Veridos GmbH, a joint venture of the Security Tech Group Giesecke+Devrient and the Bundesdruckerei Group, has announced a change in the management board.

From 11 April 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin enforcing a regulation that requires all non-US citizens aged 18 and over to carry physical documentation confirming that they have registered their identity with DHS. This policy, detailed in the Interim Final Rule published in the Federal Register, is a renewed application of provisions within the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and is aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement through biometric and document-based identity verification.

Capturing biometric data has traditionally been a time-consuming and labour-intensive process, requiring significant staff intervention, multiple touchpoints, and presenting a heightened risk of human error. Today, the deployment of advanced enrolment kiosks has transformed these tasks, automating each step of data collection and verification to improve efficiency and accuracy.

On 17 February 2025, Cameroon launched a new generation biometric ID card system. The rollout, managed by German tech firm Augentic under a 15-year contract with Cameroon’s General Delegation for National Security (DGSN) began with online pre-enrolment, followed by physical enrolment in regional capitals. The new system aims to issue national identity cards within 48 hours of application.

The PQC4eMRTD (Post-Quantum Cryptography for electronic Machine- Readable Travel Documents) project is a European initiative launched on 28 February, aimed at enhancing the security of electronic machine-readable travel documents (eMRTDs), such as electronic passports, against emerging threats posed by advances in quantum computing.

If you started reading this in anticipation of a definitive answer on how digital and physical ID documents can co-exist, I should apologise. It’s actually a personal look at how I might go about reasserting my identity in the event of a major crisis. But like many thought-experiments, you can learn a lot when you stress-test your ideas in extreme circumstances.

In March, government authorities and agencies, along with security printing companies and technology providers, gathered in Milan, Italy for Intergraf Currency+Identity 2025. By providing an open platform for an exchange of ideas amongst innovators and users of ID and secure documents, the conference provided insights into emerging trends and challenges in the passport, ID card, and digital identity domains.

In just five years, TOPPAN Security has emerged as a real force in the global identity solutions market. Backed by TOPPAN, one of the world’s largest technology companies, TOPPAN Security has made strategic acquisitions and tactical moves, notably expanding its footprint in Africa. With the recent launch of the new Ethiopian ePassport, the ongoing construction of a state-of- the-art facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the recent acquisition of Citizen Identity Solutions from HID, the company is clearly on an upward trajectory.

The ongoing digitisation of personal identification demands reliable solutions for secure identification. Mobile IDs have proven to provide a simple verification method via mobile devices. Despite its growing popularity, many use cases for this technology remain largely unexplored. In this article, Veridos’ CEO, Marc-Julian Siewert reveals the full potential of mobile IDs.

The technical committee of the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference, which takes place in Warsaw, Poland from 15-17 September 2025, has now completed its judging of the abstracts submitted for the conference.

The European Union (EU) is making significant progress in its digital identity initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to standardising digital identification systems across member states. These efforts aim to enhance security within the region, with various countries implementing advanced digital ID solutions.

Biometric authentication traditionally relies on single identifiers like fingerprints or facial scans. However, these can be spoofed or altered by ageing, injury, or illness. To counter this, researchers are embracing biometric fusion, which combines multiple biometric inputs — including facial geometry, fingerprints, voice, and even behavioural patterns — to validate identity with greater certainty. A recent article on Data Science Central, explores how emerging techniques in data science are driving these systems forward.

The 2025 Thales Digital Trust Index reveals a noticeable decline in global consumer trust across digital services. The study, encompassing over 14,000 consumers across 14 countries, indicates that no sector achieved a trust rating greater than 50%, underscoring widespread scepticism towards personal data handling practices in the digital domain.

At the recent High Security Printing™ EMEA conference in Basel, Switzerland, Dr Alexander Brannan from the University of Manchester, and Gary Spinks of Security Fibres UK, presented advances in colour-changing smart materials designed for rapid authentication. This technology addresses key issues in anticounterfeiting by integrating academic research with industrial application.

Orell Füssli (OF) has reported significant organic growth in its security printing and identity documents activities, reinforcing its position in secure document production. The company’s focus on expanding its core business without acquisitions has allowed it to achieve steady and sustainable progress, driven by strategic initiatives and increased demand for its products.

The Malawian government has formalised a 5-year contract valued at roughly $30 million with Madras Security Printers (MSP) Private Limited, an Indian firm specialising in security printing and eGovernment solutions. This agreement aims to enhance the nation's passport issuance system by addressing previous inefficiencies and security vulnerabilities.

Data both allows and creates questions. Answering questions generates information. Information allows decisions and actions. Without accurate, relevant, reliable, consistent, standardised and timely data, creating and delivering anything is hard, particularly change.

If you only read media reports, it would be easy to assume that the most significant advances in identity document security stem from digital innovation, with biometric verification, blockchain-based identity management, and digital certificates dominating discussions.

The 2025 edition of the High Security Printing™ (HSP) EMEA conference was located, for the first time in its history, in Switzerland, in the picturesque city of Basel. The experience for the 265 delegates, almost 40% of whom came from central banks, government ministries and issuing authorities, did not disappoint, as was evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the survey at the conclusion of this three-day event (3-5 February).

The Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards form part of the industry’s High Security Printing™ (HSP) EMEA conference. This year’s event was held in Basel, Switzerland, with the awards presented at a special ceremony during the conference dinner on 4 February 2025.