Unlocking the Future of Secure Identity: An Exclusive Interview with Alok Tiwari, VP, Global Head of Sales – Smart Biometrics, IDEMIA Public Security
In an era where digital transformation is reshaping security paradigms, biometric technology has emerged as a cornerstone of trust and identity verification. IDEMIA, a global leader in augmented identity, is at the forefront of this revolution, pioneering cutting-edge biometric solutions for public security.
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Alok Tiwari, VP, Global Head of Sales – Smart Biometrics at IDEMIA Public Security, to delve into the evolving landscape of biometrics, the challenges and opportunities in securing identities, and how IDEMIA is shaping the future of authentication and public safety. Alok shares insights on the latest innovations, market trends, and the role of biometrics in building a safer, more secure world.
Ques: How do biometric solutions enhance protection against unauthorized access compared to traditional access control methods?
Ans: Biometric solutions enhance security by using unique traits like fingerprints, iris patterns, facial recognition, and voice recognition, which are difficult to replicate or steal. Unlike traditional methods relying on passwords, PINs, or access cards that can be forgotten, shared, or stolen, biometric data is inherently tied to the individual. This lowers the possibility of breaches by making unauthorized access extremely difficult. At IDEMIA, we utilize biometric data—face, iris, and fingerprint—for reliable and permanent identity checks. Our researchers employ AI and Deep Learning algorithms to enhance biometric identification and authentication, focusing on bias removal and liveness detection. These algorithms are rigorously tested and validated to ensure accuracy, fairness, and efficiency in real-world scenarios. IDEMIA therefore employs the most ubiquitous authentication factors, in easy-to-consume packaging and allows deployments that can adapt to several use cases.
Ques: What makes IDEMIA’s iris, fingerprint, and 3D facial recognition technologies stand out in the market?
Ans: IDEMIA’s iris, fingerprint, and 3D facial recognition technologies stand out in the market due to their exceptional accuracy, speed, and security features. These biometric solutions use advanced algorithms to deliver precise and rapid identification, minimizing false positives and ensuring reliable authentication. The integration of liveness detection further enhances security by distinguishing real biological traits from artificial replicas. IDEMIA’s technologies are designed for seamless integration with various systems and applications, offering scalability and versatility across different industries. IDEMIA’s facial recognition technology ranks first in the false match rate (FMR) fairness test among the 10 most accurate algorithms in the latest Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), demonstrating more than twice the fairness of the twenty most accurate.
Ques: What trends and advancements in biometric technology are driving the increased adoption of these solutions among businesses and government agencies today?
Ans: Key trends include multimodal authentication (facial recognition, voice analysis, iris scans, gait recognition) for better security and personalization, and liveness detection (eye blinking, challenge-response) to counter spoofing. In corporate and banking networks, static log-in authentication is being replaced by continuous user monitoring. Edge computing shifts biometric processing to devices, improving performance, privacy, and offline capabilities. Also, if you have noticed self-service biometrics are being implemented at border crossings, stadiums, and airports to facilitate faster ID. GDPR and CCPA-influenced data security and privacy are still very important. Biometrics can be used as an Inclusion and Exclusion technology – in cases like Aadhaar it is used for social inclusion and in the case of Law Enforcement we use the tech for the exclusion of friendlies / and those who are not suspects each demanding differently tuned biometric technologies, while the advent of digital programs now demand greater convenience for end users -in e-KYC and authentications – there is no one size that fits all approach for this spectrum of customers
Ques: How does IDEMIA’s commitment to innovation and excellence influence its partnerships with leading integrators, technology providers, and OEMs?
Ans: IDEMIA’s commitment to innovation and excellence by developing cutting-edge solutions and ensuring high quality helps foster collaboration, enabling partners to leverage IDEMIA’s advanced technologies. Consistent technological advancement and rigorous quality control foster trust, enable seamless integration, ensure superior product delivery, and position IDEMIA and its partners at the industry forefront. IDEMIA is also focused on ensuring security by default in all our offerings – implying when governments or enterprises work with IDEMIA or its partners – they can rest assured of their specific implementation secured by an architecture vetted by IDEMIA.
Ques: Why are biometric solutions considered a vital component of a business’s digital security strategy in the face of evolving cyber threats?
Ans: Cyber threats can be classified into several categories – broadly where a threat actor manipulates the flaw in the system and accesses the digital or physical assets of a company – which may be classified as hacktivism. The second is the threat caused by Negligent and malicious employees and the third is the result of ATO fraud or Credential theft and Credential Stuffing, Biometrics is an efficient deterrent against the last 2 categories. A credible biometric system safeguards against – presentation attacks and also man-in-the-middle and replay attacks – while the system remains out of band from the core systems of the enterprise that relies on them.
The system also remains guarded against common attacks such as DDoS attacks – as biometric systems and payloads are hard to intercept and replay – unlike passwords as a credential.
