FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S&T Public Affairs, 202-254-2385
Washington – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announces the launch of Track 2 of the Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration (RIVTD). Held in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Homeland Security Investigations Forensic Laboratory, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), RIVTD is a series of technology challenges to evaluate the ability of systems to authenticate identity documents, assess the "liveness" of selfie photos, and evaluate identity verification using images taken with smartphones and similar devices.
RIVTD will challenge industry to deliver secure, accurate, and easy-to-use remote identity validation technologies to combat identity fraud when users apply for government services, open bank accounts or verify social media accounts. Track 1, currently closed for applications, focused on authenticating identity documents. Track 2 will focus on evaluating the ability of software to compare images of ID documents and selfie photos to detect imposters.
“Since we announced the Remote Identity Technology Validation Tech Demo, we’ve received a tremendous response from technology users and developers. It’s clear there is a strong interest in a robust and collaborative process to strengthen these capabilities to combat fraud,” said Arun Vemury, Lead of S&T’s Biometric and Identity Technology Center. “As we move forward with the next test track, we invite technology developers to submit technologies capable of detecting when fraudsters attempt to use lost or stolen genuine IDs to open new accounts or apply for benefits. This track will test how well software compares face photos on ID documents to selfies and determine whether the images are of the same person.”
The goal of each RIVTD track is to enable industry to develop more secure, accurate, and easy to use technologies; objectively measure performance against realistic and sophisticated attacks; answer questions about the overall performance, risks, and fairness of these technologies for use in commercial or government applications; and inform efforts to standardize and certify technologies that are effective against sophisticated and rapidly evolving attacks. For Track 2, remote identity validation systems will demonstrate their ability to compare a selfie photo to the ID photo and determine if the images are of the same person or two different people.
“Imposter fraud detection is a critical component of a viable remote identity validation system”, said Edward V. Owens, Deputy Assistant Director for HSI Investigative Services. “We look forward to supporting this initiative to address evolving threats and combat fraud.”
Technology developers of remote identity validation capabilities are encouraged to participate in the RIVTD challenge. Interested organizations may visit https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/remote-identity-validation-technology-demonstration for application instructions.
Applications for Track 2 are due by 11:59 PM ET on June 22, 2023 to rivtd@mdtf.org.
Contact peoplescreening@hq.dhs.gov to register for the June 5th informational webinar.
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