Blooming Blockchain- How It Can Help You KYC Faster, Safer, And Better

Does $10 billion seem like a boatload of money to you? According to Compliance Week, financial institutions across the globe were charged $10.4 billion as KYC and AML fines in 2020. Adjusted to inflation, that’s nearly half the revenue of the entire Hollywood in 2020. That’s wasted money that could have been saved.

Know Your Customer(KYC) processes form the spine of financial institutions’ safety. It primarily encompasses their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) efforts. Traditionally they have always been tiresome and time-consuming. Even after, they were not issues-free, and they were not unhackable. The processes are inefficient and labor-intensive. The risk of error is also pretty high. 80% of efforts go for information collation and processing, whereas the rest 20% is only spent on assessing and monitoring. 

Let’s have a look at how we can change this.

How Traditional KYC IS Falling Short

Customers dread KYC. For them, it serves no purpose other than to increase the activation energy required for CTA. Traditional KYC is out of the question as it:

  • Is manual and prone to human errors
  • Tiresome and time-consuming
  • Heavily dependent on physical attributes like space, storage, etc.

Digital KYC was the solution some years ago. They had:

  • AI-based processing that reduced errors
  • Quick TAT
  • Server storage
  • Better user experience

Many institutions shifted to Digital KYC with advanced Video KYC as an option. But before that metamorphosis could complete, we got newer and better modes. The digitized is getting digitized. This was primarily due to the shortcomings in safety, security, and universal ease of accessibility for the data and the users. An incompetent digital KYC process also Misidentifies fraudulent data and cannot track the customers for verification.

The era for change is here, and it begins with understanding blockchain technology. Blockchain is versatile and resilient. But above these, it records information as electronic databases in the form of blocks.

 

Blockchain KYC- The Next generation of KYC Processing

 

A blockchain is a specifically distributed database shared among the nodes of a digital network. It stores information electronically as a database. Blockchain KYC occurs in multiple stages in a specific Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).

Stage 1- KYC DLT System

IFI or Initial Financial Institutions ensure users set up their digital identity using valid documents on a Blockchain KYC platform. The data becomes available with consent to institutions for verification. Some of the available options for storage are:

  • DLT platform
  • FI’s server
  • Centralized server

Stage 2- User can transact with FI

The user provides consent. The FI can verify and save the data on the DLT platform using the ‘Hash Function.’ FI delivers digital copies of KYC to the users marked with a Hash Function which matches the DLT platform’s one. This ensures that if the KYC data is changed, it will not correspond with the one on the DLT platform. In addition, it will alert the FIs about the change.

Stage 3- User transacts with Final Financial Institution(FFI)

Users consent to share data with FFI, and the KYC is performed. Then, FFI reviews the data and the respective hash function with the ones IFI uploaded. If both match, FFI finalizes the data as valid.

The Benefits of Blockchain KYC

  • Quality data with real-time monitoring and tracking.
  • Lower TAT- FIs have direct access to data without collation.
  • It eliminates paperwork
  • Decentralized, distributed data collection
  • Mandatory consent ensures safety for the user’s data.
  • Reduced expenses due to unhackable security and fortified operational efficiency.
  • Accurate information validation with DLT
  • Real-time user data appraisal- blockchain technology updates the FI of any new addition of user data.

The Culmination of Blockchain Technology and KYC

Collating user data and processing is expensive and time-consuming. But it has always been a mandatory part of any KYC process. But now, this has changed.

Blockchain not only provides an alternative for this but also helps enterprises monitor and assess user behavior. It saves time from tedious, laborious tasks of data accumulation and processing. It uses this time for the companies to focus on finding solutions for more creative KYC challenges.

It is important to note that Blockchain Technology is not magic and hence not the answer to all problems in KYC. It mainly helps in data collation. The validation process still is an unavoidable task.

Blockchain coupled with AI and cognitive processing technologies helps resolve this. They will create a synergistic and efficient system. However, it is hard to find the right solutions for your enterprise in such a saturated market. Signzy offers state-of-the-art resources and solutions for all your fintech needs. Ranging from onboarding to KYC, we have customizable solutions powered by AI decision engines to get you the best in the industry. 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling 10 million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks.  It works with over 240+ FIs globally including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a strong global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

References

Evolution Of Digital Identity Verification

As society and businesses move online, an identity check has evolved to digitally verify a candidate’s name, date of birth, address, and Nationality. However, digital verification is a must if you want to run a profitable organization, reduce fraud, stay compliant with international regulations and reduce the manual effort involved in physical verification. 

Digital verification supports multiple technologies like Image rectification, Blurriness detection, and Optical Character Recognition. These technologies will automate the identity verification process, making it reliable and time-efficient. 

But with the changing business behavior and behavior, how do you know that you are ready for what the future holds? This guide will cover almost everything about digital identity and related topics. In addition, we will be examining the current and emerging technology for online identity verification. 

What is Digital Identity Verification, and Why is It Necessary? 

Digital identity verification is a process that validates a person’s details and identifies who they are by computer technology. Digital identity is an online identity claimed in cyberspace by an individual, organization, or electronic device. 

In simple words, digital identity is the body of information about an individual that exists online. 

Through unique patterns, each identifier makes it possible to identify individuals. Initially, a digital identity arises from personal information on the web, and it may be the Pseudonymous profile linked to the device’s IP address. 

Why Has Digital Identity Verification Become Necessary? 

As technology helps us perform various complex tasks, cybersecurity threats also can’t be overlooked. Unfortunately, however, many people have their identities compromised. And cybercriminals are always on the hunt for frail networks. 

That means loopholes will be created in the complete identity management system that can be fatal for any organization. Organizations have to face millions of financial losses only because of the increase of identity thefts. 

That’s why the more robust line of defense in the form of digital identity verification is becoming necessary. 

Rise of Digital Identity Verification 

In the mindset of the social alarm created by the Coronavirus, many efforts are focused on regaining stability. However, since March 2020, we all have been asked to change our habits in most circumstances like everything has to be done without leaving home. 

From watching movies to banking, everything should be done remotely. With the rise of digital transactions, there is a positive impact in the world of banking. However, digital transactions open up various advantages and opportunities for users. 

But it also has some risks that did not exist before. That’s why digital banking requires a lot of security and trust between banks and consumers. For example, while interacting with new customers, banks need to know whether the customer is who they say they are. 

In that case, Banks conduct a Know your customer process to ensure that the individual is not a fraudster. Therefore, during the customer onboarding process, the online real-time identification of an individual’s identity through digital identity verification is also a must. 

Recently, the Fintech company allowed their customers to transfer money through an online app; as a result, their shares rise to 13% on the first day, and its market value reached up to $7.8 billion. 

Below, we will show you some points that will clarify the concept of digital identity verification evolution. 

  1. Rising Trend in the use of Digital Identity 

Identity verification is a critical issue in many companies that need to comply with KYC regulations during the personal onboarding process. Many financial institutions are turning to digital identity verification to safely and securely onboard remote customers. 

About 85% of BFSI companies have already started the digitization process and provided digital account opening. However, the budget allocated to the digital account opening has almost doubled the size before the current pandemic. 

After the COVID-19, many Financial institutions partially started digitizing the customer verification process. For example, an individual has to initiate a loan application online and then finalize it with an in-person visit to show their online identity. 

  1. Strong Security, Privacy and Compliance Requirements

The customers want to open a bank account with minimal friction. In addition, they want to feel secure that the right level of security is in place to protect their identity. 

Therefore, digital verification must consider anti-fraud, all security, and data privacy with the security of customers’ data. Anyone aiming to digitize an account opening process will be well aware of many requirements that need to be met.

  1. Some Financial Institutions have a Solid Competitive Advantage in Enabling Digital Identity Verification by Adapting to New Customer needs

The digitally-enabled financial institutions whose employees work from home best fit social distancing and online financial services. The banks with a mature digitalization channel are on the success line, while others have to kick start their digitization program from starting. 

  1. Digital Transaction Volume Increases, But so do Fraudsters and Cyber-Attacks

Fraudsters are also taking advantage of the insecure online transactions during COVID-19. When the WHO declared the pandemic, there was an apparent rise in the loan fraud attacks and took the form of first-application fraud, third-party application, and synthetic identity fraud. 

That’s why financial institutions are incredibly vigilant in their onboarding and digital identification process to detect and prevent application fraud. 

How Does OCR Work for Identity Verification? 

The manual job of feeding the data needs to be automated to improve the process of identity verification. In that case, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) converts all the information on an ID into text for input and information validation. 

First, the digital identity will be scanned, then analyzed, and finally translated into the character codes. Further, you can use this machine-encoded text to validate the information against a genuine verification source. 

It will help you verify National IDs containing numbers, addresses, names, and various other parameters. 

Benefits of Using OCR Technology for Identity Verification

Here, we will walk through some of the benefits of using OCR technology for digital identity verification. 

  • Time-efficient: OCR will eliminate the need to enter details on every form or HR portal manually.
  • Cost-efficient: It will reduce manual labor for document sorting and filing, thus saving delivery and raw material used for physical verification. 
  • High accuracy and improved service: OCR ensures that the employees only access accurate and reliable information whenever needed. 
  • Storage space and data security: You can store the data inputted through OCR on servers that reduce the cost of maintaining the physical files. 

How Does Signzy Add Value to Your Digital Identity Verification Process? 

The benefit of partnering with Signzy for Banks and other financial institutions is that our combination of Artificial intelligence and blockchain will ensure that digital compliance is convenient but secure. 

Our solution is trained for document reading and facial recognition accurately representing an individual’s personal details. Our scalable backend operations help businesses to scale faster, cut turnaround time and reduce cost. 

Our data protection infrastructure can identify different types of IDs to input correct details and generate accurate and reliable results. 

Wrapping Up 

The organizations that haven’t yet indulged in the digital identity verification process gradually lose their customers. However, the evolution of OCR technology for digital identity verification benefited many financial institutions in time and cost efficiency, providing high accuracy and improved service. 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling 10 million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks.  It works with over 240+ FIs globally including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a strong global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

Fintech & Data Risk

The global fintech market was valued at $127.66 billion in 2018, and it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR Of 24.8 percent to $309.98 by 2022. According to Statista, 66.7 percent of bank executives believe FinTech will have a global influence on wallets and mobile payments. 

This illustrates how the Fintech sector has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and will continue to do so in the future. Another aspect that is stealing the limelight as a result of this rapid expansion is data risk. As more individuals switch from conventional methods to Fintech, the risk of critical data being compromised has grown dramatically.

Exemplification of Data Risks

According to a study conducted by Keeper Security, 70% of financial services firms have experienced a cyber attack in the previous year. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a surge in cyber assaults has prompted FinTech firms to rethink and refocus their security strategies

A few examples of data breaches in the financial sector:

1. Dominos India

Domino’s India suffered a major data breach in April when the credit card information of nearly ten lakh of its customers and employees was leaked on the Dark Web. Names, phone numbers, and payment information, including credit cards and pizza preferences, were among the information leaked.

Alon Gal, CTO of security firm Hudson Rock, discovered the leak when he came across someone offering 10 bitcoin (approximately US$535,000 or INR4 crore) in exchange for 13TB of data, which included one million credit card records and details of 180 million Dominos India pizza orders.

2. Facebook

When the personal data of over 533 million Facebook users was posted on a low-level hacking forum, it was exposed in a data breach. Phone numbers, full names, locations, email addresses, and biographical information of users from 106 countries were leaked, with India being one of them.

Methods to Mitigate

To avoid data loss or theft, businesses must guarantee that data is appropriately safeguarded. When a data breach occurs, businesses should notify people, as well as report the risk of damaging their brand and consumer loyalty. Companies might face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of yearly sales under the General Data Protection Regulation

Following a variety of recommended practices can help to reduce the risk of data breaches:

  • Ensure the app’s secure architecture and code

Developing a safe app’s logic entails incorporating security into each phase of the app’s usage. You must evaluate what data to keep, where it will be saved, who will have access to certain app features and data, and more throughout the early phases of app development.

  • Use Code Obfuscation

Developing a safe app’s logic entails incorporating security into each phase of the app’s usage. You must evaluate what data to keep, where it will be saved, who will have access to certain app features and data, and more throughout the early phases of app development.

  • Build Secure Identification, Authentication, and Authorization Processes

When a person claims to be a user of your app, identification entails supplying a name or username. Authentication is supposed to show that they are who they say they are. The next stage is to decide what they are permitted to do after the system has identified and authenticated them.

Threat Landscapes Where Data are at Risk

Though Fintech in today’s world has become increasingly secure, there are still some weak spots that can put our data at risk. These are some of the risks which may emerge while you use any fintech platform.

  • Fraud Risk 
  • Merchant Risk
  • Regulatory risk 
  • Anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing
  • Consumer Risks
  • Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
  • Credit risk and operational risk
  • Outsourcing Risk 

Data Risks & Third-Party Ecosystem

For specialist services, competitive advantage, operational efficiency, and cost savings, businesses have traditionally turned to third parties. However, as businesses extend their third-party ecosystems to perform fundamental tasks that are vital to operations, business models, and value propositions, a significant change is occurring. As a result, the dangers to the expanded company have increased.

As talent gaps emerge, as automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) progressively complement and enhance traditionally human-performed professions, businesses are reconsidering the nature of work, workforces, and workspaces. Many of these modifications can be influenced by third parties.

How Signzy Can Help?

With the increased data risks in the fintech sector, there is demand for securing the sensitive data of the customers successfully. But, the question is how do we do that?

That is precisely where we can assist you. 

We at Signzy, have a variety of AI-based solutions to digitally identify, verify, and authenticate customers, moreover helping in ensuring full security. Our solution for onboarding security has been deployed by more than 45 big and valued clients. These include leading banks, NBFCs, mutual fund managers, P2P lending banks, digital payment solutions, etc. Thus, making it promising and easier to trust us.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

Digital Identity in Fintech – Cyber Risks & Remedies

A TransUnion Analysis found that digital frauds grew by 23.8% in the first four months of 2021 compared to the previous four months. At 60%, the financial services industry recorded the largest increase in online frauds.

To enable faster customer onboarding and an enhanced experience, Fintech providers and financial service companies are switching to digital identity technology. Also known as “Digital ID,” digital identification (or identity) is emerging as the new mode of identifying consumers lacking any legal form of ID documents.

Through this article, we shall look at the use of digital identity in the Fintech sector – and how to overcome its challenges.

Digital Identity in Fintech 

By using a digital ID, Fintech companies can unlock a huge market potential and offer a range of innovative financial services to their consumers, including financial inclusion of the “unbanked.” A Digital ID can streamline user authentication and improve the overall customer experience. 

Globally, governments and government agencies are putting together the infrastructure required for digital identity systems. For example, the Indian government has implemented the Aadhar-based eKYC registration process – which has reduced the cost of KYC registration from $5 to $0.70 for each customer.

How does this technology help in reducing identity thefts and cyber risks in the financial service sector?

  • Enabled by digital IDs, financial institutions can perform identity verification through the individual’s photo or video capture.
  • Digital IDs can also secure online transactions that are easier to manage instead of users having multiple online accounts that cyber attackers can target.

Why is Digital Identity Important in Fintech? 

Here is what makes digital identity important to the Fintech sector:

  • It helps in improving operational efficiency and eliminates “human error” from manual verification processes through building accurate customer profiles.
  • Increasing financial revenue by offering innovative products or services to previously unavailable consumers due to verification constraints.
  • Providing a superior user experience by removing any barriers to online transactions and securing user attributes.

Further, digital IDs can reduce the cost of customer service – by eliminating calling customers requesting for resetting their “forgotten” account passwords. At the same time, a digital identity can improve risk management by streamlining the eKYC process and safeguarding customer data from security breaches.

Digital Identity – Validation Workflow

How does digital identity work? A video-enabled digital identification process can help in identifying and validating individuals in the following ways:

  • Matching the person (on video) with the face on the ID document (example, PAN or Aadhar card).
  • A highly intuitive user interface for the best video interaction.
  • Use of video-based forensics for detecting any fake identity or spoofs.
  • High-end encryption for video transmission and communication.
  • Real-time capture of geolocation and IP address.

Digital Identity – Challenges

As stated by Phillip Malcolm of Refinitiv, banks and financial service providers must be able to “provide products and services (with increased scalability) that need to be technologically advanced.” Any large-scale disruption in anti-money laundering practices can result in irreversible damage – and large investments into digital identity technologies and infrastructures.

Additionally, with billions of dollars being transferred through online payments and eCommerce transactions, financial service companies will be regulated for compliance and penalized for any failures.

What is Signizy’s Role?

At Signzy, we believe that efficient digital identity solutions can go a long way in validating banking consumers and improving their banking experience. Designed for high-grade banking, Signzy’s VideoKYC solution is being used to onboard new banking customers according to financial regulations.

Through its partnership with the UAE-based Seed Group, Signzy is set to expand its footprint among banks and financial institutions based in the Middle East. With its global presence, Signzy has been instrumental in the digital transformation of leading banks and improving their global market share. This includes complete automation of their back-office operations and empowering their security infrastructure – among other capabilities.

Want to know how we can help? It is time to get in touch with us.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

Accessing With Account Aggregators

In 2021, total digital transactions conducted exceeded 40 billion with an accumulated estimate of over a quadrillion INR across the country. RBI had been brainstorming for a long time to optimize these transactions while creating a more efficient system for payments and keeping track. Account Aggregators(AA) are the latest initiative to resolve this.

What Is Account Aggregators Initiative?

Account Aggregators are RBI’s newest reformation in the payment processes. It allows the collection of user data that can be shared among multiple financial institutions with approval consent every step of the way. This permits institutions to create a better understanding of customers and provide their services, accordingly.

In addition, 8 major banks are joining RBI’s pep for reform. These include State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDFC First Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Federal Bank. The new system with the aid of these many primary players helps the free flow of data between financial information providers(FIPs) and banks. It will especially help loans for MSMEs and other small scale businesses.

Account Aggregators relay user information between financial information providers and financial information users(FIU) during transactions. User consent is mandatory for each step in the process. This is mostly effective for loans and lending, but other payment processes can also utilize it.

What are the Benefits of Account Aggregators?

Account Aggregators create a systematic approach to financial data management among institutions. It is a precise solution for scattered data across financial entities and enables the transfer of consented data without view or processing by the aggregator itself. Users can search and find information

In terms of economic impact, observers are comparing Account Aggregators to UPI. Expectations are that Account Aggregators will bring unprecedented benefits in making payments and lending easier, just like how unexpectedly UPI transformed the economy.

With Account Aggregators, many SMEs can operate without physical branches transforming credit penetration. The ease of access Account Aggregators creates during loan applications, will encourage entrepreneurs and businesses to execute their ideas faster. Since the entire system is overseen by government bodies, chances of fraud and malpractices are nearly nullified.

Data Privacy

One of the major concerns surrounding Account Aggregators is how private the data is. Before the official release, speculations were in the air. RBI was diligent to emphasize how secure the user data will be. Data privacy and user consent are keystones for any transaction and formulate the fundamentals of the framework.

Presently, RBI allows only regulated entities to access the Account Aggregator ecosystem. On top of this, user consent is mandatory along every pitstop in the process. It is important to note that account aggregators themselves are unable to view or access data as they are designed only to relay information between FIPs and FIUs.

What It Means And How Can Signzy Help You

RBI acknowledges the pace at which the information era economy is transforming. Just like UPI, Account Aggregators are a step in the right direction. This will fasten and ease payment services and the lending industry. It is clear that what the nation aims for is a completely digitized economic infrastructure.

Digitizing your services is not simply about digitizing your services. In the cutthroat competition, it is simply not enough to meet the minimum standards. You need to craft a user-friendly, fast-paced, secure system. We at Signzy can help you create the perfect solutions for all your onboarding and KYC related needs.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

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