As the production of deep fakes continues to accelerate, most of what we see online can no longer be trusted. In addition to good old fake photos, now we’re seeing videos and even audio recordings that are easy to perceive as true, but are actually fabricated. Telling the real from the fake is also a challenge for trust service providers - only the consequences are much heavier. Fraudsters are set to find a crack in every step of remote identity verification, pushing service providers to always stay on top of the game. What will it take in the long run?
Cryptography is the answer
Every photo, video and audio recording is unique, but we can see (or hear) exactly what makes it unique. All it takes to replicate and/or modify it is advanced software. Due to unique intonation patterns that each one of us has, replicating audio used to be the most complicated part, but modern software tackles that challenge well - too well.
Topping data with a cryptography layer - a unique code that only those for whom it is intended can read and process - is a major advancement on the security scale. Onboarding with ZealiD already involves cryptographic validation, but so far it’s optional. Using their smartphones (with NFC readers), new users can transfer their ID information by scanning the NFC chip on their ID document.
In April 2022, NFC chips were used by 160 governments around the world to vouch for document validity in virtual data transactions. Compared to that, service providers are quite slow to catch up so far, often still clinging to onboarding procedures that require manual elements. But remote services are growing at a rapid pace and users are here for it, so things are bound to change.
More focus on mobile apps
Mobile applications are yet another security wall that many service providers don’t make enough use of. Although many Fintech players, insurance and telecommunications companies have apps, often they fill only the basic functions, requiring a physical visit or user-hostile methods of authentication to make data changes or alter a contract.
From a security standpoint, smartphones have a lot of potential here - both in terms of software and hardware. We covered their strengths here. To tell it slant, smartphones are loaded with sensors that detect thermal energy, recognize human faces, read fingerprints etc. And from a software perspective they are highly regulated by the supplier, meaning that we can’t modify what an app does or how it works on our phone.
That gives the upper hand to service providers who are willing to provide their users with an app - as long as it’s user friendly and works well. Even so, when it comes to trust services, most providers are yet to get there.