With all things going digital within the last couple of years, digital identity verification has become a significant topic. The digital world has its challenges with cyber security as the primary focus for businesses that wish to establish themselves online. And if you are wondering how digital identity verification works and why it is necessary for cyber security and our online lifestyle, you should stick around.
Define digital identity
When a person or an organization uses an electronic device to surf through cyberspace, they occupy an online likeness. This occupancy is unique to the individual and is called a digital identity. A person can portray more than one digital persona by indulging through various online communities. The problems arise with digital identity management where online privacy and security are the main concerns.
In layman’s language, the personal data can be traced back to the real individual forms their digital identity. For example, the Google reviews of restaurants, salons, and other places you write, the pictures you share on social media, your online bank account, and statements, etc.
National ID authorities for the digital world issue certified digital attributes like social security numbers, unique identity numbers, biometrics, etc. Such digital identifiers, including your email address, are all connected to your digital identity. It can also be other credentials like a mobile number, eID card that can authenticate your identity. The authentication and verification of these identifiers are crucial to ensure a safer web and network infrastructure among private and public sectors since cyber crimes are prevalent.
Define digital identity verification
Digital identity verification is all about ensuring that a person’s real identity is the same as what they claim on the web. The process follows distinct steps to establish a correspondence of one object to another when the two are compared. An identity has specific features that are unique to an individual and completely irreplaceable.
Since the online world witnessed a staggering number of identity thefts every day, it becomes all the more vital to carry out digital identity verification.
How Digital identity verification process work?
The simple digital identification process involves comparing a stored data set (passport, driving license) with readily available proof of identity (facial biometrics, ID document). The end goal is to verify if the two data sets match each other.
Some of the identity verification methods that help verify a person’s identity are:
- Biometric verification: The process uses the user’s selfies to verify if the person presenting the ID is the same as the one on the ID.
- ID Document Verification: the process involves verifying the legitimacy of an ID document like passport, driver’s license, etc.
- Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA): This authentication depends on the user’s knowledge, like their credit file, to create “out of wallet” questions.
- OTP verification: The verification process involves the user receiving a one-time passcode on their registered mobile number or email address.
Concluding note
Several companies like iDenfy are deeply involved in creating the latest solutions for online banking, financial institutions, and other businesses. The need for sophisticated digital identity verification solutions is high since online attacks are getting more advanced. And since the lockdown where the whole world is interacting online, digital identity verification and security is the need of the hour.