This example describes a transaction that needs a high level of security.
Wendy has recently sold her house and put the money from the sale into her current account. She decides to move the money into a deposit account with another bank.
She visits her bank and tells the cashier what she wants to do. The cashier explains that she can move the money using an electronic transfer, but that Wendy will need to provide some proof of her identity for security reasons – one way of doing this would be to provide an ID card and a fingerprint biometric.
Wendy is carrying her ID card so she passes it to the cashier along with details of the account into which she wishes to transfer her money.
The cashier checks the security features on both sides of the card, compares Wendy with the likeness on the card, then inserts the card into a reader.
She prompts Wendy to place her finger on a biometric reader on the counter and sends the result for checking directly to the National Identity Register (NIR). While waiting for a response, the cashier confirms the payment details and also asks Wendy an extra security question about her account with them (as required by the bank’s standard procedures).
Within a few seconds the cashier receives a response on her terminal confirming Wendy’s identity and that her card is valid and not lost or stolen. No other information from Wendy’s record is sent to the bank.
The response includes a 'transaction reference number', which acts as the bank’s record of the transaction. The cashier removes the ID card from the reader and returns it together with any paperwork provided by Wendy. She tells Wendy that her identity has been confirmed and she can now make the electronic transfer.
