Securing Birth Certificate Documents with DNA Profiles

The birth certificate is a document used by a person to obtain identification and licensing documents throughout their lifetime. For identity verification, the birth certificate provides limited information to support a person’s claim of identity. Authentication to the birth certificate is strictly a matter of possession. DNA profiling is becoming a commodity analysis that can be done accurately in under two hours with little human intervention. The DNA profile is a superior biometric to add to a birth record because it is stable throughout a person’s life and beyond. Acceptability of universal DNA profiling will depend heavily on privacy and safety concerns. This paper uses the U.S. FBI CODIS profile as a basis to discuss the effectiveness of DNA profiling and to provide a practical basis for a discussion of potential privacy and authenticity controls. As is discussed, adopting DNA profiles to improve document security should be done cautiously.