Safe and Secure – Dr. John Callahan, Chief Technology Officer, VeridiumID – Fingers, Eyes, Voice, and Face (Advanced Biometric Security in a Digital World)

Dr. John Callahan, chief technology officer of VeridiumID (veridiumid.com), leads an informative discussion on the current state of biometric security. Dr. Callahan oversees the development of VeridiumID's biometric solutions that seek to put an end to identity theft, which is a growing problem in our ever-expanding digital world. His team is comprised of highly sought-after software developers, computer vision scientists, as well as sales engineers. Callahan's background includes work at the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research Global, London UK, in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park.

The digital world in which we live requires most people to utilize devices and platforms that could potentially expose sensitive data. Breaches are a grave concern and thus security is an incredibly important issue that every individual, every business, must consider. VeridiumID has developed a system in which users can choose to be identified via biometrics, unique characteristics and traits (face, fingerprints, voice, etc.), and discard the archaic, insecure system of password identification. VeridiumID's platform offers multiple choices for the biometric identification. He discusses how the software is programmable such that a user, should they choose to identify with fingerprints for example, can opt for one, two, three, or even four finger requirements for ID verification.

VeridiumID is an easily configurable software-based platform for biometric authentication. It works with a front-end mobile software development kit (SDK) that allows users to embed biometrics into their business mobile app. An SDK is a set of particular software development tools that enable the creation of applications for a specific software package. And the VeridiumID system's biometric vectors are encrypted for maximum security through the process of visual cryptography. Callahan discusses the level of premium security that unique characteristics can provide, with the iris at the top as most secure ID point, followed by the fingerprint, face, and then voice.

The security authority details specifics of their platform that provide a tailored approach to authentication that can meet any company's specific needs, such as step-up authentication for access that requires additional security, perhaps for financial transactions, or other highly confidential information. Callahan delivers an overview of various threats such as presentation attacks, sometimes referred to as direct attacks or spoofing, that are designed by criminals to try to defeat biometrically-secured systems.

As the future will certainly bring new modalities for identification and security, Callahan predicts that biometrics will move toward highly specialized, unique authentication methods such as cardio patterns, etc., and portable devices will become more secure as the technology advances. Additionally, the security expert details self-sovereign identity that utilizes blockchain technology to allow users to hold and secure their own biometric data, which helps to decrease the risk it could be stolen. VeridiumID, as Callahan states, will continue to partner with other technology industry leaders in order to bring the most advanced security solutions to users worldwide.