British Council taps Daon to combat global identity fraud in English testing. Quick summary. The British Council has partnered with Daon to implement advanced identity verification across its global English-language testing programs. By deploying the TrustX platform, the British Council will utilize biometric facial re-verification to prevent fraud in high-stakes exams that influence international immigration, employment, and higher education decisions for millions of users. How does Daon secure the global testing journey? Identity verification is no longer a one-time event at registration. Daon's TrustX platform introduces a multi-step assurance model that monitors the entire user journey. This includes initial sign-up, check-ins at physical test centers, and critical face-match re-verification after breaks or during re-tests. By integrating these checkpoints, the British Council ensures that the person who registered is the same individual completing the exam. Identity Theft Protection * Liveness detection prevents spoofing attempts using photos or videos. * Document verification and chip reading validate government-issued IDs globally. * Manual review fallback provides a human layer of security for complex cases. This comprehensive approach is vital for maintaining the integrity of results recognized by over 12,500 organizations worldwide. The system is designed to handle millions of transactions across 200 countries, providing a scalable solution to the growing threat of sophisticated identity fraud in the digital education sector. What standards does the new identity system meet? The British Council's selection process was rigorous, prioritizing vendors that adhere to the highest regulatory standards. Daon successfully met the requirements of the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), ensuring that the identity verification technology is both secure and interoperable. This certification is a key benchmark for public sector bodies managing sensitive personal data on a global scale. * 24/7 global support ensures testing continuity across all time zones. * AI-powered fraud detection identifies emerging threat vectors in real-time. * Privacy-first architecture protects test-taker data while ensuring compliance. By focusing on standards-based solutions, the partnership allows for future expansion into other digital services like English Online. The goal is to create a seamless customer experience that reduces friction for legitimate students while effectively locking out fraudulent actors who attempt to exploit remote testing vulnerabilities. Ff news take: This partnership is a significant milestone for identity verification in the public sector. By moving away from static checkpoints to continuous biometric assurance, the British Council is setting a new global standard for high-stakes digital interactions. For the fintech and security industries, this proves that biometric trust platforms can operate at massive scale - handling millions of users across 100+ countries - without compromising on security or user experience. It definitely moves the needle for global digital trust. Identity Theft Protection Featured speakers.

Daon's identity verification and assurance technology selected by British Council to combat fraud across its digital services. Deployment of TrustX will enable multi-step identity verification across the entire user journey, from registration through to in-test re-verification, reducing fraud where outcomes can influence immigration, education, and employment decisions. Dublin, IRL - July 14, 2026 - Daon(R), The Digital Identity Trust Company, has been selected by the British Council to provide identity verification services across its global testing and digital education portfolio. The engagement spans one of the world's most widely administered testing programs, accepted by governments in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and recognized by more than 12,500 organizations worldwide, including major immigration authorities, employers, and higher education institutions. The deployment will see Daon's TrustX platform used to verify the identities of test takers at multiple points throughout the testing journey, supporting a more secure and consistent approach to identity assurance. The British Council, a UK public body founded in 1934 and governed by Royal Charter, works with individuals in over 200 countries and territories and maintains a presence in more than 100 countries. In 2024-25 alone, it reached 599 million people through its cultural relations and educational programs. As demand for secure, remote, and high-integrity testing grows, the organization sought a partner capable of delivering identity verification that extends beyond initial enrolment to cover the full lifecycle of the user journey. The ability to confidently verify identity is critical to maintaining trust in results that are used to make life-changing decisions across borders. "Identity is the cornerstone for high-stakes exams, and in Daon we've found a partner that helps us embed trust throughout the entire testing journey," said Anthony Nicols, Director of Product at the British Council. "This strengthens the integrity of our results while delivering a more secure and consistent experience for test takers globally." Under the agreement, Daon will deploy its xProof identity verification capabilities on the TrustX platform to support identity verification during registration, at test centres, and at key moments throughout the testing process, including face-match re-verification following breaks and during re-tests. The solution combines document verification, facial comparison, liveness detection, and chip reading, supported by global 24/7 services, fraud detection, and manual review fallback where required. "Organizations like the British Council operate at a scale where identity is more than just a security function," said Tom Grissen, CEO of Daon. "It's what underlines trust in the institution and the services it provides. This deployment reflects something we're seeing across multiple sectors, where identity verification is becoming an ongoing, integrated part of the user journey rather than a single, static checkpoint. Platforms like TrustX are designed to enable organizations to orchestrate identity across channels, use cases, and geographies without adding friction for users." The British Council conducted a rigorous multi-phase procurement process, requiring vendors to meet strict standards for identity verification technology and services, including certification under the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). The tender process evaluated providers on their ability to deliver not only core capabilities such as biometric authentication and document validation, but also global support, consultancy, and operational best practices. The initial rollout will support millions of identity verification and facial authentication transactions over a multi-year term, with plans to extend the platform to additional British Council services, including English Online. The deployment also highlights the growing importance of standards-based, globally interoperable identity solutions in public sector and education environments. By combining biometric verification with flexible workflow orchestration and high-assurance controls, Daon is enabling the British Council to deliver secure, scalable identity experiences whilst reducing current high levels of fraud, that can adapt to evolving threats and user expectations. About Daon Daon, The Digital Identity Trust Company, delivers fraud-resistant, low-friction digital identity solutions that support onboarding and authentication at every trust point across the customer lifecycle. With industry-leading, cross-channel, biometric identity verification and multi-factor authentication, Daon enables its clients to empower each customer with a single, secure digital identity that balances maximum fraud prevention with ease of use. Delivered on robust, AI-powered platforms designed to counter even the most sophisticated AI-driven fraud, Daon's innovative, privacy-first solutions mitigate key threat vectors and help ensure regulatory compliance while allowing businesses to offer a seamless, accessible customer experience that increases satisfaction and lowers costs. That is why Daon is trusted by global leaders in financial services, telecommunications, travel & hospitality, the public sector, and more to process hundreds of millions of digital identity transactions each day. About the British Council The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Daon, Inc. support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. Daon, Inc. do this through its work in arts and culture, education and the English language. Daon, Inc. work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024-25, Daon, Inc. reached 600 million people. Get Daon insights in your inbox. Daon Inc. needs the contact information you provide to Daon, Inc. to contact you about its products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as its privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, please review its Privacy Policy.

Daon introduces Workforce Identity Fraud Prevention to restore trust across the employee lifecycle. New solution brings together Daon's proven identity verification, authentication, and orchestration technologies to help organizations prevent fake hires, secure access, and reduce the risk of account takeover at a time when digital trust is under increasing pressure. Fairfax, VA - May 5, 2026 - Daon(R), The Digital Identity Trust Company, has announced the launch of a new solution designed to help organizations establish stronger trust across the workforce lifecycle, from candidate application screening and remote onboarding to credential recovery, step-up authentication, and ongoing account maintenance. Workforce Identity Fraud Prevention combines several of Daon's globally proven technologies, including TrustX, xProof, xAuth, and xFace, enabling organizations to verify candidate and employee identities during the interview lifecycle and onboarding processes, seamlessly generate phishing-resistant passkey-based authentication directly from the verification process, apply step-up authentication for high-risk actions, and support low-friction reverification throughout the employment lifecycle. The result is a more resilient workforce identity posture that helps reduce account takeover risk, automate credential-related workflows, and strengthen trust in remote and hybrid work environments. As AI technology expands in reach and capability, organizations are facing a "trust recession". Much of what was traditionally relied upon as authoritative can now be fabricated to alarming accuracy, including AI-generated resumes, synthetic identities, and deepfake-enabled impersonation. According to IBM and Microsoft, an AI-generated phishing attack created in 5 minutes with 5 prompts is more than 4 times as effective as one created by a human. Recent incidents have shown just how real that risk has become, from deepfake video interviews used to secure employment to high-profile cases where a single manipulated call or video interaction has triggered millions in fraudulent transfers. In one widely reported case, a deepfake-enabled video call led to $25 million in losses at engineering firm Arup. Cases like these demonstrate how the nature of fraud is beginning to threaten the very foundations of trust in digital interactions, with Gartner predicting that by 2028, one in four job candidates will be fake. Daon's new solution is built to address this challenge by applying high-assurance identity verification and continuous identity signals where workforce fraud risk is highest. "Workforce onboarding no longer begins on day one of the job, but at the very first interaction," said Bob Long, President of the Americas at Daon. "Organizations now have to think much more carefully about the authenticity of the resume, the face appearing on camera, the email or phone call requesting access, and whether each employee identity remains trustworthy over time. Point solutions for verification and authentication create gaps, and that's where the fraud occurs. Businesses need a continuous model of identity assurance that follows each individual across the employment lifecycle." Daon's Workforce Identity Fraud Prevention solution is designed to support a broad range of workforce use cases, including candidate identity verification, remote hiring, helpdesk recovery, contractor access, privileged access changes, payroll update requests, and scheduled and risk-based reverification. It also integrates with modern IAM environments using standards-based APIs and OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocols, helping organizations extend identity assurance without replacing existing infrastructure. The solution also reflects a broader shift in how enterprises are thinking about workforce security. Rather than relying on one-time authentication at login, more organizations are moving toward layered, risk-driven identity models that continuously evaluate signals across channels and touchpoints. By applying the Daon Identity Continuity approach to workforce identity, organizations can link identity verification, continuous authentication, credential recovery, and reverification into a unified framework of trust. "Most forms of authentication deployed by businesses today were built for a very different threat environment," said Long. "Today, the risk doesn't end once an employee logs on in the morning. Organizations need assurance that every employee action is made by an employee authorized to take that action. That's where continuous, layered identity becomes so important." Daon's solution is particularly relevant for organizations with distributed workforces, high volumes of contractors, regulated onboarding requirements, or elevated exposure to helpdesk and account recovery fraud. Applications include financial services, healthcare, retail, telecom, cryptocurrency, and other sectors where workforce identity convergence is closely tied to fraud prevention, compliance, and secure system access. About Daon Daon, The Digital Identity Trust Company, delivers fraud-resistant, low-friction digital identity solutions that support onboarding and authentication at every trust point across the customer lifecycle. With industry-leading, cross-channel, biometric identity verification and multi-factor authentication, Daon enables its clients to empower each customer with a single, secure digital identity that balances maximum fraud prevention with ease of use. Delivered on robust, AI-powered platforms designed to counter even the most sophisticated AI-driven fraud, Daon's innovative, privacy-first solutions eliminate key threat vectors and help ensure regulatory compliance while allowing businesses to offer a seamless, accessible customer experience that increases satisfaction and lowers costs. That is why Daon is trusted by global leaders in financial services, telecommunications, travel & hospitality, the public sector, and more to process hundreds of millions of digital identity transactions each day. Learn more at www.daon.com. You may also like...