Privacy preserving authentication augmented with physical biometric proof

An authentication system comprising:

• an integrated smart entity comprising both, a visual indicator of a physical entity and a persistent memory storing picture identifier data, wherein said visual indicator and said persistent memory are physically inseparable;
• a holder unit;
• a verifier unit;
• a comparing device adapted for comparing said visual indicator and a related feature of said physical entity to be authenticated;
• a scanner module connected to said verifier unit, wherein said scanner unit is adapted to receive data from said integrated smart entity, by scanning said integrated smart entity, thereby receiving an output value of a function having said picture identifier data as argument;
• a receiver connected said verifier unit, wherein said receiver is adapted for receiving a verifiable credential;
• and
• a determination unit as part of said verifier unit adapted for upon determining that said output value of said function and said received verifiable credential are satisfying a matching predicate, confirming said verifiable credential.

A computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
• program instructions to generate an integrated smart entity comprising both, a visual indicator of a physical entity and a persistent memory storing picture identifier data, wherein said visual indicator and said persistent memory are physically inseparable;
• program instructions to compare said visual indicator and a related feature of said physical entity to be authenticated;
• program instructions to receive an output value of a function having said picture identifier data as argument a verifiable credential;
• and
• program instructions to upon determining that said output value of said function and said received verifiable credential satisfy a matching predicate, confirming said verifiable credential.