What is Identity proofing?
Identity proofing Definition: The process of collecting and verifying information about a person for the purpose of proving that a person who has requested an account, a credential, or other special privilege is indeed who he or she claims to be and establishing a reliable relationship that can be trusted electronically between the individual and said credential for purposes of electronic authentication.
Understanding Identity proofing
Identity proofing is the process of gathering and validating personal information to confirm an individual’s true identity before granting access to accounts, credentials, or other privileges. It establishes a trusted electronic relationship by verifying identity documents, biographical details, and other unique attributes. This foundational step underpins secure authentication in digital systems.
Standards such as NIST SP 800-63A and ISO/IEC 29115 provide guidelines for implementing robust identity proofing practices. Organizations achieve this through methods like document verification, knowledge-based challenges, biometric matching, and in-person or remote identity checks with the appropriate assurance levels. For instance, a financial institution may require new customers to submit government-issued IDs, conduct live video interviews with liveness detection, and cross-reference information with fraud databases before account activation.
Related terms: Identity Verification, Know Your Customer (KYC), Identity Assurance Levels, Remote Proofing, Biometric Verification, Anti-Spoofing, Credential Enrollment.