIM‑swap and password-replay attacks. Because passive liveness detection and biometric matching occur entirely on-device, inside the device’s secure enclave (Apple Secure Enclave or Android TrustZone), there is no central repository of biometric data for attackers to breach. Industry adoption reflects this strength: major banks and payment networks (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America) have chosen FIDO-based on-device biometrics to bolster security. In practice, banks that add fingerprint or face login see dramatic fraud reductions. For example, Banco Popular Dominicano deployed Identy.io’s on-device fingerprint and face biometrics in its mobile app, delivering secure authentication with measurable reductions in account-takeover incidents.. By reducing reliance on shared secrets and SMS channels, on-device biometrics cuts the chief pathways fraudsters exploit, thereby lowering business risk substantially.

Digital trust and UX

Strong authentication must earn customers’ trust without adding friction. On-device biometrics delivers both: it is more convenient than passwords/PINs and perceived as more secure. Consumer surveys confirm rising trust in biometrics, over half of users now authenticate with biometrics daily, and many cite speed and convenience as key benefits. Remarkably, one study found that despite privacy concerns, 91% of people still completed transactions when prompted for biometric authentication. Customers equate biometric login with leading-edge digital services, boosting a bank’s brand trust. However, trust also depends on transparency: users expect strict data policies. On-device processing addresses this by never transmitting raw biometric data off the device. For instance, Identy.io’s platform (a FIDO Alliance member) performs all matching via the phone’s camera and cryptographically secures templates locally, which builds user confidence that their sensitive biometric templates are not stored in any cloud database. In sum, on-device biometrics enhances the customer experience with one-tap logins and helps banks build digital trust by showing strong, privacy-preserving security.

Experience Identy.io in action

Get a tailored demo of our contactless biometric platform and see how it fits your specific use case.

Regulatory compliance and standards

Regulators worldwide are demanding stronger authentication, and biometrics are a favored solution. In the EU, PSD2’s Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) rules require two-factor auth for payments (something you know, have, or are). Biometric factors naturally satisfy the “something you are” element while remaining user-friendly. The European Commission explicitly noted that SCA “makes it easier and safer for consumers” to pay online.

Similarly, the UK’s FCA has endorsed biometric and behavioral factors to combat fraud under its PSD2-aligned guidance. In India, the central bank’s 2020 Digital Payment Controls mandate robust security in mobile banking; a FIDO Alliance white paper cites FIDO-based on-device biometrics as an ideal way to meet these RBI requirements while enhancing UX. Moreover, data-privacy laws treat biometric identifiers as sensitive.

For example, EU GDPR expressly classifies biometric data used for identification as a “special category” requiring consent and protection. On-device biometrics inherently helps compliance: because templates never leave the user’s device, banks avoid many cross-border data concerns and reduce scope of sensitive data handling. Leading standards bodies reflect this trend.

The FIDO Alliance (of which Identy.io is a member) has over 900 certified devices supporting passwordless biometric login, and major OS vendors (Apple, Google, Microsoft) have built native support. In practice, adopting FIDO-certified, on-device mechanisms aligns banking apps with both security regulations and privacy laws, and helps meet anti-fraud (KYC/AML) mandates by providing strong, verifiable user identity proof without overexposing personal data.

Scalability and deployment models

On-device authentication scales naturally because each mobile device does its own processing. In practice, the biometric matching and cryptographic proofs occur on the user’s smartphone, offloading work from central servers. This distributed model can support millions of users without large server farms. In contrast, server-side biometrics (often “Biometrics-as-a-Service”) requires every template and matching request to travel over the network, creating latency and a central point of failure. Goode Intelligence (a research firm) notes that banks will often choose the on-device (device-centric) model – where biometric data never leaves the device – to meet privacy/trust needs. Such models leverage built-in secure hardware (Secure Enclave, TrustZone), which also simplifies certification (e.g., FIDO’s multi-factor authenticators).

From an integration standpoint, banks can deploy on-device biometrics via mobile app SDKs and mobile OS APIs. This typically involves a one-time registration of the user’s fingerprint or face (enrolled locally) and subsequently using that to unlock the stored key on-device. Because modern smartphones already include fingerprint readers or cameras, deployment cost is low. Leading financial institutions often roll out biometrics gradually, combining on-device methods with fallbacks (e.g., PIN entry or 2FA) as needed. Over time, as more users adopt it, the load shifts away from legacy auth infrastructure. Identy.io, for example, offers a turnkey solution that turns any mobile camera into a multi-finger fingerprint reader with liveness proof. By contrast, a fully server-based deployment would require maintaining a secure template database and scaling it globally, a far less flexible and potentially slower model.

On-Device vs. Server-Side: Comparison

Factor	On-Device Biometrics	Server-Side Biometrics
Security	High – Biometric templates remain in the device’s secure enclave; hard for attackers to compromise in transit. No shared secret is sent over networks.	Moderate – Central storage of templates can be a target; network channels may be intercepted. Attacks on the server or during transmission can compromise security.
Privacy	Strong – Biometric data never leaves the user’s device, minimizing privacy exposure. Complies better with data-protection laws (e.g. GDPR’s special-category rules ).	Weaker – Banks or third parties store biometric templates, raising regulatory and user privacy concerns. Data jurisdiction and consent issues are more complex.
Latency	Low – Matching is done locally on the device, giving near-instant response and no network delay.	Higher – Each authentication requires a round-trip to server, introducing network latency and dependency on connectivity.
Scalability	High – Authentication load is distributed across user devices. Minimal additional server-side capacity is needed.	Variable – As user base grows, servers must scale to handle match requests and storage, incurring infrastructure and maintenance costs.
Compliance	Favorable – Aligns with “phishing-resistant” MFA trends. Eases compliance since no central biometric database is needed. Many modern regulations and standards (FIDO, PSD2 SCA) explicitly permit or encourage device-based biometrics.	Challenging – Requires meeting stricter controls for centralized sensitive data. Additional safeguards (encryption, consent management) and audits are needed to satisfy GDPR, PCI, and other rules.

For fintech and banking leaders, on-device biometric authentication represents a strategic, future-proof investment. It delivers a measurable reduction in fraud risk (by eliminating weak factors like SMS OTP) while elevating customer trust and satisfaction through seamless, intuitive login. Scanning market trends and regulatory signals, it’s clear that strong, passwordless methods, anchored in “something you are”, are moving from optional to essential. Implementing on-device biometrics also prepares organizations for next-generation identity schemes (such as passkeys) and aligns with ecosystem standards. As an illustration, Identy.io’s FIDO-compliant platform leverages touchless fingerprint capture on smartphones, exemplifying how banks can adopt these methods in real-world systems. By choosing on-device biometrics, institutions can achieve strong multi-factor authentication at scale without compromising privacy or user experience. In conclusion, this approach turns security investment into a competitive advantage: it meets regulatory demands (e.g. PSD2 SCA, GDPR), fortifies digital trust, and enables mobile banking to grow securely.

Experience Identy.io in action

Get a tailored demo of our contactless biometric platform and see how it fits your specific use case.

Bibliography

FIDO Alliance – FIDO Authentication in Digital Payment Security (white paper).
Goode Intelligence – Biometrics for Customer-First Banking (white paper).
Identity Theft Resource Center – Consumer Trust in Biometrics Report.
European Commission – Strong Customer Authentication requirement of PSD2 (press release).
European Parliament – GDPR Article 9: Special category data (biometrics).
FIDO Alliance – Company Profile: Identy.io
Company Profile: Identy.io

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Identy.io Biometrics: A Universal Solution to Social Invisibility for Those Without Digital Identity

Andrés Alvargonzález — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:40:46 +0000

The rapid pace of technological development in recent years has had a profound social impact, particularly in easing remote access to a wide range of services. Today, users can consult their medical history or follow-up treatments from the comfort of their homes. They can even complete social benefit applications without ever stepping foot in a government office. But what happens when that same technology becomes a barrier? What if, instead of fostering social integration, it has the opposite effect?

According to Peru’s RENIEC (National Registry of Identification and Civil Status), over 360,000 people are not officially registered and, therefore, lack any form of legal identity. A similar situation exists in Colombia, where more than a million citizens have not completed the procedures to obtain legal citizenship. Without official accreditation, these individuals cannot interact with public administrations, open bank accounts, or apply for old-age pensions. Key reasons for this lack of registration include living in vulnerable, low-income communities or being physically distant—sometimes by hundreds of kilometers—from registration offices.

Biometrics as a Driver for Social Integration

In recent years, biometric technology has established itself as a powerful tool for social inclusion. For citizens who lack identity or for births in vulnerable communities, this technology allows registration procedures to be completed in just minutes from any location. All that is required is a mobile phone—regardless of its generation or model—equipped with a camera and a flash.

Using this device, users can capture their personal credentials: fingerprints, facial features, or, in the case of newborns, palm prints. All this information is stored directly on the user’s device, properly encrypted to protect it from malicious use.

In this way, biometric technology builds bridges. By becoming a new global standard for security and integration, it aids in the inclusion of the most disadvantaged. Specifically, it enables remote identity registration, eliminating the need to physically visit an official office. This ensures that people who otherwise could not obtain a birth certificate or legal ID can finally secure the documentation that proves who they are. Consequently, it guarantees their access to social benefits, educational certificates, passports for travel, and proper medical care.

Financial and Telecommunications Inclusion

Biometrics is also closely linked to financial integration. In many countries, having a bank account remains essential for receiving monthly wages or setting up direct debits for basic utilities. For thousands of people, traditional registration methods—requiring physical documentation and in-person visits to bank branches—made this nearly impossible. The need for long journeys, sometimes lasting hours or days, was an insurmountable barrier. However, thanks to solutions developed by Identy.io, users can now complete their registration in minutes, securely and comfortably verifying their identity using only their mobile phones.

A similar shift is occurring in telecommunications. The need to verify a user’s identity to prevent fraud or identity theft—which can have a significant economic impact—often hindered those in isolated or vulnerable regions from signing up for services. Biometric technology is now dissolving these barriers.

Biometrics: Technology That Makes Life Easier

While the primary goal of biometrics is to serve as a new global security standard and eradicate fraud, companies like Identy.io have gone a step further. They have ensured this technology is easy for anyone to use, requiring no specialized technical knowledge. For identity verification to be truly useful, it should be as simple as using any other mobile app—hassle-free and designed to make life easier.

A prime example of this is Passive Liveness Detection. One risk of biometric verification is “spoofing”—where a third party attempts to impersonate someone using an AI-generated digital double, a high-definition photo, or a silicone replica of a fingerprint. To prevent this, Identy.io’s technology detects subtle details such as eye movements, blinking, or the way light reflects off human skin to determine with total accuracy if the person is real.

Unlike other solutions on the market, this passive variant does not require the user to perform predefined gestures (such as turning their head at a specific angle). This ensures that elderly users or those with physical limitations can use the system without difficulty. Regardless of tech-savviness, physical condition, or age, any user can navigate these solutions with ease.

Efficiency for Public Administrations

The fact that only a mobile phone is needed to capture digital credentials is also a major leap forward for public sectors. Previously, registration agents had to travel periodically to remote or poorly connected regions, carrying bulky scanners to capture fingerprints. This new resource streamlines the process, reducing the workload for agents and making procedures faster and more efficient. Furthermore, it significantly reduces identity theft, as fingerprints are linked directly to the user’s identity, preventing duplication and fraudulent use.

Technology must continue to guarantee that everyone has proper access to the basic services they are entitled to. Ensuring identity is not just an administrative matter; it is a fundamental factor for inclusion that directly impacts access to education, health, social programs, and human rights—especially for those who need it most.

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Identity theft prevention and protection

Andrés Alvargonzález — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:19:40 +0000

Digital identity theft prevention and protection

Identity theft remains a growing threat for financial and government services, challenging digital trust and user experience. In 2024 U.S. authorities received over 1.1 million identity-theft reports, underscoring the scale of the problem. New fraud patterns (e.g. tax-refund schemes, synthetic identities, AI-driven deepfakes) demand advanced solutions. This report examines risk trends and regulatory context, and outlines a layered defense strategy: strong biometric authentication, real-time fraud analytics, and user-centric protections (like credit monitoring and insurance). For example, Identy.io (a FIDO Alliance member) offers a touchless mobile biometric platform with built-in liveness checks, illustrating how modern identity verification can enhance security without sacrificing usability. Ultimately, financial firms must balance security and convenience to prevent identity theft and preserve customer trust.

Detect Deepfakes before they become a Threat

Identity theft trends and risks

Identity theft occurs when attackers misuse personal data to gain illicit access to accounts or benefits. Victims can suffer financial loss and damaged credit, while institutions face fraud losses and reputational damage. Beyond traditional account takeovers, criminals increasingly use synthetic identities (fabricating profiles from stolen data) and commit tax-related fraud. In tax schemes, for example, thieves file bogus returns with stolen Social Security numbers to claim refunds. The IRS provides a dedicated affidavit (Form 14039) to report such tax-related identity theft.

The scale of identity fraud is large and rising. In 2024 U.S. authorities received over 1.1 million identity theft reports. Fraudsters are also exploiting new channels: account breaches often lead to social engineering attacks and multi-layer fraud. As one industry analysis notes, “Fraud is evolving faster than ever, with AI-powered scams [and] deepfake-enabled identity theft” targeting financial institutions. This trend emphasizes that how to prevent identity theft must include vigilance against emerging AI-driven impersonation. Financial leaders should treat identity theft not just as a compliance box but as a business risk: loss of customer trust and potential regulatory fines (e.g. under data protection laws) can hurt the bottom line.

Deepfakes and AI-Driven Fraud

Deepfake attacks are an emerging vector in identity crime. Advances in AI allow fraudsters to generate synthetic faces, voices, or documents that impersonate real customers. The pace of deepfake-enabled fraud has outrun most identity verification systems built even three years ago. AI-generated faces, voice clones, and synthetic documents now appear in financial onboarding attacks at scale — and the tools to create them are freely available online.. These AI-enabled forgeries can defeat naive camera-based checks.

To counter such threats, organizations deploy deepfake detection software and liveness solutions. Modern systems analyze video streams for signs of tampering, using passive AI techniques — analyzing skin texture, natural micro-movements, 3D depth, and light diffusion — that run invisibly in the background to ensure the user is genuine. No prompts. No instructions. No friction. For example, robust liveness detection “provides temporal data that helps systems identify inconsistencies between genuine and fraudulent attempts”. Incorporating AI-based deepfake detection in onboarding and transaction authentication is thus becoming a business imperative. By adding these advanced checks, a fintech can block spoofed biometrics and synthetic IDs before they lead to fraud.

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Get a tailored demo of our contactless biometric platform and see how it fits your specific use case.

Biometric solutions and digital trust

Strong biometric solution authentication is a key layer of identity theft prevention. Biometric factors (fingerprint, face, iris) tied to user devices resist common attacks like phishing or stolen credentials. The FIDO Alliance champions such approaches, noting that migrating to passwordless methods is critical as traditional passwords “are coming under increasing scrutiny” in the face of modern fraud.

Identy.io exemplifies this trend. Identy.io is a FIDO-certified platform providing touchless mobile biometrics: it can verify users by scanning fingerprints on a smartphone camera, ensuring high performance and multi-finger liveness. According to U.S. NIST, “Identy.io provides mobile touchless biometrics technology and solutions for identity assertion in various markets, including financial services… and government services”. In practice, this means users can authenticate quickly (improving UX) while banks get cryptographically-strong proof of identity. By adopting FIDO-compliant biometrics, institutions reduce reliance on passwords and add a robust phishing-resistant factor. The result is both higher security and a smoother customer experience – a crucial business advantage in competitive fintech markets.

What sets Identy.io apart architecturally is where the processing happens. Every biometric check — capture, liveness analysis, matching — runs locally on the user’s smartphone. No biometric data leaves the device. For an article about identity theft prevention, this matters enormously: a system that never transmits biometric templates to a server eliminates an entire category of breach risk. Banks and governments deploying Identy don’t just verify identity more accurately — they verify it more safely.

Prevention strategies and compliance

A comprehensive identity theft prevention strategy is multi-layered. Key elements include data security, fraud monitoring, and customer education. In the U.S., many financial entities are already required by law to have a written identity theft prevention program (the Red Flags Rule). This means banks and lenders must regularly assess risk and implement procedures to spot suspicious activity on accounts. In the EU and UK, regulations like eIDAS 2.0 and PSD2 require strong customer authentication for digital payments and are driving adoption of digital identity wallets with biometric verification. In Latin America — a primary market for mobile biometric deployments — Brazil’s LGPD and Mexico’s regulatory frameworks have introduced KYC and data protection requirements that effectively mandate advanced biometric checks for government services and online banking. Across all these regions, the compliance thread is the same: passive biometric liveness detection, validated to ISO 30107-3, now satisfies requirements that legacy knowledge-based authentication (KBA) cannot meet.

Beyond compliance, risk transfer tools add another safety net. Many institutions and credit-card networks offer identity theft protection services, often bundling credit monitoring with insurance. In fact, after major breaches the FTC has highlighted consumer benefits: for example, a settlement provided free credit monitoring plus up to $1 million in identity-theft insurance for victims. Such insurance reimburses consumers (or firms) for losses and recovery costs if fraud occurs, aligning incentives to mitigate risk. Additionally, firms should support victims with fraud-resolution services (e.g. identity restoration). On the policy side, governments provide victim tools: the IRS issues Identity Protection PINs to prevent tax fraud, and issues notice letters (e.g. Letter 5071C) when it detects suspicious tax returns.

By contrast, a failure to invest in these measures invites loss. Weak onboarding or lax controls can lead to costly account takeovers or fines. For digital platforms serving millions, even a small fraud rate hurts digital trust and profitability. Therefore, executives should ensure their IT teams deploy technologies like deepfake detection software, FIDO-based biometrics (e.g. Identy.io’s solution), and continuous analytics. They should also review insurance offerings and educate customers on safe practices. Taken together, these steps form the best identity theft protection posture: one that deters thieves and reassures regulators and users alike.

Experience Identy.io in action

Get a tailored demo of our contactless biometric platform and see how it fits your specific use case.

Identity theft is an evolving challenge that sits at the intersection of security, compliance, and customer experience. As fraudsters deploy AI and social engineering, fintech and banking leaders must respond with a strategic, layered defense. This means combining passive liveness-certified biometrics (like Identy.io’s ISO 30107-3 Level 2 validated platform — the only mobile-first vendor achieving this with full on-device processing), real-time fraud monitoring, and user-focused safeguards (education, insurance). It also means aligning with regulations (Red Flags programs, PSD2 SCA) and industry standards to stay ahead of threats. The payoff is twofold: stronger protection against costly breaches, and a strengthened digital trust that customers value.

In the long run, organizations that prioritize identity theft prevention will differentiate themselves. Robust authentication and clear recovery processes can become selling points (“zero-trust security”, “fraud-first design”) that attract customers and partners. Conversely, neglecting identity risk invites brand damage and financial loss. Therefore, a business-oriented conclusion is clear: invest in scalable, user-friendly identity-proofing (e.g. mobile biometrics, liveness checks) and foster a culture of security. By doing so, institutions not only comply with rules but also unlock growth, because in financial services, trust earned through secure identity management is a key competitive advantage.

Bibliography

Biometric Update | Biometricupdate.com

Fido Alliance | https://fidoalliance.org/company/Identy.io/

FTC Gov | https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/privacy-security/red-flags-rule

IRS Gov | https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central/identity-theft-guide-for-individuals

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Identy.io achieves elite performance in first-ever NIST fingerprint identification benchmark submission

Andrés Alvargonzález — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:42:43 +0000

Identy’s debut achieved a top 3 global ranking in FRIF TE E1N Class B Identification flats, surpassing established leaders with superior accuracy and breakthrough search, critical for applications like border control and national ID projects.

DOVER, Del. — February 26, 2026 — Identy.io today announced exceptional results in its first submission to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Friction Ridge Image and Features Technology Evaluation – Exemplar One-to-Many (FRIF TE E1N), immediately establishing itself among the world’s elite fingerprint recognition providers.

Representing a significant milestone for border control and national identity programs, the FRIF TE E1N benchmark evaluates fingerprint identification accuracy against databases containing millions of records, reflecting real operational environments such as border checkpoints and national ID enrollment centers.

The results from Identy’s fingerprint identification technology include:

Top tier accuracy in Identification Flats, achieving an exceptional 99.99% match rate (FNIR 0.0001) in the 4-4-2 configuration used at border crossings worldwide. Identy outperformed the current global leaders in searches across a 3-million-subject database.
The fastest search performance among all vendors with median search time of just 2.1 seconds, This makes us 30% quicker than the next best vendor High search throughput is necessary for real-time identification in critical areas like travel and border security.
Short template creation time and zero segmentation failures enabling rapid enrollment processing for national ID programs and reducing infrastructure requirements for large-scale deployments.
Consistent top-tier performance across all test categories: top ranking in Class A (index fingers), Class B (Identification Flats), and delivering excellent results in Class C (plain and rolled ten-prints) demonstrates versatility for application from border control to criminal investigation.

“Reaching the top 3 globally on our first NIST FRIF TE submission, and doing it faster than vendors who have been in this space for decades, tells us we’re solving the problem the right way. The benchmark is independent and public, anyone can verify it. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to”.- Jesus Aragón, CEO and Founder of Identy.io

NIST’s FRIF TE E1N benchmark provides independent, transparent assessment under conditions mirroring national-scale deployments. Identy’s results are independently verified and available at: https://pages.nist.gov/frifte/e1n/results/identy+0001/

Multimodal ABIS Platform: Delivering Complete Identity Solutions

Identy’s breakthrough fingerprint performance complements its proven face recognition capabilities in NIST FRTE 1:N and 1:1 evaluations, where the company achieved competitive rankings in critical border control scenarios. This dual-modality excellence positions Identy as a complete Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) provider already deployed in real-world National ID and Border Control projects, delivering the multimodal verification capabilities, exceptional processing speed, and unified platform architecture that enable governments to meet the demands of high-throughput operations while maintaining elite accuracy standards.

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Kidnapping and Human Trafficking: Biometric Technology Takes Aim at Global Crime

Andrés Alvargonzález — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:34:20 +0000

Crime remains one of the world’s most persistent social plagues. While theft and fraud continue to drain the global economy, crimes against personal integrity and freedom have become a top global priority—particularly in Latin America.

In Mexico, for instance, more than 30,000 crimes against personal freedom were reported last year—a figure that is likely much higher given that many victims never come forward. In Colombia, an estimated 137,600 people suffered from “confinement”—the restriction of free movement by armed or terrorist groups—while over 3,200 minors remain missing according to the Unit for the Search for Persons Deemed as Missing. Meanwhile, in Brazil, human trafficking affected over 360 victims in 2025 alone.

The motives behind these crimes are varied, but most are driven by financial gain. “Express kidnappings” force victims to withdraw large sums from banks or ATMs. In other cases, extortion is the sole goal, while human trafficking seeks to maximize profit through the ongoing exploitation of victims, who often come from vulnerable or undocumented populations.

Biometrics as a Shield Against Crime

In many cases, criminals targeting personal freedom begin their activities online. Social media, dating apps, and online gaming serve as hunting grounds where predators lure potential victims through deception—often offering fake jobs or financial support—to obtain personal information that is later used for extortion.

In response to this social crisis, biometric technology is emerging as a global security standard to protect personal freedom in high-risk situations. Identy.io works alongside social organizations such as My Family ID and The Exodus Road, providing proprietary technology with a noble purpose: reducing crime and facilitating the rescue of victims.

One of the biggest hurdles when reporting a missing family member—whether due to kidnapping or trafficking—is providing actionable data that allows for identification if they cross a border or conduct a financial transaction. This is especially difficult because criminals frequently issue forged documents or clone a victim’s identity to move them far from their home. How can we fight back?

Identy.io technology allows families to capture the biometric information of all their members, with a special focus on minors, the elderly, and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Using only a mobile phone equipped with a camera and flash, families can securely store digital credentials on their own devices. If a disappearance occurs, these credentials can be handed over to law enforcement. These captured records are processed and encrypted on the phone and are fully compatible with Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) and government databases, enabling real-time cross-referencing.

The Key to Reducing Rescue Times

In critical situations, every minute saved can be the difference between a successful rescue and a prolonged tragedy. By cross-referencing biometric data against centralized government and public databases, authorities can accelerate identification—even if the victim’s identity has been tampered with or if they have been involved in an accident.

Furthermore, credentials captured by Identy.io can be checked against border control databases or shelter records. This triggers alerts for authorities the moment a reported missing person is detected, regardless of the physical documentation they carry. The technology also supports “age progression,” allowing authorities to recreate what a victim’s face might look like after time has passed if a kidnapping is unfortunately prolonged.

Technology Within Everyone’s Reach

For biometric technology to be truly effective, it must be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, physical condition, or technical skill. Identy.io’s solutions prioritize ease of use through Passive Liveness Detection. Unlike other market solutions, this technology authenticates a user without requiring specific actions like turning the head or blinking.

Using AI, the system detects subtle skin or eye movements and how light reflects off the surface to distinguish a real person from a digital double, high-definition image, or silicone mold. This is vital when capturing biometric data from small children, the elderly, or people with intellectual disabilities who may struggle with complex instructions.

Additionally, Identy.io processes all biometric data on the device itself. This means fingerprints can be captured anywhere without the need for specialized scanners or high-speed internet. This is a game-changer for remote regions and vulnerable communities where connectivity is often unreliable.

Finally, a high-end smartphone isn’t necessary. Any device with a camera (5MP or higher) and a flash can capture biometric data. By removing the technological barrier, anyone—regardless of their economic status or location—can protect their loved ones. Technology continues to serve people, ensuring the most basic right of all: personal integrity.

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