Identity certification and the protection of human rights : Certification de l'identité et la protection des droits de la personne

Authentication can be regarded as “the act of verifying the identity, where verification consists of establishing to the satisfaction of the verifier, that the sign signifies the entity.”14 Three common categories of authenticators relate to “what one knows,” “what one has,” and “who one is.” “What one knows” is usually a password, or the answer to a personal question. [...] The modern requirement for “two factor authentication” is exemplified by the act of swiping an ATM card (identity claim), and entering a Personal Identification Number (PIN) code (verifying that the presenter of the card is the owner of the card, and has a right to the resources).17 16 There is no standard definition of “non-biometric information” in the literature. [...] For example, the image size of the fingerprint used in an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) can affect the failure to enrol rates – the smaller the size, the higher the number of users who will be unable to enrol based on the properties of their fingertips. [...] The introduction of photographs onto the identity document is an early example of the use of a biometric characteristic in establishing a stronger link between the token and the identity claimed. [...] The goal of the program is to facilitate the rapid processing of low-risk travellers across the border.