IDEMIA and Unisys Join Forces to Deliver Biometric Border Control Platform for Australia

After approximately 2 years in development, global leader in digital identity IDEMIA has partnered with contractor Unisys to deliver a next-generation biometric border control identification engine for the Australian government in the Department of Home Affairs on June 2020. The Australian government has invested heavily in border control solutions over the past decade, and the resulting project is expected to be at the forefront of the new wave of digital biometric identification for travelers, border crossings, visa processing, and citizenship applications.

The Australian government has created a brand new Enterprise Biometric Identification Services (EBIS) system, which will be powered on both fronts by IDEMIA and Unisys. IDEMIA has provided a state-of-the-art biometric matching engine solution supporting the software side of the equation. At the very core, this will leverage IDEMIA’s MBSS multi-modality biometric engine, making use of face and fingerprint matching and providing additional interoperability for other biometric technologies should the need arise. This includes the addition of iris recognition technologies into travelers’ digital identities, since iris templates are becoming an increasingly popular aspect of visa applications in certain countries worldwide, with Asia-Pacific being a key driver.

On the other side of the equation and with an emphasis on intelligence and security, Unisys has contributed its own biometric identity management platform entitled Stealth(identity). The Stealth(identity) platform is designed to capture, store, secure, and manage fingerprint, voice, face, iris, and behavioral data templates aimed at large-scale biometric solutions for citizen identification, fraud prevention, and border security programs, aimed at global implementations. This includes highly modular options, customizable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) aimed at streamlining operations in checkpoints (e.g., increasing traveler processing in border control), and multi-faceted integrations across different biometric capture or processing points, including standard biometric capture devices, digital exchange of biometric templates, and even standard smartphones.

While it may appear self-explanatory that border control identity management projects would invest more in digital security and infrastructure upgrades, that is not always a universal rule. Border control authorities and stakeholders do follow the guidelines and adhere to the security regulatory standards proposed by a myriad of industry alliances, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to name just a few leading ones across the European Union and the United States. However, stakeholders do place more emphasis on traveler processing, reducing wait time, and overall streamlining ID processing.

IDEMIA’s and Unisys’s project for the Australian government is a proper step in the right direction, tackling next-generation biometric processing but also streamlining ID processing and elevating digital security protocols. ABI Research recommends that border control infrastructure be further optimized in a manner consistent with current security, scalability, identification, and technological demands. This can be achieved with the introduction of biometric technologies with the appropriate data security considerations in place, including network architecture, cloud and database management, secure blockchain integrations, and spoof-resistant biometric technologies, but also with the proper infrastructure upgrades to alleviate issues arising from legacy equipment that must coincide with cybersecurity investments across the board (e.g., from the moment users first make use of a mobile app until the immigration checkpoint at the point of arrival).

However, an additional factor that needs to be taken into account is the proper implementation of IoT integrations and services. The influx of new IP-connected biometric devices (e.g., handheld, e-gate and kiosks components, IP surveillance cameras) brings new challenges that must also address device management, encryption, security patching, database protection, data-sharing initiatives, secure AFIS/ABIS communication, IP connectivity, and onboarding processes, among many others. Implementers should always keep in mind that the main value proposition of using biometrics in border control is as another form of ID, and at its very core lie deeply entrenched cybersecurity issues (especially because these are critical PII applications related to matters of national security). As with any biometric application across any market vertical, it matters not whether one makes use of retina or fingerprint biometrics for enhanced protection if the security infrastructure is lacking. Therefore, ABI Research strongly advises all border control stakeholders to invest in proper cybersecurity infrastructure prior to any biometric implementation, or at the very least have a clear understanding of the shortcomings of their systems prior to any biometric upgrade. More information can be found in the ABI Research report Biometrics in Border Control (AN-5243).