The security mechanism developed in-house is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning and uses a combination of both finger minutia and finger image to check the liveness of the fingerprint captured. This ensures that Aadhaar authentication transactions become even more robust and secure.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced a new security mechanism for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and faster detection of spoofing attempts. Under the new system, only finger image or only finger minutiae-based Aadhaar authentication has given way to a robust two-factor authentication.
The security mechanism developed in-house is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning and uses a combination of both finger minutia and finger image to check the liveness of the fingerprint captured. This ensures that Aadhaar authentication transactions become even more robust and secure.
\To further eliminate the possibility of spoofing attempts, the new two-layer authentication adds additional checks to validate the fingerprint's genuineness.
The move will be of immense use in segments including financial, telecom, banking and government sectors. The new mechanism, which has now become fully functional, will further strengthen the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and curb malicious attempts by unscrupulous elements, thereby benefitting those at the bottom of the pyramid.
The roll-out and migration new security mechanism for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication took place after months of deliberations and hand-holding of partners and user agencies by the UIDAI.
In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said that constant engagement and due diligence of UIDAI with authentication user agencies (AUAs) were carried out to impress upon AUAs/ Sub AUAs the benefit of the new modalities.
AUA is an entity engaged in providing Aadhaar-enabled services to Aadhaar holders using authentication as facilitated by the authentication service agency. Sub-AUAs use Aadhaar authentication to enable their services through an existing requesting entity.
To note, the adoption of Aadhaar-based authentication transactions has been increasing, considering its role as a facilitator in availing several welfare benefits and services. The cumulative number of Aadhaar authentication transactions had crossed 88.29 billion by the end of December 2022, clocking an average per day transactions of 70 million. A majority of them are fingerprint-based authentications, indicative of Aadhaar's usage and utility in daily lives.