Miicard
I blogged last Wednesday about the new identity verification service, Real Me, by NZ Post and DIA. Their process for identity verification is:
- Apply online
- Go to a PostShop and get photo taken
- DIA confirms identity
- Complete verification of address with NZ Post
That gets you a near passport level of identity verification. But I’ve had an e-mail from the folks at Miicard pointing out their service, which is purely online. Their process is:
- Create your miiCard identity
- Prove your identity through secure access to your online bank accounts
- Connect your social profiles for Twitter and LinkedIn to prove they belong to you
I’ve not tried it out to see exactly how it works, but I quite like the idea of using the bank authentication as a means of identity proof, as that is already highly secure. They support 2,500 banks including the NZ ones.
Tech Crunch reports:
To be clear, MiiCard doesn’t ask for your bank account number, and oddly enough, that’s something that seems to worry some folks, even though it’s info that many people and companies would know. (Hint: it’s on your checks…Besides, aren’t those the same people who are scared to shop online, but have no problem handing their credit card over to a starving college student working three shifts at their local diner to pay their bills?) Oh, and MiiCard’s service is also VeriSign Trusted and TRUSTe certified, if that makes you feel better about the security precautions in place. And it runs its tech on top of Yodlee, which powers solutions for seven of the top ten banks. (OK, that helps).
Once registered, you can begin attaching other accounts to your profile, like your social networking accounts, for example. You can then use your MiiCard where you see fit – on your eBay shop, perhaps, or your Craigslist posting. …
Last week, MiiCard launched the first third-party Twitter validation system, which allows anyone – not just celebs and public figures who get special attention from Twitter – to verify their account.
Sounds a very good service also.