Downtown firm gets patent to fight ID fraud

How do you prove you're you, digitally?

The technology gurus at BRIVAS, a downtown Cincinnati research and development firm focused on biometric technology, announced this month the company has received a U.S. patent for biometric encryption designed to stop digital identity fraud.

Biometrics refers to technology that measures and analyzes human body characteristics like fingerprints, facial patterns and voice for user authentication.

"We all know that in this day and age, all the hacking that occurs, even the ability for someone to guess someone else's password removes a level of security," said BRIVAS Founder and President Beau Parry, 41, of Indian Hill. "The biometric feature resides in the fact that there is only one you."

Many smartphones and laptops use biometric technology in which users can take a selfie to unlock their phones instead of a finger or number pattern. The user can take a picture of himself or herself or swipe a fingerprint, and it is compared with a stored image or fingerprint for authentication. If the picture meets a certain threshold, it is approved and the user is allowed access.

According to Bogdan Vykhovanyuk, vice president of information security at the University of Cincinnati, there are four ways to prove your identity digitally: by a password, something you have such as a cellphone or laptop, something you are and location.

"The more factors you combine, the more secure it is," Vykhovanyuk said.

BRIVAS' patent is for technology that encrypts the biometric data, such as your face or fingerprint, with contextual data like your location or what device you are on.

The blend of biometric and contextual data makes assessing information easier for a user but harder for a hacker, Parry said. The encryption codes your face or fingerprint into a series of numbers and letters that is hard for hackers to copy or break into. It is designed to potentially replace passwords as a secure form of user identification.

"The password paradigm is imploding because we all have so many accounts online and using the same password for everything is not only dangerous but its completely flawed," Parry said. "It's as if we live in a world without windows or doors."

Biometric technology seems like a foolproof way to protect data, but Vykhovanyuk has some reservations about it.

"Biometrics is something you can't change about yourself – like a fingerprint. I think in security, it's important if something gets compromised it needs to be able to be changed, and you can't change yourself."

Parry plans to license the biometric encryption to companies interested in beefing up their digital security. BRIVAS is searching for national and international partners to adapt the technology for different uses, such as banking security or protecting company data.

"Really anywhere where you're currently using traditional password authentication is a prime spot to use this type of architecture," Parry said. "What we'll see in the coming years is the ability to encrypt files, messages, emails using this technology to ensure you are the true sender of that message and who you are sending it to is the true recipient."

About the company

Founded by Beau Parry in February 2012, BRIVAS is a research and development firm focused on biometric technology. It produces custom biometric encryption for consumers, enterprise and government.

• Address: 201 E. Fifth St., #1700, Downtown

• Employees: Three

• Website: www.brivas.org