UIDAI changes Aadhaar authentication rules for new mobile SIM. Facial recognition must - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

UIDAI changes Aadhaar authentication rules for new mobile SIM. Facial recognition must.

UIDAI has brought in fresh changes in Aadhaar authentication rules for security reasons. Here are 5 things to know about the new facial recognition rule for Aadhaar authentication.

To enhance security against misuse of Aadhaar authentication, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has instructed all telecom operators to ensure that they should start implementing a two-factor verification, which includes facial recognition.
In its latest circular to all authentication user agencies (AUAs), the UIDAI has directed all telecom operators that before activating a SIM card they should ensure facial recognition of the applicant as well click a live photo.
The new feature of face authentication is in addition to authentication by fingerprint/OTP/iris. To avoid any inconvenience, it has now been decided to roll out the face authentication rule in a phased manner.
With effect from September 15, all telecom operators will have to perform at least 10% of total monthly authentication using face authentication, failing which they will be fined.
Here are 5 things to know about the facial recognition rule for Aadhaar authentication:
1. In order to further enhance security of the authentication system and make it more inclusive, telecom service providers have been directed to implement two-factor authentication in their systems using face authentication.
2. For those who furnish their Aadhaar number to mobile phone companies for Aadhaar authentication, both face recognition and fingerprint/iris will be used by telecom companies.
3. If you provide the virtual aadhaar card (VID) then the authentication may be performed using only a single factor—fingerprint or iris. For those whose fingerprint/iris scans are not working due to various reasons, including the age factor, telecom companies have been instructed to also use face authentication.
4. The telecom company is supposed to send the face photo captured for authentication to the UIDAI.
5. After successful e-KYC authentication, the telecom operator also has to capture live face photo in addition to the photo captured for face authentication. Before your SIM card is activated, the operator is supposed to verify the live photo with the photo received in e-KYC. UIDAI says this process has to be followed for all customers for issuance of SIM cards. (Source: Livemint)


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UIDAI changes Aadhaar authentication rules for new mobile SIM. Facial recognition must.

UIDAI announces phased roll out of face authentication with telcos from Sept 15 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

UIDAI announces phased roll out of face authentication with telcos from Sept 15.

The authority has also proposed a monetary disincentive for telcos found slipping on the prescribed targets from the middle of next month.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has finally announced a phased roll out of face recognition feature as an additional mode of authentication, starting with telecom service providers, from September 15.

The Authority had earlier planned to roll out the face recognition feature from July 1, a target later pushed to August 1. It has also proposed a monetary disincentive for telcos found slipping on the prescribed targets from the middle of next month. For authentication agencies other than telecom service providers, the UIDAI said specific instructions will be issued on implementation of face authentication feature, but did not give a new deadline.
Significantly, the UIDAI further said that ‘live face photo’ capture and its verification with the photo obtained in eKYC will be essential in those cases where Aadhaar is used for issuing mobile SIMs. The move aims at curbing the possibility of fingerprint spoofing or cloning, and seeks to tighten the audit process and security around issuance and activation of mobile SIMs.
In June this year, a Hyderabad-based mobile SIM card distributor had forged Aadhaar details for activating thousands of SIMs. “This instruction (for matching live face photo with eKYC photo) will apply only where Aadhaar is used for issuing SIMs. According to the telecom department’s instructions, if SIM is issued through other means without Aadhaar, these instructions will not apply,” according to UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey.
The UIDAI has proposed a two-factor authentication for use of face recognition by telcos. Where an individual provides the Aadhaar number, the authentication will be done using fingerprint or iris and face. For individuals providing Virtual ID, the authentication can be on the basis of fingerprint or iris. In case an individual is unable to authenticate fingerprint or iris, face authentication can be used as an additional mode to make the system more inclusive.
“TSPs are hereby directed that with effect from 15 September 2018, at least 10% of their total monthly authentication transactions shall be performed using face authentication in this manner. Any shortfall in transactions using face authentication would be charged at Rs 0.20 per transaction,” according to the UIDAI circular. After successful eKYC authentication, operators will capture the live face photo , over and above the photo captured for face authentication. (Source: Livemint)


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UIDAI announces phased roll out of face authentication with telcos from Sept 15.

Aadhaar Virtual ID is now operational, says UIDAI - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Aadhaar Virtual ID is now operational, says UIDAI.

Most of the financial institutions have migrated to the Aadhaar Virtual ID system slated to be rolled out on 1 July

The Aadhaar issuing authority Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday said that its Virtual ID system is now operational as most of the authentication user agencies, including financial institutions have migrated to the new system. The Aadhaar Virtual ID is slated to be rolled out from 1 July.
The Virtual ID is a 16-digit random number mapped with Aadhaar number. It can only be generated, replaced or revoked by the Aadhaar number holder. It has been introduced so that the actual 12-digit Aadhaar number need not be shared for authenticating identity. The move is part of UIDAI’s initiative to put in place multi-layered security to reinforce privacy for Aadhaar holders.
Banks have been given time till 31 August to migrate to the new system which supports authentication using Virtual IDs and UID tokens.
“It has been observed that a number of AUAs have already migrated to production environment using APIs 2.5 for Virtual ID implementation and most of the remaining AUAs have tested Virtual ID and UID Token in pre-production environment APIs 2.5. We are requesting with these agencies to fully migrate to production environment by the stipulated date,” UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said in a statement.
UIDAI had in January said it would release necessary APIs (application programming interfaces) by 1 March. All agencies had been directed to make the necessary changes for the use of Virtual ID, UID token and limited KYC and operationalize it by 1 June, which got delayed by a month to 1 July.
UIDAI has introduced two categories of an Authentication User Agency (AUA)—an entity engaged in providing Aadhaar-enabled services. Local AUA, which is the limited KYC category and a global AUA, will have access to e-KYC using the Aadhaar number. An AUA may be a government, public or a private legal agency registered in India which uses Aadhaar authentication services provided by UIDAI.
All banks, be it commercial banks, payment banks, regional banks, rural banks, cooperative banks, small finance banks, life insurance companies and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have been categorized as global AUAs. Prepaid payment instruments (PPIs), non-bank financial companies (NBFCs), telecom operators and non-life insurance companies are among those classified as local AUAs.
According to UIDAI, telecom companies and e-sign provider AUAs not using the upgraded systems beyond 30 June shall be charged ₹ 0.20 for every transaction performed. However, if these AUAs are able to complete migration to the new system by 31 July, the “authentication transaction charges imposed for the above said period of 1st to 31st July 2018 shall be waived off,” it said.
In case of their failure, UIDAI shall be free to take actions under The Aadhaar Act, 2016, including imposition of financial disincentives and termination of license key, the statement added.
UIDAI also said that it is in the process of review of the classification of Global and Local AUAs based on the security and risk assessment of the authentication process of the AUAs. Pending this review, AUAs which were not classified earlier are now being provisionally classified (Source: Livemint)


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Aadhaar Virtual ID is now operational, says UIDAI.

UIDAI extends deadline to deploy Virtual ID system to 1 July - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

UIDAI extends deadline to deploy Virtual ID system to 1 July.

Once the Virtual ID system feature is fully implemented by user agencies it will allow Aadhaar holders to quote their VID number without actually disclosing Aadhaar number for authentication or verification purposes.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has extended by one month to 1 July the deadline for service providers and agencies like banks and telecom companies to fully deploy Virtual ID system and accept these IDs in lieu of Aadhaar number.
The Virtual ID (VID) feature is aimed at giving users the option of not sharing their Aadhaar number at the time of authentication. UIDAI—which had earlier said it will be compulsory for all agencies that undertake authentication to accept VID from their users from 1 June 2018—has decided to give one more month after the user agencies said they needed more time to switch to the new system.
“We are ready but the agencies wanted some more time to switch to the VID system. We have, therefore, given one more month till 1 July,” UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said. The extension was given considering the “difficulty and amount of internal work” involved for the agencies including telcos, banks, state governments, among others, he added.
In January this year, to address privacy concerns, UIDAI announced plans to introduce VID feature which an Aadhaar-card holder can generate from its website and produce for various authentication purposes, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.
In April, Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI followed this up with the launch of beta version of VID feature allowing users to generate VID and use it to update address in Aadhaar online. It had then said soon the service providers will start accepting VID in place of Aadhaar number. An official familiar with the VID rollout process said even now when an individual downloads eAadhaar, the Virtual ID comes with it.
Once the new feature is fully implemented by user agencies it will allow Aadhaar holders to quote their VID number without actually disclosing Aadhaar number for authentication or verification purposes.
The VID, which is a random 16-digit number mapped to a person’s Aadhaar number, together with biometrics of the user would give any authorised agency like a mobile company, limited details such as name, address and photograph, which are enough for any verification.
A user can generate as many VIDs as he or she wants, and the older ID gets automatically cancelled once a fresh one is generated. The move is aimed at strengthening the privacy and security of Aadhaar data and comes amid heightened concerns around the collection and storage of personal and demographic data of individuals. It will also reduce the collection of Aadhaar numbers by various agencies.
As per a UIDAI circular issued earlier this year, agencies that undertake authentication would not be allowed to generate VID on behalf of Aadhaar holder. Agencies that do not migrate to the new system by the stipulated deadline could face financial disincentives. (Source: Livemint)


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UIDAI extends deadline to deploy Virtual ID system to 1 July.

UIDAI launches 'Virtual ID' to address privacy concerns related to Aadhaar - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

UIDAI launches 'Virtual ID' to address privacy concerns related to Aadhaar.

HIGHLIGHTS
• The new feature will allow Aadhaar holders to quote their Virtual ID (VID) number without actually disclosing the 12-digit Aadhaar number for authentication or verification purposes.
• According to UIDAI in the beta form, users can generate their Virtual ID and use it to update address in Aadhaar online for the time being.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched the much-awaited 'Virtual ID' which will be a random 16-digit number mapped to a person's Aadhaar number.
The concept of Virtual ID was announced earlier this year to address privacy concerns. The new feature will allow Aadhaar holders to quote their Virtual ID (VID) number without actually disclosing the 12-digit Aadhaar number for authentication or verification purposes.
UIDAI had stated that it will be compulsory for all agencies that undertake authentication to accept the VID from their users from June 1, 2018. According to UIDAI in the beta form, users can generate their Virtual ID and use it to update address in Aadhaar online for the time being.
"...Soon, service providers will start accepting VID in place of Aadhaar number. For now, you can use this for online address update in your Aadhaar," the UIDAI said in a tweet. The tweet urges the users to generate their VIDs and gives a link of the Aadhaar website for the same. The VID would give any authorised agency details like name, address and photograph, which are enough for any verification.(Source: The Times of India)


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UIDAI launches 'Virtual ID' to address privacy concerns related to Aadhaar.

UIDAI dismisses report of data leak, says Aadhaar remains safe - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

UIDAI dismisses report of data leak, says Aadhaar remains safe.

The UIDAI refutes the reports about a fresh data leak of Aadhaar holders, and asserted that there has been ‘absolutely no breach’ of its database.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Saturday refuted reports about a fresh data leak of Aadhaar holders, and asserted that there has been “absolutely no breach” of its database.
The statement comes after ZDNet, a technology news portal cited a security researcher’s claim to state that a system of state-owned utility firm was allegedly leaking information on Aadhaar holders.
In a statement issued here, UIDAI, the Aadhaar-issuing body, said: “there is no truth in this story as there has been absolutely no breach of UIDAIs Aadhaar database. Aadhaar remains safe and secure”. It termed the data breach claims as “totally baseless, false and irresponsible”.
“UIDAI today has refuted reports in a certain section of media sourced from the news website ZDNet which has quoted a person purportedly claiming to be a security researcher that a state-owned utility company has vulnerability which can be used to access a huge amount of Aadhaar data including banking details,” UIDAI said in its statement.
The UIDAI has argued that even if the report claims were taken to be true, the security related concerns should be around the database of utility company in question. It has “nothing to do with security of UIDAIs Aadhaar database”, it said.
Going by the logic of the report, since the utility company’s database also had bank account numbers of its customers, would bank databases also be considered to have been breached, UIDAI questioned. “The answer would obviously be in negative,” it added.
UIDAI argued that mere availability of Aadhaar number with a third person “will not be a security threat to the Aadhaar holder” nor will it lead to financial or other fraud. This is because a transaction is contingent upon a successful authentication through fingerprint, Iris or OTP of the Aadhaar holder, UIDAI said.
The ZDNet report had claimed that “a data leak on a system run by a state-owned utility company can allow anyone to download private information on all Aadhaar holders, exposing their names, their unique 12-digit identity numbers, and information about services they are connected to, such as their bank details and other private information.”
The report of the alleged security lapse comes at a time when a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Aadhaar Act and the use of biometric identifier in various government and non-government services.
Earlier this week, UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey had made a powerpoint presentation in the Supreme Court to defend the government’s ambitious Aadhaar scheme. He had said that breaking Aadhaar encryption may take “more than the age of the universe for the fastest computer on earth.” (Source: Livemint)


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UIDAI dismisses report of data leak, says Aadhaar remains safe.

Supreme Court Constitution bench begins hearing pleas against Aadhaar - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Supreme Court Constitution bench begins hearing pleas against Aadhaar

A total of 29 petitions against Aadhaar have been tagged by the Supreme Court to be heard by the Constitution bench.

A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court began hearing petitions against the Aadhaar programme on Wednesday, with one lawyer describing it in opening arguments as a “giant electronic mesh”.
Lawyer Shyam Divan said Aadhaar, the 12-digit unique identity number, was an instrument that “enabled the state to profile its citizens, track their movements and affect their social behaviour”.

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Supreme Court Constitution bench begins hearing pleas against Aadhaar

16-digit virtual identification: UIDAI system to protect privacy - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

16-digit virtual identification: UIDAI system to protect privacy partially

A 16-digit virtual identification (VID) number for authentication instead of a 12-digit unique number



A day after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced a mechanism to protect the Aadhaar data of 1.2 billion residents in the country, experts and government officials were divided over the effectiveness of the new system.

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16-digit virtual identification: UIDAI system to protect privacy partially