Biometric Update

Westpac has become the first New Zealand bank accredited to issue digital credentials under the government's Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, with support from Auckland-based identity and credentialing provider Mattr. A release says Westpac NZ business customers will soon be able to store bank-issued digital credentials in the Govt.nz app wallet (alongside the NEC-backed biometric age credential) and share them with third parties.

The question of how to govern AI agents has been much of the mind of identity providers lately, prompting a wave of solutions. Now, iProov has entered the mix with the publication of a new "experimental procedural specification for managing AI Agents," according to a release.

Nepalese authorities have adopted an AI-powered facial recognition system to complement DNA analysis efforts aimed at accelerating the identification of dead persons found after devastating floods hit parts of the country last month. U.S. company NowtrKit has partnered with India-based facial recognition developer FaceTagr to match faces captured in photos and videos with people who have been declared missing, according to local media reports.

Microsoft Security Research has traced cloud account compromises to attackers posing as IT staff and telling employees they need to update their passkeys or other sign-in settings. Microsoft says it has tracked the activity across multiple accounts since May. Attackers added authentication methods they controlled, searched company cloud resources, and downloaded files from SharePoint and OneDrive. Some intrusions also extended to email collection through Exchange Online.

It's been a big year for MyDigital ID, Malaysia's national digital identity system. Once promoted by Malaysia's cybersecurity chief as a credential whose adoption should remain voluntary, it is increasingly becoming the authentication layer for important digital services, from transport to telecoms to government platforms, while banks and other private-sector providers test integrations of their own.

Four banks in Moldova, namely Moldindconbank, FinComBank, EuroCreditBank, and Victoriabank, now accept digital credentials from the country's EVO digital identity wallet, extending the government app into everyday banking as Moldova works toward compatibility with Europe's digital identity infrastructure. Thanks to the integration, customers can use EVO to identify themselves by scanning a QR code and sharing the information requested by banks.

The government of Niger has begun biometric enrollment for its new Alliance of Sahel States (AES) biometric passport. The drive was launched on September 15 in the capital Niamey during a ceremony presided over by the country's Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, Abdoul Kader Garba Moussa. Initially the enrollment is taking place only in Niamey, but efforts are being made to install biometric enrollment centers in different parts of the country, the Niger News Agency reports.

Going forward, there will be no expiry date for Malawi's biometric national ID card. The announcement was made this week by the country's Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito as he presided over the launch of the Nzika digital ID wallet on International Identity Day, observed September 16. "A person's identity does not expire," Mukhito said at the event as quoted in a press release issued by the country office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Applications have opened for Malaysia's new generation national identity card (MyKad) designed with a QR code and enhanced biometric identity verification capabilities. Card supplier NexG Bhd says the system can support live facial matching against National Registration Department records and could eventually include an optional digital wallet. NexG claims the ID card is the first in the world to combine both functions.

Thales has launched Luna 8, its next-generation hardware security module (HSM), as enterprises confront two forces putting new pressure on their cryptographic infrastructure: the rapid adoption of AI today and the prospect that quantum computers could eventually break widely used public-key cryptography. Available now as a network appliance, Luna 8 is designed to securely generate, protect and manage cryptographic keys while supporting both existing and post-quantum algorithms.