Built real-time identity verification for Standard Chartered Bank, Sierra Leone

Standard Chartered Bank is a global banking institution with a presence in Sierra Leone, serving retail and commercial customers across the country.

The bank needed a reliable, secure way to verify customer identities against Sierra Leone's national civil registry — to reduce fraud risk and meet KYC compliance requirements.

• No direct integration with NCRA, Sierra Leone's national identity authority, for customer verification.
• Manual identity checks introduced delays and errors across customer onboarding workflows.
• No centralised system to manage staff access or log verification activity for audit purposes.
• Identity lookup data was not exportable, limiting compliance and reporting capabilities.
• Sensitive customer identity data lacked a formal encryption and secure storage standard.

1. Anchor on the integration first

The NCRA API was the core dependency. Classic Informatics mapped its data contract early and built response caching to reduce API load and handle network variability in-country.

2. Security built in, not bolted on

Encryption at rest (AWS KMS + SQL Server TDE) and in transit (SSL/TLS), JWT-based authentication, and role-based access controls were defined at the architecture stage — not added as an afterthought.

3. Two verification paths, one interface

Both NIN number lookup and biometric fingerprint verification were built into the same platform, reflecting how bank staff work across different verification scenarios.

4. Operationally complete from go-live

Export formats (Print, CSV, Excel, PDF), automated daily backups with 30-day retention, and admin-controlled user management were included so the system required no manual workarounds from day one.

Identity Verification Platform

• NIN number lookup via NCRA API
• Biometric fingerprint verification via NCRA API
• Response caching to reduce API calls and latency
• Retrieval of name, gender, date of birth, photo, and nationality ID

User & Access Management

• JWT-based login, logout, and session management
• Admin and standard user role separation
• Full user CRUD for admin-controlled access

Data & Compliance Tools

• Data export in Print, CSV, Excel, and PDF formats
• Encrypted storage using AWS KMS and SQL Server TDE
• Daily automated snapshots with 30-day retention on AWS EC2

Standard Chartered Bank's Sierra Leone operations now have a direct, auditable connection to the national civil registry. Staff can verify customer identities in real time — with all data securely stored, role-access controlled, and exportable for compliance reporting.

Business Impact

• Faster customer identity verification through direct NCRA API integration
• Reduced manual effort and errors across KYC onboarding workflows
• Centralised, auditable log of all identity verification activity
• Exportable records supporting compliance and regulatory reporting requirements
• Encrypted identity data meeting security standards required for financial institutions