Secure ID at last

1 April 2014 Access Control & Identity Management

Minister of Home Affairs Naledi Pandor announced recently that 100 000 South Africans will have smart ID cards by 31 March. She further announced that another 25 Home Affairs offices have been digitised, in addition to the three used during the smart ID card pilot project.

Digitised Home Affairs departments will be issuing smart ID cards from 1 February through an entirely paperless process. Biometric information is captured during the application process, and applicants must show up in person to apply – thus ensuring that only legal citizens are issued with documents and assisting in updating the National Population Register.

The new smart ID cards being rolled out by the Department will bring new levels of security to South African identity documentation. The cards are secured using PKI digital certificates, and the chip in each contains sufficient space to allow for the storage of identity information, drivers licence details, and other information relevant to state services.

The secure cards will ensure that citizens can vote securely (and eliminate election fraud), and help protect social grants.

Each South African will, once issued with a smart ID card, have a secure, verifiable and digital identity. This will assist in the reduction of identity theft and marriage fraud, and allow service providers like banks to authenticate people using the biometric (face and fingerprint) details embedded securely in the card when they sign up new customers or transact with existing ones.

The security technology behind the cards has been provided by local security solutions specialist, LAWtrust, which will work with the Department, delivering security services, for the duration of the project.

LAWtrust has provided Home Affairs with a PKI platform that uses both RSA- and ECC-based certificates. Cards are printed at the government printing works, which has in turn upgraded its systems in order to securely print the new identity cards.

Maeson Maherry
Maeson Maherry

Says LAWtrust solutions director Maeson Maherry: “LAWtrust is the security integrator for the Department of Home Affairs’ smart ID card solution and is providing the encryption technology, digital certificates and key management systems that form a part of securing the ID card.

“The real excitement here is that identity can be electronically verified in future. South Africans will have a digital identity that cannot be forged, cannot be tampered with and can be used to verify that you are who you say you are not just by Home Affairs, but by any system that relies on identity – FICA processes, opening and closing accounts and so on,” Maherry states.

For more information contact LAWtrust, +27 (0)11 731 8238, robyn@lawholdings.co.za, www.lawholdings.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Defending against SIM swap fraud
Access Control & Identity Management
Mobile networks must not be complacent about SIM swap fraud, and they need to prioritise the protection of customers, according to Gur Geva, Founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii.

Read more...
Access Selection Guide 2024
Access Control & Identity Management
The Access Selection Guide 2024 includes a range of devices geared specifically for the access control and identity management market.

Read more...
Biometrics Selection Guide 2024
Access Control & Identity Management
The Biometrics Selection Guide 2024 incorporates a number of hardware and software biometric identification systems aimed at the access and identity management market of today.

Read more...
Smart intercoms for Sky House Projects
Nology Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry)
DNAKE’s easy and smart intercom solution has everything in place for modern residential buildings. Hence, the developer selected DNAKE video intercoms to round out upmarket apartment complexes, supported by the mobile app.

Read more...
Authentic identity
HID Global Access Control & Identity Management
As the world has become global and digital, traditional means for confirming authentic identity, and understanding what is real and what is fake have become impractical.

Read more...
Research labs secured with STid Mobile ID
Access Control & Identity Management
When NTT opened its research centre in Silicon Valley, it was looking for a high-security expert capable of protecting the company’s sensitive data. STid readers and mobile ID solutions formed part of the solution.

Read more...
Is voice biometrics in banking secure enough?
Access Control & Identity Management AI & Data Analytics
As incidents of banking fraud grow exponentially and become increasingly sophisticated, it is time to question whether voice banking is a safe option for consumers.

Read more...
Unlocking efficiency and convenience
OPTEX Access Control & Identity Management Transport (Industry)
The OVS-02GT vehicle detection sensor is the newest member of Optex’s vehicle sensor range, also known as ‘virtual loop’, and offers reliable motion detection of cars, trucks, vans, and other motorised vehicles using microwave technology.

Read more...
Protecting our most vulnerable
NEC XON Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions
In a nation grappling with the distressing rise in child kidnappings, the need for innovative solutions to protect our infants has never been more critical. South Africa finds itself in the throes of a child abduction pandemic.

Read more...
Understanding the power of digital identity
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Financial (Industry)
The way we perceive business flourishing is undergoing a paradigm shift, as digital identity and consumer consent redefine the dynamics of transactions, says Shanaaz Trethewey.

Read more...