CEO Today Europe Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 80 CEO Today Europe Awards 2018 the united kingdom Imad Malhas could not be provided entry into the UAE for a number of reasons including security concerns, past violations, false documents, etc. This holistic homeland security installation was deployed at every land, sea and air port throughout the UAE, and over 350,000 persons were identified as ineligible for entry using the IrisGuard system and denied leave of entry into the UAE. And your most recent achievement? IrisGuard prides itself on integrating its iris recognition technology with themost innovative payment solutions available. With the hot topics of the moment being connectivity and crypto currencies, in 2017 we developed a solution to secure the last mile in blockchain authentication by using a verified iris in lieu of the 32- byte blockchain private key. Streamlining the process down to a two-second iris verification and separate financial authorisation while also eliminating fraudulent transactions, IrisGuard piloted the partnering of our EyePay® system with a private permissioned version of the Ethereum blockchain to process supermarket transactions via a secure ledger in real-time. Over a period of eight months, the pilot served over 10,000 beneficiaries, and was such a huge success it has now been rolled out to all refugee camp supermarkets in Jordan serving over 100,000 refugees, the largest deployment in the world of Blockchain involving mass numbers of people in real-time. We have proved that the Blockchain complexities of managing private keys can be brought into the mainstream with our secure method of identity authentication. How has IrisGuard taken a leadership role in the sector? Our strength lies in the fact that for the past seventeen years we have never overpromised and underdelivered or scrimped on the quality of the design or manufacture of our platforms. The investment we have made in research, development and build of new products is unrivalled, because we don’t cut corners, we constantly think outside the box and find ways to create solutions. It’s this push for perfection – and the performance of our platforms – that has led IrisGuard to become trusted partners of such notable organisations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Food Programme (WFP), because they know we can deliver secure and faultless solutions. Our iris camera hardware is designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom to the highest quality standards, and it is our What role does IrisGuard play in the biometric technology sector? IrisGuard has actively contributed to Iris recognition’s long- standing respect as the most accurate, reliable, secure, fault- free and fastest method of human identification, with a single iris containing more information than 10 fingerprints. What IrisGuard has done in the past seventeen years is spearhead the development of that technology, designing and manufacturing innovative and world-leading iris recognition cameras, software and payment platforms that have processed trillions of iris cross- comparisons faultlessly, with a zero per cent error rate. Based on its world-leading iris recognition technology, IrisGuard’s mission is to provide the unbanked with dignified, secure and cost-effective financial inclusion platforms. We have pioneered the way from identity authentication through to ATM cash withdrawals, grocery shopping and now blockchain payments, all with the blink of an eye. We now have over 7,000 units in use across 11 countries, deployed 24/7. How has IrisGuard evolved over the years? Back in 2001 when IrisGuard was established, our mission was to be the guardian of secure iris recognition, using our original IG-H100 iris camera to pioneer homeland security and border control. Over seventeen years, our focus has shifted from simply authenticating identity for security reasons to using that unique verifiable identity to facilitate other services. For many years, the financial services sector has been beset by problems caused by fraudulent transactions, causing operational risk and financial loss for both the institutions and individuals. Using the person’s iris-verified identity as a starting point, we combined iris technology with financial services, firstly enabling cash withdrawals through iris-enabled ATMs, then grocery shopping with iris-powered POS, and now connecting the iris POS to an Ethereum blockchain. We have come a long way from our first homeland security days. Can you remember IrisGuard’s first milestone, and how did you achieve it? Back in 2001, we developed the best andmost secure end-to-end border security solution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which inhibited the illegal entry of persons into the UAE. A landmark biometric installation, over the ten-year period that our solution was in use, it executed over 24 trillion iris cross-comparisons, checking iris templates against a ‘watch-list’ of persons who Q Q Q Q Q Founder and CEO of IrisGuard UK Ltd