Combining identity verification and authentication procedures, identity proofing helps establish that someone is who they say they are. There are two steps involved in identity proofing: a public aspect and a private aspect. The public aspect, identity verification, relies on data in the public sphere. For example, details like name, address and date of birth are all on record and provide information to match against. The private aspect is a layer of data that authenticates a person based on information that (theoretically) only they can provide.