Vietnam uses Entrust technology for 50 million national biometric ID cards

Vietnam uses Entrust technology for 50 million national biometric ID cards

Entrust issuance systems and software solutions, along with Vietnam-based MK Group, who will be managing on-the-ground operations and overseeing the local card issuance, will enable the high-speed, high-volume personalisation of the first 50-million national ID cards.

The new chip-embedded national ID cards will replace and consolidate the three most recent versions – nine-digit, 12-digit, and barcode-based – introduced in 1999, 2012, and 2016. The biometric chip version is expected to be more secure and standardised.

The chip-based ID Card, which is bundled with biometric and digital signing capabilities, will be used to log into many different government and private portals, where thousands of services are provided to citizens. Citizens can also use the card for authentication with government bodies and banks.

"We are pleased to be selected as the technology partner for this nationwide project to transform Vietnam's citizen ID system into one that is more standardised, secure, and digitally advanced," said Angus McDougall, Entrust regional vice president for Asia-Pacific and Japan. "We view this partnership with MK Group as a strong step towards the future of trusted identities in Vietnam."

"The partnership with Entrust signifies our shared vision of accelerating the rise of secure data protection and advanced identity authentication in Vietnam, where our offerings continue to play an instrumental role in the nation's digitalisation programme," said Khang Nguyen, chairman of MK Group.

Vietnam has made steady progress in its digital identity strategy, recently issuing draft guidelines for digital identification and authentication.

Entrust is a leading provider of trusted identities, payments and data protection with more than 2,500 colleagues, a network of global partners, and customers in over 150 countries. Meanwhile, MK Group was established in 1999 in Vietnam. The company has over 22 years of experience in providing digital security solutions and smart card products.