Thales has been awarded a new contract to provide the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) with secure driving licences and ID cards.
The new DC driving licences and ID cards will have laser-engraved photos locked within a polycarbonate card body, and Thales will add new security features to better protect the personal data of DC residents.
The DC documents will be the first in the US to include Dynaprint, a Thales proprietary high-resolution, fine-line printing technique generating high quality security images, along with laser-engraved security images within the card body called Multiple Laser Images (MLIs). Both security features are viewable as the card is tilted in different angles.
Thales will also upgrade its enrollment system for DC DMV to include advancements in photo, signature and image verification to streamline the driving licence and ID card application process.
The contract is Thales’ second, seven-year contract from DC. The District is one of 12 jurisdictions in North America currently using laser-engraved polycarbonate cards from Thales, which provide security and durability for longer renewal cycles. Other jurisdictions that have made this transition with Thales include Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Texas and Wyoming.
‘DC DMV is excited to partner once again with Thales for another seven-year contract term,’ said Gabriel Robinson, Director of DC DMV. ‘Thales’ expertise with document security along with innovative features helps us continue Mayor Bowser’s mission to provide quality service to the residents of DC, while ensuring protection of their personal information and identities.’
Freeware instant messaging service, WhatsApp, is planning to introduce twostep verification for the desktop and web versions of its platform. The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo (twitter handle @WABetaInfo) and will reportedly allow users to turn on and turn off authentication on their desktop and on the web.
The Meta-owned messaging platform already has two-step authentication on mobile versions of its app for iOS and Android. The way it currently works is that users enter a personal six-digit PIN when registering their number with WhatsApp. This is required for login.
Since WhatsApp is multi-device, the company has decided to expand that protection to desktop and web, since it currently requires no verification.
‘When there is a registration of your WhatsApp account, after entering the 6-digit code, a personal PIN will be required to log into the account. WhatsApp wants to make it easier to manage two-step verification everywhere, so they are working on introducing the feature on the web/ desktop client in a future update,’ wrote WABetaInfo in a post.
‘It will be possible to enable or disable the two-step verification on the web/desktop client. This is very important especially when you lose your phone and you do not remember your PIN,’ the post added.
iProov, provider of online biometric face authentication, has announced the publication of its newly granted 9th US patent, which combats identity fraud of digitally or physically altered and forged US driving licences and government ID cards.
This extension of iProov’s flagship technology, Genuine Presence Assurance, focuses solely on the surface of the document and detects tampering with the photo and hologram. Complementary to technology that other organisations have in the reading, analysis and fraud detection of documents, iProov plans to offer this new capability to its document and ID verification customers and partners.
‘Presenting government-issued ID at home via a personal device is a huge convenience for consumers’, said Andrew Bud, iProov CEO.
‘However, it’s vital to confirm the document is genuine. This new technology will save the user awkwardly moving a licence or ID around in front of a camera, while providing a safer, faster and cheaper alternative to time-consuming video calls with agents. Our unique technology relies upon simple, inclusive movement that harnesses a distinctive combination of distance and light.’
A user can verify a document using any device that is equipped with a camera and light, such as a mobile phone. A box appears on the screen, prompting the user to intuitively move their device to align the document into the outline, thereby changing the distance from the document to the device. It will not be necessary to read complex instructions, maximising inclusivity and usability. Imagery of the document is captured during the movement and analysed to determine a likelihood that it includes indications of genuineness, such as a correct hologram, an original photograph and no surface alterations.
In development for three-and-a-half years, iProov’s new patented technology was first developed in a research project partly funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Sentry Enterprises, the maker of the SentryCard biometric identity platform, announced that it has raised $13 million in a Series D preferred equity offering to scale operations and complete a strategic investment in X-Core Technologies.
Sentry Enterprises is a US-based manufacturer with expertise in creating ultra-thin microelectronic security devices. The company offers a proprietary biometric platform focused on providing proof-positive identification for cyber or physical security.
X-Core Technologies is a Pennsylvania-based company and a pioneer in card manufacturing technology, holding numerous patents. With the completion of the strategic partnership transaction, Sentry is now X-Core’s largest shareholder.
Sentry has previously collaborated with HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, equipping its biometric FIDO2 (fast identity online) platform with HID Global’s next-generation Seos® credential technology.
The SentryCard, is a first-of-its-kind biometric platform, in the form factor of an employee ID-badge, enabling users to biometrically authenticate to open doors and access systems, devices, and machines. The card provides strong assurance of an individual’s identity while providing high standards of contact tracing, privacy and hygiene.
