Cybernews reports the U.S.'s new federally standardized identification system REAL ID — which coordinates identity checks through a national database associated with all states' Department of Motor Vehicles databases — was regarded by Polyguard co-founder and CEO Joshua McKenty to be not only an extremely attractive target for cybercriminals but also a powerful surveillance tool.
Despite mounting usage of deepfakes and synthetic identities already threatening biometrics systems, data deletion policies continue to be inconsistent while the consolidation of ID cards and facial recognition also raises convenience, surveillance, and security concerns, said McKenty, who previously served as a chief cloud architect at NASA. "The stakes are rising yet the debate remains stuck in a false binary between total surveillance and total anonymity, missing the opportunity to build systems that foster both trust and freedom," McKenty added. However, REAL ID was noted by iProov founder and CEO Andrew Bud to offer increased integrity. "This increased trust also makes it much easier when interacting with organizations across government, financial services, and healthcare companies, and significantly enhances protection against identity theft," said Bud.
Despite mounting usage of deepfakes and synthetic identities already threatening biometrics systems, data deletion policies continue to be inconsistent while the consolidation of ID cards and facial recognition also raises convenience, surveillance, and security concerns, said McKenty, who previously served as a chief cloud architect at NASA. "The stakes are rising yet the debate remains stuck in a false binary between total surveillance and total anonymity, missing the opportunity to build systems that foster both trust and freedom," McKenty added. However, REAL ID was noted by iProov founder and CEO Andrew Bud to offer increased integrity. "This increased trust also makes it much easier when interacting with organizations across government, financial services, and healthcare companies, and significantly enhances protection against identity theft," said Bud.
