Person holding a tablet showing their face representing presentation attack detection.

Boosting Biometric Trust in a Spoofing World: What You Need to Know About Presentation Attacks

by HID Global • Brian DeGonia

­Facial recognition is no longer futuristic — it’s part of our everyday life. From unlocking banking apps to breezing through airport security, it’s changing how we interact with the world. But as adoption grows, so do the risks. One of the biggest threats? Presentation attacks — sophisticated spoofing attempts using videos, photos, masks or 3D models to impersonate real users.

For organizations operating in high-stakes environments — such as government ID programs, border security or financial institutions — the implications are serious. A single failure can erode public trust, compromise safety and damage corporate reputation.

That’s why the industry is turning to more rigorous standards for presentation attack detection (PAD).  And HID’s recent achievement — iBeta PAD Level 2 compliance for the HID® U.ARE.U™ Face Module — isn’t just a technical milestone. It’s a signal that innovation and accountability can go hand in hand.

U.Are.U. Face Module and iBeta logo

What Level 2 PAD Compliance Is — And Why It Matters

iBeta Level 2 PAD testing, defined by the ISO/IEC 30107-3 standard, simulates mid-level spoofing attempts using artifacts derived from genuine biometric samples. It’s a demanding benchmark, and one that HID’s U.ARE.U Face Module passed with zero successful attacks across 750 attempts.

This level of performance helps raise the bar for the entire industry by proving that facial recognition systems can be both user-friendly and highly fraud-resistant — a critical balance for real-world use cases.

What This Means to the Industry

  • Builds Public Trust — As facial recognition adoption grows, so does scrutiny. Demonstrating resilience against spoofing builds public confidence in facial recognition as a secure, reliable solution.
  • Supports Compliance — From GDPR to national ID frameworks, regulatory bodies are increasingly requiring proof of anti-spoofing capabilities. PAD Level 2 compliance helps meet these expectations.
  • Balances Security With Convenience — HID’s passive liveness detection in the U.ARE.U Face Module requires no user action to authenticate or verify. It proves that robust security can coexist with seamless user experiences. It’s a model for how the industry can evolve without compromise.
  • Future-Ready Assurance — As biometric threats evolve, so must the defenses. Investing in rigorous testing and standards compliance ensures that biometric systems are ready for what’s next — offering peace of mind today and tomorrow.

Leading the Way in Biometric Innovation 

Biometric security isn’t just about technology — it’s about trust. And trust is earned when the industry holds itself to higher standards and prioritizes identity protection.

At HID, we’re proud to contribute to that effort. Our PAD Level 2 compliance for the U.ARE.U Face Module demonstrates what’s possible when innovation is grounded in accountability. It’s a step toward a future where digital identity is not only more secure, but also more trusted and resilient.

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