How combined eID cards and NFC phones are making fake identities an even bigger hassle for James Bond

Last updated: 31 October 2019

This week marks the launch of the 24th film in the James Bond series, the long-awaited Spectre. I’ve yet to book my tickets, something I’ll do when I get home tonight, but given Bond’s track record I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be making use of some of his fake identities to travel unseen around the globe.

As I wrote earlier this year we’ve developed a new material that will make using fake passports to do so significantly harder. Sealys Secure Surface, which sits over the identity card or passport as an extra see-through layer, strengthens protection against fraudulent documents by combining three different effects: light reflection, movement and tactile elements.

But since then, we’ve also launched our Coesys mGov solution, a new mobile digital authentication solution that enables citizens to access online government services using a combination of their contactless national eID and NFC-enabled phone. Rather than having to send off multiple different paper documents to prove their identity to arrange visas, social and healthcare provisions – they can use a unique pin number sent to their mobile phone with the eID card.

This makes life significantly easier for governments and public authorities by reducing the administration costs involved, and also allows for the creation of a single record of each citizen incorporating information from all services using the solution.

For example, Qatar authorities introduced Gemalto’s infrastructure for eGovernment services in 2014. Users can now digitally sign documents or application forms before submitting them, by using their eID with a six digit PIN code. The solution also makes the user interface as simple as possible. A mouse click at connection activates the secure authentication process. Once connected, the user can access any of the various online services thanks to Single Sign on. Citizens have rapidly adopted this new tool and calls to the help desk have visibly dropped.

Several other countries have also implemented the technology. So if Bond has plans to travel through Qatar, Oman, Finland, Iceland or Moldova undercover he better ensure he has his contactless national eID card and NFC phones ready!

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