News in Brief

Michigan to Update ID Documents

The Michigan Secretary of State (SOS), in the US, said the state is changing the look of its driving licences and state ID cards, starting in 2024. According to the SOS, the new licences will come with cutting-edge technology and put the state in line with national best practice.

The new licences will include engraved data and other security features that the SOS said will reduce the risk of counterfeiting and fraud.

According to the state, the font and colour theme have been updated to distinguish from the current design, and the cards will display the Michigan Coat of Arms.

© Michigan Department of State.

 

Also, the names of the five Great Lakes will be seen in multi-coloured text when the card is held at certain angles.

There will be a two-line name format that will accommodate more characters, and the state will use a gold Michigan shape with a star in it to indicate licences and IDs that are REAL ID-compliant. As of 7 May 2025, by federal law, a standard Michigan driving licence or state ID without the REAL ID-compliant indicator will no longer be adequate to board an aircraft for a domestic flight or to enter military bases or certain other federal facilities.

As part of the redesign, the magnetic stripe on the back of the licence has been removed; however, barcodes will remain.

The move will affect all standard and enhanced driving licences and ID cards. Current licences and state IDs are valid until their expiration date. All Michigan residents will be issued with the new design when they renew, replace, or correct their licence or ID.

Chameleon Trojan Bypasses Biometric Security Measures

Recent developments in digital ID security rely heavily on the biometric authentication protection provided by smartphones. The emergence of the Chameleon Android banking trojan highlights a significant threat, capable of bypassing biometric security measures and stealing sensitive data.

In contrast to conventional malware, the Chameleon trojan deceives users by mimicking legitimate apps, gaining permissions to monitor activities and intercept credentials. Even advanced security features in Android 13, such as the ‘restricted setting feature,’ prove ineffective against this malware. The trojan tricks users into granting access to the restricted setting feature, gaining full control and disabling biometric security.

Once inside, the Chameleon trojan prompts users to enter their PIN on a fake lock screen, capturing the information and granting access to sensitive apps. This trojan goes further by targeting accessibility settings, manipulating users into changing them within innocent-looking apps. It can even schedule tasks, striking when the device is usually inactive, making detection more challenging.

The emergence and sophistication of threats like the Chameleon Android trojan pose significant challenges to the ID and secure document industry, and once again highlight the risk of over-reliance on smartphone biometric security as the main means of identity protection.

Barbados to Get Digital ID This Year

Barbados’ Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Davison Ishmael, has announced the government’s plan to introduce a digital ID for citizens in 2024. This initiative is part of a comprehensive programme aimed at modernising the country’s identification infrastructure.

In the course of 2023, Barbados initiated the replacement of its conventional ID cards with the more advanced ‘Trident ID’ card, designed to incorporate superior security features. Minister Ishmael has now confirmed that the programme is progressing as planned, with a firm commitment to fully retire the old ID cards by 31 January.

Following the successful completion of this first phase, government authorities are gearing up for ‘phase two’, which focuses on the implementation of Barbados’ new digital ID system. But, despite the significant strides made, Minister Ishmael acknowledged that several details are yet to be finalised.

‘We are working assiduously to get the digital ID delivered within the course of this year,’ he stated ‘There are a lot of things to be put in place relative to this. There is the technology, the processes, and more importantly, the people that are all part of the moving parts that we need to settle down before I can give a more specific date.’

Minister Ishmael had previously outlined a visionary concept for the digital ID system in April of the preceding year. He envisaged a mobile-based credential serving as proof of identity for in-person transactions and remote authentication when accessing online services.

During that time, he had hinted at the government homing in on a cybersecurity vendor for developing the requisite digital infrastructure. However, as of now, no such partnership has been officially announced by the government.

In an update provided in October of last year, the Minister reiterated that the forthcoming digital ID would be the ‘cornerstone and foundational block’ for all digital services to be rolled out, indicating its pivotal role in accessing government eServices.

India to Expand Student Identification Programme

In a move aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Indian government is set to expand its ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ initiative to include schools, according to officials.

The initiative, initially launched in higher education, involves issuing an Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) card to school students, providing them with a unique 12-digit ID. Already successful in higher education, the programme has distributed APAAR IDs to over 22 million students.

The APAAR card, which serves as an Aadhaar-verified ID, acts as a gateway to the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), a digital repository for academic credits. Furthermore, it grants access to Digilocker, a digital platform for storing important documents like mark sheets and certificates. Envisioned as a lifelong identifier for students, the APAAR ID will cover the entire educational journey from pre-primary to PhD.