Identity proofing
Identity proofing establishes, to a stated level of confidence, that an applicant is the real-world person they claim to be.
Establishing who the account belongs to
NIST describes three parts of identity proofing: resolution distinguishes the person from others in the relevant population; validation checks their evidence and attributes; verification connects the evidence to the person presenting it.
A genuine identity document is only part of that work. The process must also establish that it belongs to the applicant. Successful proofing can lead to enrollment and binding an authenticator to the account. Later, authentication checks use of that authenticator.
Keep the assurance claim specific
An Identity Assurance Level describes the proofing requirements met. It is not a score for the strength of every later sign-in, and calling a help-desk procedure “identity proofing” does not make it meet a NIST level.
An onboarding record also cannot identify someone calling months later to replace a lost phone. That request needs the appropriate account recovery checks. Keep the evidence of enrollment and the evidence supporting a recovery decision separate enough that a reviewer can see what each established.