REGISTERED PERSONAL ID ™
“. . . sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are.” ― The 9/11 Commission Report
The Need for a Secure Individual Identity Credential
Government and private sector identity credentials are largely issued based upon an applicant presenting credentials issued by another agency in order to establish identity. Yet each agency – from the Social Security Administration and the Department of State for passports to issuers of birth certificates – follows a different standard to prove that an applicant is who they say they are. As a result, there are loopholes where identity theft and fraud can occur.
At the same time internal fraud, the proliferation of document mills, identity theft, and the ability to spoof electronic verification systems including SSOLV (for Social Security numbers) and SAVE (alien verification) make it possible for individuals – legal or illegal citizens – to hold valid identity documents.
Today the primary focus for preventing the issuance of fraudulent credentials is on verifying the paper documents that are used to prove identity. Document verification is valuable in reducing the potential for fraud, however verifying the authenticity of identity documents does not ensure that they are being presented by the individual to whom they were initially issued.
In order for true identity verification to occur, there must be a process for first establishing the identity. This is not possible without the use of biometric technologies, i.e. finger or facial images and registration in the Identity Network to verify the identity across multiple identity databases. Other approaches to establishing identity rely on the use of personal information (such as giving up SSNs) that is highly valuable in identity theft. In the end, these methods place an individual’s personally identifying information at risk and compromise the confidentiality and security of his or her identity.
Verifying the paper does not prove the person. Documents can be forged; identities cannot be.
Registration in the Identity Network provides verification of the person beyond doubt without compromising personal privacy. As individuals are registered in the Network, their identity is matched against other registered information to verify the individual has only one identity and is not attempting to register using fraudulent identity documents. This prevents government and private sector organizations from issuing secure identity credentials to individuals using false, stolen or alias identities.
