Liveness detection, the future of online identity protection

Whether you open an online bank account, sign up to be a ride-share driver or apply for a loan, more often than not you will be asked to submit a “selfie” photo along with your photo ID to confirm you are who you say you are. But how does the company on the other end of your application know that image is of you and not an AI-generated image?

Enter “liveness detection,” an essential tool in the battle against online identity fraud.

Identity theft was the #1 reported consumer complaint in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Today, companies typically use a combination of identity documents and biometrics to ensure that a person really is who they claim to be and not a fraudster trying to create a fake account or break into a victim’s accounts.

Mitek’s market leading liveness detection leverages foundational generative AI concepts to help prevent online criminals from using copies of a face, voice or ID – whether facial images in printed photos, digital images on screens or even deepfake videos – to misrepresent themselves by confirming that a person and their documents are live and present when an image is captured.

That’s a distinction that has become important as criminals adopt the use of increasingly more sophisticated AI tools.

Mitek guide to understanding liveness detection aids companies

To support companies considering incorporating liveness detection into their security protocols, Mitek, a global leader in digital identity and digital fraud prevention, has posted a guide to understanding liveness detection, how it can thwart fraud and help earn customers’ trust.

The guide describes how criminals are developing workarounds to earlier forms of identity protection, describes the pros and cons of different types of liveness detection – including the benefits of passive liveness detection compared with active, which requires a person to take specific actions, such as blink or move their head. Of note, the guide includes research that indicates the importance customers place on security when choosing an online company with which to do business.

“Rapid advancements in AI are giving scammers new tools to impersonate people, including politicians and a journalist who was recently deepfaked. Unfortunately, we expect to see this trend continue, unless companies employ the latest technology available today,” said Alexey Khitrov, CEO and Co-Founder of ID R&D, a Mitek company. “Fortunately, ID R&D is already ahead of fraudsters with AI-powered innovations that protect people online, including the latest in passive liveness.”

Mitek and ID R&D hold significant liveness detection patents related to ID R&D’s IDLive Face, including for advanced detection of recorded and synthetic voice to prevent voice spoofs and deep fakes, and for a unique method that increases the speed and accuracy of frictionless facial liveness detection. Eliminating user friction significantly lowers user abandonment rates and improves customer satisfaction.

The Mitek guide, Liveness detection: future of identity verification, is available now.

About Mitek

Mitek (NASDAQ: MITK) is a global leader in digital access, founded to bridge the physical and digital worlds. Mitek’s advanced identity verification technologies and global platform make digital access faster and more secure than ever, providing companies new levels of control, deployment ease and operation, while protecting the entire customer journey. Trusted by 99% of U.S. banks for mobile check deposits and 7,500 of the world’s largest organizations, Mitek helps companies reduce risk and meet regulatory requirements. Learn more at www.miteksystems.com.

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