According to Eurostat, Spain is the country with the highest number of victims of identity theft of Internet users (7%). Last year, 4% of people also suffered losses due to fraudulent use of credit card information or unauthorized use of banking information. All of this assumes financial losses, but it can also ruin the lives of those affected, who often find it difficult to prove their innocence.
Preventing identity theft on the Internet
Biocryptology, a European biometric technology company implanted in Spain and the Netherlands, has just presented in Amsterdam its new universal identification platform with biometric information to avoid current passwords and usernames. It is an application that allows access to the Internet and physical space. Suitable for cell phones and computers, its spokesman is Antonio Banderas. The actor is very concerned about the theft of personal data and its social consequences and therefore gives his support.
After downloading the application, you must register with an email address, a phone number and the user’s biometric data: your fingerprint or Face ID, facial recognition system. The profile thus created serves all daily activities, from personal purchases to banking, without having to leave personal information over and over again on the Internet. Biocryptography encrypts and then stores the user’s data so that it does not serve anyone else.
Its managing director, Dutchman Ted Oorbals, explains it in the most graphic way possible. “Recently, I bought an apartment in the Murcia area and the bank asked me for a copy of my passport to secure the sale. Imagine sending a copy of such a document via e-mail. You never know what will happen. Where will my identity end up? So our goal is to create a secure, universal system that provides four levels of access as needed,” he said in a phone conversation.
The first level is closest to the personal data owner. It is about “physical and electronic places, such as your house, car, email and website. The second includes “closed environments, online platforms and physical spaces controlled by another company, such as an office or gym. Access to “online banking, online betting, where identity is verified by a qualified third party” is the third level. The fourth considers “services provided for legitimate purposes and official facilities and management; verification of identity by official bodies such as the police”. The application and its components (hardware) produced by Foxconn European Manufacturing Services (Czech Republic) were developed in Madrid.
According to Oorbals, the application is currently generating a great deal of interest from several global banks. “Magnolia, the producer of the digital commerce page, is already using it in Spain. After the test period, other European companies are also underway.” The businessman has extensive experience in real estate and telephony, and emphasizes the social aspect of biocryptography. “Suffering identity theft on the Internet can change your life. It’s hard to prove, which is why we offer legal support to these victims through local foundations. This way they can regain control.”
