SIGNAL Executive Video: Your Identity Is Your Access

Facial recognition is no longer the talk of the future. Every day, mobile devices use biometric capabilities to help identify users, such as ID2Access, an innovative, frictionless and end-to-end secure access solution that uses IDEMIA’s identity technologies across state and federal government customers worldwide. 

Evan Bays, vice president of engineering and research & development at IDEMIA National Security Solutions (NSS) detailed the company’s force protection solutions and processes during a SIGNAL Media Executive Video Series episode hosted by SIGNAL’s director of digital news media, Kimberly Underwood. 

“Its name represents what we’re trying to do, which is, your identity enables your access,” Bays began, describing the technology that will replace the need for tokens or other types of credential issuance procedures by using fingerprints and facial recognition, to name a few, to let users access vehicles, gate points, pedestrian gates, buildings and secure rooms. 

ID2Access has various components and capabilities. The first one mentioned was ID2Pass. 

“Similar as the name implies, it is a solution that will allow you to register your face, register information to go through an adjudication process and then drive through what we call a vehicle fast lane,” Bays explained. Upon enrolling, users will have agency-approved access to installation compounds. Vehicles entering these locations—no matter the speed—will be recognized and authenticated for secure access. “That helps alleviate a backlog that would traditionally occur at the perimeter.” 

ID2Surveillance, Bays continued, allows integration into existing closed-circuit television or internet protocol camera networks that lets IDEMIA use facial recognition and object detection for observability, but also for access control use cases. “If you wanted to have a camera on a door to, you know, authenticate people as they walk or approach with intent, and open the door, you can do that.”  

The company's approach to frictionless access gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it does not require a high-touch environment. 

Another component Bays referred to was ID2AccessControl. “This is kind of the brains of the operation,” he stated. “It’s a central point to do what a traditional access control system would do, and coordinates the identity information, biometric information with your traditional access control panel. So, once you’re provisioned to get to a certain door, access a certain resource, your biometric will then enable that panel to open and let you through.” 

The capability is powered by the technology’s last component, ID2Enrollment, which provides an iOS or Android app, in addition to a website, for customers to collect all the information they might need to support the workflow. 

Though the use of biometrics to open doors is not an entirely new idea, IDEMIA does take a new approach, Bays stated. While cost is a common obstacle, the company works with devices being deployed to be at a lower price point. 

Additionally, the templates used for security and privacy are not stored at the edge—they are stored in a secure centralized location, Bays said, adding: “Meaning that there could be several different use cases using that same biometric; because it’s centrally located, it’s not on the device itself. So, that presents the opportunity for us not only to enhance the security … but to scale it."

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