UnionDigital taps iProov tech to strengthen cybersecurity

UnionDigital Bank, the digital banking arm of Union Bank of the Philippines, has partnered with London-based biometric security company iProov to enhance its cybersecurity framework and combat rising threats such as account takeovers and money mule activity. The move is part of the bank’s broader risk-based authentication strategy to balance security and user experience in its digital platform.

The collaboration comes as the financial sector faces increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence, prompting regulators such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to push for stronger digital security standards. Through iProov’s Dynamic and Express Liveness technologies, UnionDigital can now tailor security levels for different transactions — applying heightened verification for high-risk activities like new device logins while maintaining a frictionless experience for everyday banking.

“Our mission is to uplift the lives of all Filipinos through a secure, trusted, and accessible digital bank for all Filipinos, and that requires deploying resilient infrastructure capable of addressing sophisticated fraud,” said Russell Hernandez, Chief Information Security Officer at UnionDigital Bank. “As we shift toward risk-based authentication, we need a flexible and future-ready solution. iProov’s internationally proven ability to deliver ease of use, speed, and high security assurance — backed by reliable vendor support — ensures we can evolve our fraud defenses while sustaining customer trust and confidence.”

iProov’s technology, already trusted by global institutions such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.K. Home Office, uses science-based biometrics and AI-powered liveness detection to authenticate users and detect deepfakes in real time.

“We are delighted to have been chosen by UnionDigital Bank to support its mission to deliver secure and truly inclusive digital banking across the Philippines,” said Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov. “Proving that someone is who they claim to be online is at the heart of digital trust. Our technology provides the highest level of identity assurance on virtually any device to provide that protection.”

UnionDigital said the new system will help ensure safer access for underbanked Filipinos who rely primarily on mobile devices for financial transactions — a key demographic in the bank’s financial inclusion strategy.