The risks may be high. CNN has reported that the Better Business Bureau has urged those living in the U.S. not to put their vaccination cards on social media for security reasons. Sharing vaccination cards, which contain personal information, online could made it easier for scammers to create imitation cards that they can sell. An example of this type of criminal activity occurred in the U.K. recently.
As a more secure alternative, iProov, a biometric authentication company, and Mvine, a deep tech company, have been developing a type of digital ‘passport’ that enables a person’s test result or vaccination status to be registered and proved without disclosing their identity.
Provided security is built in, this form of e-passport may provide a solution to security and privacy issues. Joe Palmer, President of iProov tells Digital Journal why the digital solution is a stronger concept.
Palmer explains: “The advantage of a digital vaccine certificate is that it can be secured against fraud. The technology that iProov provides verifies that only the genuine holder can use the certificate. During your vaccination you complete a brief face scan and then only you can use that certificate for travel or for entry to venues. There are undoubtedly social, legal and political issues with vaccine certificates that need to be addressed. But from a technology point of view, it is possible to make them secure, easy to use and respectful of user privacy.”
Palmer adds: “Innovations such as the digital immunity passport are important as they will help businesses and employees return to work and enable families and friends to reconnect more quickly and more responsibly than would otherwise be possible, while also protecting against fraud.”
Such systems would need to be tried and tested by governments to see if they provide adequate protection. Given the issue in the U.K., this may be a good place to start.
