Biometrics: Jumio Bets on 3D Face Recognition

FACTS

• Jumio –a Sillicon Valley start-up focusing on identity verification– unveils an innovative identity verification and face biometrics-based authentication solution.

• Goals: Fight identity spoofing and ID fraud, enabling online companies and financial institutions to authenticate the users who regularly log on to their services, as well as high-risk transactions, or emerging use cases.
• Jumio pairs biometrics for ID verification with Zoom 3D Face Login technology by FaceTec, for the authentication step.
• How it works:
  • When verifying his identity, the customer provides his government-issued ID.
  • He then snap a selfie.
  • The data is compared with other data to prove its legitimacy.
  • The service captures biometric data from the smartphone’s front-facing camera or computer’s webcam.
  • Jumio creates a 3D face map of the user for later connections.
  • For instance, if authentication is required for the user to access an account, the computer’s webcam will be enough to take another selfie, and compare it with the initial 3D face map.

Jumio: Key Figures

• 2,800 employees
• 160 identities verified
• 400 corporate customers (Airbnb, Instacard, Coinbase, etc.)
• +289% revenue ($70M in 2018 vs $18M in 2016).

CHALLENGES

• Face biometrics: an easy to bypass mechanism. Several research teams showed that face recognition wasn’t always reliable. This considered, in partnership with iBeta Quality Assurance, Jumio ran several tests to trial their solution: out of 1,500 spoofing attempts, none were able to bypass their system.
• A turn-key solution. The Californian company claims they want to reshape the landscape of financial institutions with this authentication technology. It would also apply to high-risk scenarios, including hotel bookings or unlocking rental cars’ doors.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• Their AI-powered solution Netverify already attracted a certain number of corporate customers in various industries: financial sector, digital currencies, retail, sharing economy, etc.
• They now bet on recent decisions by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the EBA which no longer recommends OTP SMSs: the most widespread authentication method among issuing PSPs.
• Other start-ups intend to bet on similar technologies: OneVisage, for instance, features a comprehensive portfolio of 3D face authentication solutions for mobile and desktop environments.