"As the digital world accelerates, security must stay one step ahead": Interview with Philippe Vallée

Every week, a new data breach makes headlines. How can we prevent this risk from becoming inevitable?

Personal information exposed. Accounts compromised. Identities stolen. Through repetition, the risk has almost become commonplace. Almost. Because there is one thing we must never accept: the idea that losing control of our data is inevitable. 

On Data Privacy Day, let’s restate an obvious truth: data has become one of the most coveted resources in the world. It reveals who we are, where we live, what we consume, and how we move. Protecting it is no longer just a technological challenge—it is a matter of trust, sovereignty, and ultimately, individual freedom.

According to recent studies, the average cost of a data breach now amounts to several million euros per incident, an all-time high. Even more striking: over 80% of successful cyberattacks exploit an identity-related weakness, such as a compromised password, weak authentication, or poorly controlled access. The message is clear: digital security can no longer rely solely on what we know—a code or a password—but must also incorporate who we are.

You mention identity as the key to security. Is biometrics the solution to strengthening protection?

Biometrics has emerged as a concrete response to this challenge. Unlike traditional credentials, which can be stolen, guessed, or shared, biometric traits are unique and intrinsic. They represent the ultimate proof of identity because they define us unequivocally.

Often debated and sometimes caricatured, biometrics remains one of the most reliable ways to protect access to sensitive data and services. A fingerprint, a face, or an iris cannot be guessed, forgotten, or shared—at least not as easily as a password.

The biometric passport has existed since the early 2000s. How is this model inspiring digital security today?

This is not a new technology that appeared overnight. The first international standard for a biometric passport was adopted in 2003 under the auspices of ICAO, and is based on a simple yet remarkably effective principle: encrypted identity data, securely stored and verified through biometrics. Twenty years on, this model remains a global reference. It has proven its effectiveness at scale, for billions of travelers, in environments where security requirements are at their highest.

Today, this logic naturally extends to the digital world. In Europe, the eIDAS regulation (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services) provides a clear legal framework for electronic identification and trust services. It enables citizens to prove their identity remotely, using strong, secure, and legally recognized methods to access online services—from public administration and banking to healthcare, electronic signatures, and sensitive transactions.

Properly regulated, transparent, and ethical, biometrics also plays a crucial role. It enables a reliable link between a digital identity and a real person, without ambiguity, in both the physical and digital worlds. It becomes the bridge between these two realms, ensuring that the person logging in is genuinely who they claim to be. Contrary to a common misconception, strengthening data protection does not mean complicating users’ lives. Quite the opposite. The most advanced technologies are those that secure quietly, protect seamlessly and enhance usability — allowing people to access public services, connect remotely, pay, sign or travel with confidence.

AI is often seen as a threat. In digital security, should we fear it?

Artificial intelligence inspires both fascination and concern. When misused by cybercriminals, it can automate attacks, generate increasingly convincing deepfakes, or bypass traditional defenses more quickly. Yet the reality is far more nuanced—and encouraging. AI is also one of the most powerful tools available to counter these very threats.

Facing attacks that have become massive, fast, and highly adaptive, only AI can analyse vast volumes of data in real time and detect what the human eye can no longer perceive.

How does AI enable a shift from reactive to predictive security?

AI strengthens cybersecurity at every level: real-time anomaly detection, behavioural analysis, event correlation and even the anticipation of attacks before they occur. It enables a shift from reactive security to preventive - and increasingly predictive - security.

Once again, when properly governed, transparent and ethical, artificial intelligence becomes a true digital shield. It does not replace humans; it augments them. It empowers businesses, governments and citizens to regain the upper hand in a digital environment where trust has become a strategic asset.

Deepfakes pose a major challenge. How can AI help restore trust in this area?

When it comes to deepfakes and digital manipulation, the question is no longer simply « Can we trust? » but « How do we prove what is real? » This is precisely where AI, applied to cybersecurity and identity, makes all the difference.

In the fight against deepfakes, AI plays a decisive role. It can detect subtle signals of manipulation: micro-inconsistencies in facial features, anomalies in voice patterns, or artifacts invisible to the naked eye. By analyzing behavior, usage patterns, and contextual data, AI can distinguish the real from the fake, even when fraud is highly sophisticated.

What message would you like to convey on Data Privacy Day?

We must not grow accustomed to data breaches. Instead, we should ask the right questions: what data do we share? With whom? For what purpose? And above all, what technologies are in place to protect it?

The good news is that innovation is already here, and advancing rapidly. When deployed with rigour and responsibility, it enables us to build a digital world where trust becomes the norm again, not the exception. When it comes to personal data, vigilance is not a constraint. It is a fundamental condition of digital freedom.