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Blog & Knowledge Base

February 07, 2023
The Purpose of Identity Proofing


Today's digital world has dramatically reduced the line between a person's real and digital identity. Everyday tasks are increasingly being done online, with customers able to use their identity to shop, access services, and have a presence on social media. However, the risk of identity theft on the internet is much bigger than it is in the physical world. This is where identity proofing comes in.

The Purpose of Identity Proofing

Identity proofing for businesses is a critical security measure that helps protect businesses from fraud and abuse. Identity proofing is the process of verifying the identity of an individual or business entity before granting access to sensitive information and systems. This process helps ensure that only authorized people have access to the data or services that are being protected.

The main purpose of identity proofing is to confirm the identity of the individual or organization requesting access. This allows businesses to protect themselves from malicious actors and other risks. By confirming the identity of a customer or user, businesses can ensure that the person is who they say they are and that they have the appropriate permissions to access the information or service.

Identity proofing can take many forms. Businesses may require customers to provide documents or other forms of identification, such as a driver's license or passport. They may also use biometrics, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, to verify the identity of a user. Additionally, businesses may use two-factor authentication, which requires users to enter two pieces of identifying information, such as a PIN and a password, to access a system.

Why Your Business Needs Identity Proofing

1. Protecting Customer Data
By using identity proofing, businesses can ensure that only legitimate customers can access sensitive data. This helps protect customer data from fraudsters and hackers, who may try to access data for malicious purposes.

2. Improving Customer Experience
Identity proofing can also help businesses provide an improved customer experience. By verifying customers' identities, businesses can quickly and securely process customer transactions, resulting in a better customer experience.

3. Meeting Compliance Requirements
Many businesses must comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Identity proofing can help businesses meet these compliance requirements by verifying customer identities and ensuring customer data is kept secure.

4. Preventing Identity Theft
Identity theft is a growing problem, and businesses must be vigilant in protecting their customers. By using identity proofing, businesses can ensure that only legitimate customers can access accounts and services.

5. Detecting Fraud
Identity proofing can also help businesses detect fraud. By verifying customer identities and monitoring activity, businesses can detect suspicious activity and take action to prevent fraud.

6. Lowering Costs
Identity proofing can help businesses save money by reducing the number of fraudulent transactions. By verifying customer identities, businesses can eliminate the need for costly manual reviews and reduce the risk of fraudulent activity.

7. Enhancing Security
Identity proofing can help businesses enhance their security by providing an additional layer of protection. By verifying customer identities, businesses can ensure that only legitimate customers can access accounts and services.

Conclusion

Identity proofing is an important security measure for businesses of all sizes. It helps protect businesses from fraud and abuse, as well as unauthorized access to sensitive information. By verifying the identity of customers and organizations, businesses can help ensure that only those who should have access to their data and services do. So, if you've yet to implement this strategy into your business, do so today.

NextgenID is a market leader in identity proofing and enrollment innovation for various workflows. If you are looking for high-assurance identity proofing solutions, check out how we can help!

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