Fact Sheet: Acxiom Identify XTM Authenticate
Rev. 12/12
Intelligent Risk Mitigation Solutions:
Acxiom Identify-X
Authenticate
TM
Supporting academic integrity in distance learning.
Student Identity Verification Capabilities
Distance learning promises learning anytime, anywhere. But that convenience for
students brings a challenge for educators: finding a way to make sure registered students
are really the ones doing the work. Acxiom and Learning House help higher education
institutions verify the identity of distance-learning students.
We work with a number of
partners, including the following:
• Public and private universities
• State colleges
• Community colleges
• Distance learning consortiums
• Professional continuing educators
Here is how the process works:
• Each day, Acxiom collects,
synthesizes and maintains a
database of U.S. consumer public
records. We use this data to verify
individuals’ identities.
• By matching a student’s directory
information (name, address,
phone number) to our database,
we match the student to our
database. Then each student
must answer questions to verify
his or her identity, which may
include name, address and date
of birth.
• We integrate with popular learning
management systems (LMSs) to
embed identity verification into
the learning process.
Acxiom’s secure verification
capabilities can help reduce the
costs associated with testing center
registration, proctor validation and
proctored exams. Acxiom offers
predictable pricing and the flexibility
to meet instructor and administrator
needs.
New accreditation regulations
require institutions to verify that
each distance learning student who
registers for a course is the same
student who performs the work.
Privacy plays a critical role in
Acxiom’s verification solution.
Institutions never receive the data
Acxiom uses in this process; college
and university staff is made aware
only of pass and fail rates. Acxiom
engineers and delivers the entire
process through a Web interface,
which alleviates the authentication
burden for schools. Students may
opt out of the process, and we
recommend a comprehensive
communication plan for
administrators and students prior to
a pilot and large-scale rollout. Acxiom
reports enable institutions to provide
evidence of their identity verification
process implementation during the
accreditation review process.
Historically, in financial services,
online account users have been
asked credit information or
knowledge-based questions to
verify their identities; however, as
identity theft has increased the need
to authenticate customers, using
sensitive information from credit
reports has exposed individuals and
institutions to fraud. Educational
institutions have unique needs
because students can willingly share
personal information to impersonate
another individual.
Acxiom and Learning House
offer Identify-X Authenticate to
support academic integrity in a
secure environment that increases
student satisfaction and institution
compliance.
Fact Sheet: Acxiom Identify XTM Authenticate
Rev. 12/12
Intelligent Risk Mitigation Solutions:
Acxiom Identify-X
Authenticate
TM
Supporting academic integrity in distance learning.
Authentication Capabilities
Acxiom enables identity verification
using real-time challenge questions
that use noncredit-based information.
Acxiom can customize the solution
to fit individual course and instructor
needs, which creates an identity
verification process that combines
rich data with an interactive questionand-answer process built into the
learning management system.
Acxiom can verify identity at any
point of the learning process: LMS
log in, homework upload or online
assessment submission.
Data-generated Questions
Students answer data-generated
questions to verify their identity.
Data-generated questions are based
on public, publicly available and
nonpublic proprietary databases that
are available to Acxiom.
Unlike other identity management
solutions, we do not require any
additional people or hardware:
• No USB devices, such as card
readers, fingerprint readers or
webcams
• No required tokens
• No required broadband
connection
• No enrollment process
• No database of biometric
algorithms
• No additional information
technology (IT) or distance
learning staff required
• No post-exam video storage,
monitoring or privacy concerns
Exam Strategies
During the implementation process,
Learning House will work closely with
you to develop the type of strategy
that best suits your institution’s
needs. An exam strategy consists of
the rules that govern when and where
to verify identity. This includes what
type of questions you ask, how many
questions, the pass and fail scoring
and post-identity verification process.
Strategies consist of the following:
• Decide how many questions and
answers to ask.
• Select which exam questions
best suit your student population.
• Assign multiple strategies based
on courses and institutional
policies.
AbiliTec® Technology
Acxiom has integrated its AbiliTec®
technology into the authentication
product, which allows Acxiom to
identify records in the database
regardless of how the name is
represented during input (e.g.,
misspelling the name Stephen as
Steven). This also includes precise
record identification for nicknames
and maiden names. Match rates
range from 92 to 96 percent,
depending on the exam strategy
details for the student population,
based on various matching
technology and specialized questions
for students who have little or no
economic history.
Data Assets
Unlike self-reported data, such as
a mother’s maiden name, favorite
color or childhood friend, Acxiom
generates challenge questions on
demand without prior input from
students.
This ensures students cannot share
their secrets to circumvent the
identity verification process. Acxiom
data comes from public, publicly
available and nonpublic proprietary
databases. Acxiom has obtained
public record information from
federal, state and other governmental
records that are open for public
inspection. Publicly available
information is accessible to the
general public from nongovernmental
sources. Nonpublic information is
neither available to the general public
nor obtained from a public record; it
is acquired for specific permissible
use in a particular industry. The data
is current and regularly updated daily,
weekly or monthly, depending on
data source.
See how Learning House and
Acxiom can work for you. For
more information, email us at
[email protected].
LearningHouse.com • (502) 589-9878
427 South Fourth Street, Suite 300
Louisville, KY 40202