In an exclusive interview, Jesús Aragón, CEO and Co-founder of Identy.io, explained that traditional security methods like passwords and SMS tokens are no longer effective in the fight against sophisticated identity fraud.
Aragón argued that because passwords are often weak or easily stolen, they verify access rather than the actual identity of the user. He posited that biometrics—specifically fingerprints and facial recognition—are the only reliable methods to confirm who a person is, leading to immediate reductions in fraud for organizations that adopt them.
Aragón identified Nigeria as a critical hub for the evolution of digital identity in Africa. With a mobile penetration rate exceeding 90%, the country provides a unique environment where the smartphone can become the primary tool for identity verification. Identy.io’s technology allows for biometric capture directly on a mobile device without the need for expensive external hardware.
This mobile-first approach is particularly vital for financial inclusion in rural areas, as it eliminates the need for citizens to travel long distances to government offices for basic administrative tasks like SIM registration or birth certificates.
The CEO also addressed the rising threat of deepfakes and digital injection attacks. As AI-generated synthetic faces become more convincing, security systems must use “AI to detect AI.” Aragón emphasized that facial recognition alone is no longer sufficient; the future lies in multi-factor biometrics, combining facial scans with fingerprints or palm recognition, which are harder to find and replicate from the internet. This tiered security approach allows for low-risk transactions to use simple scans while requiring multiple biometric checks for high-value transfers.
Long-term, Identy.io aims to work with Nigerian public and private institutions to design systems that handle the scale of a population projected to reach 500 million. Aragón stressed that for technology to be truly inclusive, it must work on affordable, entry-level smartphones rather than just premium devices.
By shifting from passwords to passive liveness detection—where a system analyzes biometric signals without requiring the user to blink or smile—security becomes both more robust and easier for the average citizen to use, effectively balancing high-level protection with daily usability.
