Building an In-House Digital Identity Platform for Secure, Compliant Remote Verification

Customer Snapshot

Industry: FinTech, BFSI, Identity Verification, Fraud Prevention & KYC

Region: South Africa

Platform: OneVault – Remote Identity Verification & Voice Biometrics Platform

Engagement Model:

• Product Rebuild
• Dedicated Delivery Team
• Delivery Governance & Reporting

The Challenge

SecureCitizen needed to modernize and regain ownership of its Remote Verification product while operating in a highly regulated, security-sensitive environment.

Key challenges included:

Reducing vendor dependency

• Heavy reliance on third-party verification providers
• Limited control over product evolution and roadmap
• Increased operational and licensing costs
• Slower iteration cycles when responding to market or regulatory change

Operating in regulated, high-trust industries

• Strict KYC, AML, and compliance requirements
• Support for multiple industries with differing regulatory expectations
• Evolving fraud techniques requiring rapid platform adaptation

Rebuild without disruption

• Existing clients depended on the platform
• Security, reliability, and data protection could not be compromized
• Core capabilities needed to be brought in-house without operational risk

The Goal

• Rebuild the Remote Verification product in-house
• Reduce dependency on third-party identity vendors
• Improve flexibility, cost efficiency, and IP ownership
• Maintain strong compliance and security standards
• Establish a scalable foundation for future biometric and identity innovation

Scrums.com Solution

Scrums.com partnered with SecureCitizen as a delivery and execution partner, combining disciplined product delivery with transparent governance.

Key components included:

In-house product rebuild

Re-developed the Remote Verification product with:

• Clearly defined product and business requirements
• Modular, extensible architecture
• Strong alignment between product, design, and engineering

Enabled SecureCitizen to regain control of its core identity technology stack

Structured product & engineering delivery

• Weekly sprint cycles with clear objectives and outcomes
• Documented sprint plans, blockers, and action items
• Tight feedback loops between SecureCitizen and Scrums.com teams
• High-fidelity UI designs guiding secure, user-friendly verification flows

Transparent governance & reporting

Monthly client reports covering:

• Progress and delivered outcomes
• Risks and mitigation actions
• Next steps and priorities

Detailed timesheets for cost and resource transparency

Centralized documentation for decisions, risks, and technical context

Cross-team collaboration

• Clearly defined delivery and client matrix
• Clear ownership across stakeholders
• Fast decision-making and escalation paths
• Regular alignment sessions reinforcing trust and accountability

Results

• Reduced reliance on third-party identity verification vendors
• Increased flexibility to evolve biometric and authentication capabilities
• Improved control over security, compliance, and product roadmap
• Predictable delivery through structured sprints and governance
• Clear, auditable documentation across requirements, design, and delivery
• Strong alignment between product strategy and engineering execution

The platform is now positioned as a long-term, in-house identity capability rather than a vendor-dependent solution.

Why This Matters

For identity and compliance platforms, control, trust, and adaptability are critical.

SecureCitizen achieved:

• Long-term ownership of core identity IP
• Faster response to fraud, regulatory, and market changes
• Reduced operational and vendor risk
• A scalable foundation for expansion across regulated industries

This case demonstrates how regulated platforms can modernize safely - without sacrificing security or client trust.

Scrums.com helps companies build secure, compliant platforms in high-trust environments - from identity and fintech to payments and regulated infrastructure.

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