In this edition of the DIACC member Spotlight, we chat with experts from Safran Identity & Security. Learn about their work, why they believe trustworthy digital identification is critical for existing and emerging markets, and why they joined the DIACC league of experts.
Safran Identity & Security (formerly known as Morpho) is a global leader in security and identity solutions, deploying solutions in more than 100 countries.
We employ more than 8,700 people in 57 countries and generated revenues of nearly €1.9 billion in 2015. Backed by more than 40 years of experience in biometrics, the company develops innovative technologies for a wide range of markets and applications for people, governments and business.
Our solutions manage identities, secure payments and transactions and safeguard privacy, for an increasingly digital and connected world.
- What is the mission and vision of Safran Identity and Security?
Our mission is: “make everyday lives easier and safer”.
Our vision is: “trusted identities in a connected world”, enabling secure identification and transactions.
Safran Identity & Security supports governments and leading companies in overcoming the major security and identity challenges inherent in their digital transformation:
- Establish the trust users need to adopt digital services,
- Ensure digital security, protect sensitive data and applications,
- Fight against fraud, identity theft,
- Comply with regulations (e.g. Know Your Customer, Strong Customer Authentication in PSD2…),
- Improve and streamline user experience, make security convenient.
in order to achieve a common goal: combining biometrics and digital solutions to make life safer and easier for everyone.
- Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?
The introduction of digital technologies into existing markets has profoundly altered our approach to data security, drastically reducing identity theft as well as introducing new identity solutions.
Using Safran’s fingerprint, face, and iris recognition technologies and expertise, governments and service providers guarantee access to services and fight fraud by safeguarding citizen and user identities, a fundamental privilege of democratic society.
Our solutions have notably contributed to the massive deployment of the Aadhaar program in India. By providing an acknowledged and secure identity tied to biometric data, all citizens can now access vital services like education and healthcare, enabling government and companies to establish and manage trustworthy personal digital identities.
- What strategic goals does Safran Identity and Security target to achieve in the next 5-10 years?
Both security and identity markets are healthy and growing. New sectors are turning more towards biometric authentication such as health, banking, retail and the shared economy. As consumer adoption of biometric authentication rapidly spreads in commercial markets, service providers need solutions which are more secure than what is currently available in the average smartphone or tablet. Today’s fingerprint sensors may be sufficient to unlock a smartphone, but are they secure enough to authenticate a large on-line transaction? Not yet. That’s where our role comes in to play. Working for the most demanding customers in this market, like the FBI, has enabled us to develop most sophisticated biometric algorithms in the world, which we are now deploying for commercial giants like Samsung and Visa. This was not the case a year ago.
We are very well positioned to play a key role in developing digital identity across both government and commercial markets. There is a strong need for public-private convergence in this area. We also need to have a shared understanding of the implications in terms of data privacy and protection. And digital identity is not just about people, but applies to objects as well. IoT is massively increasing the amount of data available in the world. Today there are more than 20 billion connected objects, and this number is predicted to triple in just 5 years! As planes, cars, medical equipment or other objects ensure more and more critical functions, there is a pressing need identify those objects or those users remotely accessing them.
Security and trust in the digital world
Safran Identity & Security offers the most comprehensive platform on the market for ensuring security, confidence, convenience and compliance in a multichannel environment:
- Identity Acquisition and Verification,
- Adaptive Authentication,
- Secure Transaction (digital signature and secure archiving),
- Mobile Payment,
- Mobile Shopping,
- Mobile Security.
Strong Authentication for a digital future
As people and objects become more and more connected, security and authentication have taken on a new dimension. To support the transition from a physical to a digital and mobile world, Safran’s R&D effort is focused on developing innovative digital identity solutions to enable service providers reinforce authentication processes and guarantee secure access to multiple devices and accounts.
Our digital identity solutions, derived from physical identity solutions, represent a major technological breakthrough for every type of authentication procedure. Eliminating the security concerns tied to accessing sensitive information online, users can now store this information digitally for secure access to a full range of services and payment platforms via any authorized mobile device. We also provide an extra layer of protection through biometric authentication (fingerprint, face or iris recognition) to access the device.
Biometric Authentication, as part of a multi-factor authentication strategy
The typical uses and security behaviors that worked at home on a PC are more difficult to apply on the move, where passwords have reached their limits. But, more than ever, we still have to protect our data, transactions and our identity.
Biometrics is one answer: a simple wave of the hand, pressing a finger on a scanner, or looking at a camera for a second is enough to authenticate our identity. Biometrics facilitates the life of users who are increasingly mobile and connected, offering a simple alternative authentication solution to the traditional password and PIN.
- Why did Safran Identity and Security join DIACC?
DIACC is the leading organization in Canada promoting values and principles for the Canadian digital identity ecosystem. International and open standard protocols are keys for the successful integration and development of technologies aiming to secure and protect customer’s identity information. Safran Identity & Security recognizes the important role played by DIACC to establish a secure, trusted, privacy-respective digital ID ecosystem in the region, and wants to be a main participant involved in developing the digital ID and authentication framework for Canada.
- What else should we know about Safran Identity and Security?
Safran Identity & Security has been acquired by Advent International.
Advent, who is also the parent company of Oberthur Technologies/OT, will combine the two companies to create a world champion in identification technologies and digital security. The clear aim is an alliance of equals, as we have complementary strengths that would enable us to develop stronger market positions. The two companies have balanced portfolios: this includes OT’s experience in digital embedded security, as well as our own expertise in biometrics, identity and public security. The future, combined entity would operate in four key markets: banking, payment, identity and security.
Technology and innovation are an integral part of our DNA, and this will not change in the future. Advent’s commitment would help us preserve our technological leadership and develop in dynamic areas like biometrics, authentication, embedded security for IoT, video and data analytics, etc. Through innovation in dynamic areas, we will preserve our longstanding heritage as a leader in both security and identity markets.