Showing posts with label SecurLinx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SecurLinx. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

SecurLinx makes appearance in list of top biometrics blogs

The Top 5 Biometric Identification Management Industry Blogs (M2SYS)
1. Biometric Update
2. Planet Biometrics
3. Find Biometrics
4. SecureID News
5. M2SYS Blog
6. SecurLinx
For details on what they liked about each of the fine resources in the 1-5 spots, you'll have to click over to the M2SYS blog post.

We'd also like to thank Mohammad Shahnewaz, Sr. Executive – SEO, SEM, PPC Business Development & Interactive Marketing Dept. at M2SYS Technology, for including us in his rankings.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Large customers need biometrics to be more convenient

Fingerprints still too unreliable for banks (MIS - Asia)
Still, organisations across multiple sectors are exploring the use of several types of biometric technologies. The Australian Passport Office last November issued a tender for new biometrics technologies.

The organisation has been using facial recognition for its passport production process since 2005.

In 2012, ANZ Bank said it was exploring using fingerprint recognition technology to replace traditional PIN codes.

Parker said there an interesting discussion under way now about how secure a transaction has to be and how much organisations and consumers are you willing to pay for a certain level of security.

"If you're protecting the front door or the control panel of a nuclear arsenal, you probably want to spend a lot of money on security to make sure it's top grade and nobody can get through it.
It looks like people are starting to come to grips with the "compared to what?" and "perfect vs. good" arguments we've been making here for a while now.

We'd also suggest a revised headline for the article linked above: "Fingerprints not Convenient Enough for Large Customers." We'd agree with that one.

As it stands now, biometrics algorithm developers and large system vendors aren't really finding much success at supporting customers for whom ID management isn't their primary business. And nearly all organizations for whom ID management is their primary business are government entities. This goes some distance toward explaining why the private market for biometrics has been slow to develop.

It's also the challenge we have built SecurLinx to meet. In this example, banks aren't in the ID business; they're in the money business, but they do have to get ID right — or at least predictably wrong — in order to do their job. Magnetic stripes, sixteen digit numbers and passwords aren't great, but they are predictable. They are convenient at an affordable cost.

Biometrics companies must deliver solutions to customers that can add security and at least come close to the convenience of the systems they seek to replace.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Law enforcement interoperability, though little discussed, is a big deal

Tyneside jewellery heist could lead to DNA sharing (Chronicle Live)
A jewellery heist on Tyneside has sparked a review of DNA sharing across Europe that could force police to hand over criminal records to foreign counterparts.

Specialists in Newcastle will spearhead a £1.2m effort to design a database that profiles crimes committed across the continent as part of a controversial EU information sharing treaty.

It comes just 12 months after a convicted murderer and his armed gang from Eastern Europe were convicted of carrying out an armed raid at a Newcastle jewellers.

Led by convicted murderer Marek Viidemann, the ring was linked to at least 150 armed robberies across the UK and Europe before being eventually jailed for a total of more than 30 years.
First, DNA is likely to be a small part of whatever system improvements emerge.  It's expensive and slow compared to just about any other biometric modality or combination of modalities such as finger, face and iris.

From a management standpoint it seems that if you want to have a free flow of people, you need to have a free flow of law enforcement information. This is easier said than done. It's often a challenge even when dealing with adjacent counties in the same state in the US much less, as in the European context, two different countries.

The term for this system compatibility and ability to effectively cooperate among departments is interoperability. It is a managerial and technical challenge that is rarely dealt with in popular depictions of how law enforcement works but, especially as the complexity of the law enforcement challenge increases, it is of critical importance.

Often, there are good systems in place for passing information "up the chain of command," i.e. from street cop all the way up to a state or national information repository, but the information doesn't always flow as freely back down again in the other direction. For various reasons, the formal links between street-level law enforcement officers in neighboring jurisdictions run up through a centralized authority and then back down again, though there are often informal links that bypass the up-and-back-down information flow model. The implications for efficient multi-jurisdictional law enforcement are clear.

Some of these issues came up a couple of years ago in a post. Usefulness of Biometrics in Law Enforcement: Who is the Customer? The analysis there can be extended from biometrics to all sorts of law enforcement IT systems and it has a great deal of bearing on issues like the ones raised by the Newcastle jewelry heist by international criminals.

Many police professionals put a lot more into databases of all types than they ever get out of them. Through biometric technologies and other integration services, SecurLinx works hard to balance that out a bit for our law enforcement customers.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

TSA wants a slick new ID & document management system

TSA To Purchase Credential Authentication Technology In 2014 (HS Today)
A CAT system must verify the identity of air passengers and confirm they are able to travel beyond the security checkpoint for boarding their planes, TSA said in an announcement Monday. It must display authentication credentials to a transportation security officer (TSO) or other qualified operator and ensure proper ticketing of the passenger, instructing the system operator as to what action to take if the passenger is not yet cleared.

The CAT system also must integrate a credentials scanner, technology to authenticate credentials, a graphic user interface (GUI) and an application programming interface (API). Under a separate contract, TSA already has produced the API, which provides an interface with its Security Technology Integrated Program (STIP) for the transfer of passenger data.
Pretty cool. This sounds a lot like the IDTrac product we developed several years back, only we used IDTrac to keep track of bank checks instead of boarding passes. The facial recognition part of what it does is pretty elegant if I do say so myself.

Monday, September 24, 2012

SecurLinx & Qualiserve enter agreement in Brazil

SecurLinx Brasil and Qualiserve Technology Solutions enter into Exclusive Integration Partnership for Brazil (PRWeb Press Release

SecurLinx Brasil, a subsidiary of SecurLinx Holding Company (FRA: S8X) has completed a comprehensive integration agreement for its biometric identity management solutions in Brazil with Qualiserve Soluções Em Tecnologia. “This strong partnership with a recognized leader in the national marketplace demonstrates our commitment to gaining market share and rapidly increasing revenue in the next year. Together, we will ensure peak performance and the highest level of customer service for our Brazilian clients,” said Barry Hodge, CEO of SecurLinx Holding Company.

Under the terms of this agreement, Qualiserve will be the exclusive installer and IT system manager for SecurLinx Brasil, offering helpdesk and field maintenance services as needed. In cases where a client purchases a biometric identity management solution from SecurLinx Brasil and that client has an existing contract with a third party IT service provider, Qualiserve will act as a technical consultant and project manager on behalf of SecurLinx.

According to Davis Hodge, President of SecurLinx Brasil, “Qualiserve, with its impressive track record of tackling complicated large scale IT infrastructure deployments coupled with its market leading IT management services provided to some of the largest multinational and local corporations, is a perfect fit for SecurLinx.” Kleber Rodrigues, Founder and President of Qualiserve added, “We have spent considerable time evaluating both new and established biometric solutions providers on behalf of our customers and have determined that SecurLinx offers the most complete and robust products available in the market.”

About Qualiserve:
For over 10 years, Qualiserve has offered comprehensive IT infrastructure and systems management to some of the largest multinationals and local companies in Brazil. Additional services include web hosting, ERM, VoIP telephony, and cloud computing. The Company is headquartered in São Bernardo / São Paulo and has offices across Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, Manaus and Santa Catarina.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

SecurLinx Named Tier 1 Platinum Partner by iPulse Systems

Press Release:

SecurLinx Corporation joins forces with iPulse Systems to provide best in class solutions forbiometric access control in North and South America.

Morgantown, WV September 19, 2012

SecurLinx Corporation has been awarded Tier 1 Platinum Partner status for North America by iPulse Systems of Kempton Park, South Africa. SecurLinx-Brasil will enjoy the same designation for South America. The partnership will enable SecurLinx to integrate the iPulse product line into its access control middleware solutions. “Customers at the high end of security require an end-to-end solution including hardware and software that is completely integrated into their existing information technology infrastructure," stated Barry Hodge, CEO of SecurLinx. “We evaluated a number of potential suppliers and found iPulse to offer the most robust and interoperable solution available today.” The integration process has been completed and the systems are available for immediate delivery in both markets. The scalable solution is cost effective for a single door and capable of managing access for the largest facility or enterprise.

Gary Chalmers, CEO of iPulse Systems added, “As a specialist manufacturer of biometric hardware, iPulse Systems always looks for partners with an innovative and aggressive approach to high level integration into their software solutions when launching into a new market. SecurLinx have created a seamless solution that provides localized content for our internationally competitive hardware solutions.” “The iPB platform is robust, intelligent and extremely cost effective," continued Chalmers, who also added “We believe this combination of biometric hardware and software offers the best price to performance ratio available in the market today.”

About SecurLinx:

A wholly owned subsidiary of SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA: S8X) and located in Morgantown, West Virginia, SecurLinx is an advanced technology and software development company. The Company offers middleware products and systems applied to information sharing, secure access, and biometric identification. SecurLinx adds increased security, productivity, and seamless information management solutions in targeted markets where secure access to physical locations or information sharing networks is critical to the enterprise.

About iPulse Systems:

iPulse Systems is a South African based technology design company that specializes in developing biometric technology solutions at a hardware, firmware & SDK level for integration into best-of-breed existing software solutions, and where required, building niche market software solutions for specific vertical markets.

[End press release]

We're extremely pleased with the relationship we have built with the good people at iPulse and we look forward to what lies ahead.

Monday, September 17, 2012

SecurLinx Announces Opening of Brazil Subsidiary

SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA: S8X) has continued its expansion plan with the establishment of SecurLinx Brasil.

Based in São Paulo, it will have primary responsibility for marketing biometric identity management solutions for business and law enforcement across Brazil, but will also operate throughout Latin America.

This announcement is the culmination of a six month process of business development market research and regulatory filings required by the Brazilian Central Bank and Revenue Authorities. “The country’s dynamic economy, large population, and security needs have drawn our attention for quite some time. We are excited to be in a position to offer our solutions in the Brazilian market where high-quality, high-technology solutions like the ones we offer are eagerly adopted,” said SecurLinx CEO Barry Hodge. According to Hodge, this gives SecurLinx a foothold in one of the world’s fastest growing and most promising security markets. “We are currently in discussions with potential integration partners that we expect to further multiply our reach and accelerate our market penetration over the next six to twelve months.”

The full text of the press release and a pdf of it is available here.

I've been down here in São Paulo helping to get things moving with our new operation here, hence the lighter-than-usual blogging. We're proud to share the news of our new Brazilian venture and excited for what the future holds.

São Paulo sidewalk



Monday, April 23, 2012

SecurLinx Completes Acquisition of ITM Associates

SecurLinx Corporation acquired ITM Associates, Inc., a Washington, DC based consulting services and commercial products company with a strong customer base in federal government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and health service providers. The strategic acquisition of ITM enhances SecurLinx’ resources and capabilities to offer advanced solutions in the areas of identity management, biometric security, decision support, collaboration, and automated workflow.

Morgantown, WV - April 23, 2012 SecurLinx Corporation acquired ITM Associates, Inc. of Rockville, MD effective April 1, 2012. Founded in 1993, ITM offers its inFusion™ family of collaboration and automated workflow products and has longstanding relationships with the US Environmental Protection Agency, Verizon Communications, St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, and major insurance providers. “Mergers of companies like SecurLinx and ITM are ultimately more about people than technology, said SecurLinx CEO Barry Hodge. “We look forward to the addition of ITM’s customers and products but we’re especially pleased to add ITM’s talented staff to our team.”

According to Hodge, the acquisition of ITM accelerates SecurLinx’ ability to expand its existing presence in the biometric identification and security markets as well as in the markets currently served by ITM. “Together, SecurLinx and ITM will offer compelling and high return-on-investment products and services for customers needing higher levels of security and performance in mission critical activities.”

About SecurLinx: http://www.securlinx.com 
A wholly owned subsidiary of SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA: S8X) and located in Morgantown, West Virginia, SecurLinx is an advanced technology and software development company. The Company offers middleware products and systems applied to information sharing, secure access, and biometric identification. SecurLinx adds increased security, productivity, and seamless information management solutions in targeted markets where secure access to physical locations or information sharing networks is critical to the enterprise.

About ITM Associates: http://www.itmassociates.com 
ITM provides products and services that make businesses more profitable and prosperous by bridging the gap between business operations and the enormous potential of emerging technologies. ITM's staff of professionals design, adapt and integrate technology to (1) eliminate or reduce time-consuming information processing tasks, (2) assist executives to make more informed and timely decisions, and (3) achieve greater efficiency by extending internal information systems to customers, vendors, and strategic partners.

Link to press release at Yahoo! News
Earlier: SecurLinx Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire ITM Associates

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Tanning Salon Chain Adopts Fingerprint Biometrics for Customers and Staff

Digital Persona Press Release: Zoom Tan (Yahoo!)
Previously, Zoom Tan discovered that many of their members often come directly from the gym without their credit or debit cards, which limited their ability to make purchases at the tanning salon. To better serve their customers, Zoom Tan created ZoomPay, a biometrically-enabled software application that enables customers to keep their card information safely on file and purchase products with the touch of their finger.

"Biometric technology is a unique way to improve customer service," said Scott Bogdan, director of operations at Zoom Tan. "Our members love being able to make purchases without the burden of carrying around cash and credit cards. DigitalPersona's technology was incredibly easy to integrate into our application."

In addition to enabling more purchases by members, biometrics also significantly reduced fraud at Zoom Tan salons. Members were knowingly and unknowingly sharing their membership information with friends and relatives. Now, with fingerprint biometrics, only properly-registered members can sign-in for tanning sessions. In addition, Zoom Tan adopted biometrics for employee time and attendance management. This has enabled employees to accurately get credit for their shifts while preventing them from fraudulently clocking co-workers in and out.
This deployment has it all.

Cleverly adopted fingerprint biometrics can:
♦ Increase the security and privacy of customers
♦ Make it easier for customers to make purchases
♦ Bring rigor to the employer-employee relationship (time-and-attendance)
♦ Bring rigor to the business-customer relationship (membership-sharing)

Add these up for some good ROI.

Further in the PR, DigitalPersona exec. Jim Fulton mentions that by combining biometrics with their own custom and commercial applications retailers can boost revenues in similar ways.

Using our propriety middleware components, SecurLinx does the "combining" part mentioned above, linking biometric hardware to existing IT systems, and building semi-custom applications to deliver bottom-line results to the organization.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Infosec Professional Interviews SecurLinx CEO Barry Hodge on Information Security Challenges

Interview Series - Barry Hodge CEO SecurLinx Corporation (Infosec Professional)

The questions are:

♦ How has information security changed in the last 3 years?

♦ What do you think are the main threats facing organisations in 2012?

♦ Are organisations ready to deal with those threats and what can they do to protect themselves?

♦ The last 3 years has seen global organisations make significant in roads to protect data from a logical and network perspective. Does physical access control need to play a greater part and are organisations aware of it's benefits?

♦ Infosec has now become it's own profession, with job titles, budgets and certifications. What challenges do infosec professional face on 2012?

♦ What are the key questions your clients ask when looking to select a product or services offering? Experience, RoI, cost etc?

♦ With the global credit crunch effecting budgets across all areas, is security now seen as a luxury good for many projects?

I'll include only one answer here because I want you to click through to the whole interview. Here's his answer to the last question:
Security is looked at by most companies as a cost of doing business and if my competitor isn’t investing, I can let it go too. My personal opinion is that security can be a competitive advantage if it increases employee productivity and decreases cost. It is our job to design and implement solutions for our customers that do just that. Technology should facilitate the provisions of better security and lower the cost of ownership to the organization. I believe that is possible today.

SecurLinx Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire ITM Associates

Press Release - Morgantown, WV - February 13, 2012

SecurLinx Corporation has agreed to acquire the assets of ITM Associates, Inc. of Rockville, MD. Founded in 1993, ITM has developed longstanding relationships with key accounts in both the government and commercial markets. These contractual relationships are included in the transaction.

The acquisition of ITM is a significant step in SecurLinx’ strategic plan to expand its presence in the biometric identification and security market. “ITM has a successful history and solid reputation for providing innovative, targeted and high quality commercial products and services to government and commercial customers that we can leverage immediately,” said SecurLinx CEO Barry Hodge. According to Hodge, SecurLinx will utilize ITM’s technical experience and expertise to help support its goal of making SecurLinx "the most advanced and cost effective biometric solution provider in the industry.” Additionally, SecurLinx will work to expand ITM’s existing customer base which currently includes the Environmental Protection Agency and Verizon Communications.

“The merger of SecurLinx and ITM is an exciting development,” said Bob Procelli, former COO and co-owner of ITM, “I was impressed with SecurLinx biometric identification technology when I first met Barry and his team in 2010. “But it was Barry’s vision for growing the company and expanding into new markets that impressed me the most.” According to Procelli the combination of SecurLinx and ITM is a “perfect fit of cultures, customers, capabilities and products that will be a valuable asset for meeting the goals set out by Hodge.”

All ITM employees will be retained as part of the agreement. “We welcome the addition of ITM’s customers, products, and talented staff to SecurLinx” said Hodge.

About SecurLinx: A wholly owned subsidiary of SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA: S8X) and located in Morgantown, West Virginia, SecurLinx is an advanced technology and software development company. The Company offers middleware products and systems applied to information sharing, secure access, and biometric identification. SecurLinx adds increased security, productivity, and seamless information management solutions in targeted markets where secure access to physical locations or information sharing networks is critical to the enterprise.

About ITM Associates: ITM provides products and services that make businesses more profitable and prosperous by bridging the gap between business operations and the enormous potential of emerging technologies. ITM's staff of professionals designs, adapts and integrates technology to (1) eliminate or reduce time-consuming information processing tasks, (2) assist executives to make more informed and timely decisions, and (3) achieve greater efficiency by extending internal information systems to customers, vendors, and strategic partners.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SecurLinx Introduces IdentiTrac-RMS, a Biometrically - Enabled Record Management System for Law Enforcement

SecurLinx Introduces IdentiTrac-RMS, a Biometrically - Enabled Record Management System for Law Enforcement Securlinx Corporation introduces its latest addition to the IdentiTrac product suite. IdentiTrac-RMS allows small-to-medium sized law enforcement agencies to create digitized booking records. By using fingerprints for user authentication and for searching the database of booking records, IdentiTrac-RMS offers productivity gains for law enforcement officers at an entry-level price below $5000.00.

Morgantown, WV (PRWEB) January 31, 2012

SecurLinx Corporation (FRA: S8X) introduces its IdentiTrac-RMS for the creation, storage and biometric search of digitized booking information. IdentiTrac-RMS provides fingerprint user verification to control access to up to 50,000 records which, in turn, are searchable by the fingerprint attached to each booking record. IdentiTrac-RMS uses FBI certified fingerprint technology to offer a compelling return on investment, saving officers’ time and making it easier to create and share NIST compliant records.

“The challenge for small to medium sized law enforcement agencies in today’s environment of evolving information technology capabilities is to be able to take advantage of the productivity gains offered by computerized information management at an affordable price,” said Jim Connors, Anaconda Montana Sheriff (ret.) and SecurLinx Vice President of Sales. “IdentiTrac-RMS solves that problem by providing a framework to gather and store comprehensive arrest records in the structure required to enable fast search and inter-agency sharing.”

“By leveraging our IdentiTrac Facial Recognition platform used by larger agencies, we are able to offer a fingerprint search version at a highly competitive price,” stated SecurLinx CEO, Barry Hodge, “The same technology can be used to validate user access to the system providing an audit trail and assuring data integrity.”

IdentiTrac-RMS has additional modules for managing prisoner intake and release, scars, marks and tattoos, medications and personal property. Records are stored to enable inter-agency information sharing using standards for both booking photos and criminal information reporting in the NCIC format. IdentiTrac-RMS helps small-to-medium sized law enforcement agencies record, organize, store and share information in a way that has immediate organizational benefits that exceed its price while enabling future adoption of other cutting-edge law enforcement technologies.

Monday, January 9, 2012

SecurLinx Announces Reorganization

Press Release:
Morgantown, West Virginia
January 09, 2012

SecurLinx Corporation, a Delaware corporation located in Morgantown, W.Va., announced today that it has completed its reorganization with SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA:S8X) of Toronto, Canada. Under the terms of the reorganization agreement, SecurLinx Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canadian parent company. The parent company has been accepted for listing by the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with the trading symbol S8X.

“By completing this reorganization with our Canadian parent, we will have access to capital and the ability to use their liquidity to aggressively pursue growth both organically and through acquisition,” stated Barry Hodge, CEO of SecurLinx Corporation. “This will allow us to take advantage of the near term opportunities in the emerging biometrics market place to expand our footprint. We expect this structure to provide significant benefit to our customers and shareholders.”

Under the terms of the reorganization agreement, existing SecurLinx Corporation shareholders received 1.42 shares of SecurLinx Holding Corporation stock in exchange for each share of their SecurLinx Corporation stock. The remainder of the SecurLinx Holding Corporation shares will be sold in the initial offering to fund the company’s business plans. Hodge will become the CEO and Chairman of SecurLinx Holding Corporation.

Hodge further stated, “Deployment of biometric software applications is expanding exponentially around the world. Our goal is to position our company at the forefront of this trend and participate in opportunities both domestically and internationally.”

About SecurLinx Corporation

Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, SecurLinx Corporation is an advanced technology and software development company. The company offers middleware products and systems applied to information sharing, secure access, surveillance, and biometric identification. Our products serve government, law enforcement, and the security industry.

About SecurLinx Holding Corporation (FRA:S8X)

Located in Carlisle, Ontario, Canada, the company was incorporated as 1800987 Ontario, Inc. July 13, 2009. To facilitate the reorganization, the company changed its name to SecurLinx Holding Corporation on June 16, 2011.

# # #

JASON HODGE
SECURLINX
(304) 284-5020

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sensor Manufacturers Responding to Demand for Mobile Biometrics

Fingerprint sensors for mobile ID devices (Help Net Security)

The linked article focuses on the products one firm, DigitalPersona. The market that the sensors are built to address is also well described.
These devices are increasingly being used around the world in Civil ID applications such as voting, benefits-checking and micro-finance.

Many emerging countries are turning to biometrically-enabled mobile ID terminals in an effort to combat fraud in delivering essential services such as voting, benefits, pensions and banking. These devices were initially used for military and law enforcement, but the rapid growth of Civil ID programs is creating demand for smaller, more affordable versions that deliver high-quality identification.
In order for biometric technologies to reach their full potential, several things need to converge: Algorithms, Sensors, Applications, Deployment.

Algorithm - A limited sequence of instructions or steps that tells a computer system how to solve a particular problem. A biometric system will have multiple algorithms, for example: image processing, template generation, comparisons, etc.
Sensor - Hardware found on a biometric device that converts biometric input into a digital signal and conveys this information to the processing device.
Application - The software that allows sensors and algorithms to be used to meet a need.
Deployment - Installing, setting up, testing and running. This military term, which means the placement of troops and equipment in the field, is widely used with computers as an alternate to the word "implementation."

Software companies like SecurLinx need algorithms and sensors to make applications and deploy systems. There is a huge demand for mobile applications and it's good to see the manafacutrers developing the prerequisite hardware.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Web services look to revolutionize biometrics

National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST) is working to establish protocols to ease implementation and increase interoperability for biometric devices (ThirdFactor.com)
Currently biometric devices require dedicated software to interact with other electronic devices (e.g. computers, handhelds, mobiles). When either device changes, the wheel must essentially be recreated–or at least the software that drives it. “If devices can understand the Web inherently and the device changes,” explains Micheals, “you don’t have to rely on the software that hinders interoperability.”
These protocols will certainly help make our job easier.

Overcoming the challenges inherent in integrating diverse biometric hardware and software into coherent solutions delivered over multiple platforms is what SecurLinx does.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Facial Recognition Early Adopters

Tesco in talks over facial recognition tech for stores (ZDNet.co.uk)

Australian Clinic uses Facial Recognition for easy check-in (Milton Leader)
Many signs point to an uptick in the adoption of facial recognition.

SecurLinx middleware framework works with all sorts of algorithms based on all sorts of biometric modalities. We have a wealth of experience in facial recognition and offer several face-rec applications that run on commercially available off-the-shelf components.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Face-Rec gaining ground in Australia

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is to upgrade security (ComputerWorld.com.au)
n January, DFAT said facial recognition would be an ongoing area of development in its increased use of biometric technology ahead of the planed launch of a biometrics panel to source specialised biometric support for the Australian Passport Office (APO) and to help develop its own in-house biometrics skills.
Facial recognition, a SecurLinx specialty is really starting to take off.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Ports, Security and Biometrics

U.S. maritime port security being neglected (PressOfAtlanticCity.com)
Aaron Ellis, spokesman for the American Association of Port Authorities, said TWIC cards are “far superior” to what was used in the past and are issued after significant background checks and are “very difficult” to duplicate and forge.

However, TWIC cards are little more than “flash cards” without the electronic readers, he said. Some port authorities are taking the financial risk of developing their own electronic card-reading system to improve security, he said.
With all the attention being paid to airline security, it's easy to overlook seaport infrastructure.

This article broaches two issues that are of particular interest to suppliers and consumers of biometric identity management systems: regulatory risk and interoperability.

Ports are fortunate that they haven't had a one-size-fits-all solution forced upon them, because the political process has a poor track record at devising systems that appropriately balance security and commercial interests (see the TSA's airport security regulations). The TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) system regulates the ID card to be used at ports and the process for obtaining one but it does not mandate how the individual ports use it. This offers ports the opportunity to adopt the security protocols that best match their individual circumstances.

This, however, puts the onus on ports to adopt the security protocols that best match their individual circumstances which presents challenges of its own.

As with many organizations, Ports can recognize a significant ROI (Return on Investment) by integrating biometric identity management techniques into their business processes, but calculating ROI involves weighing the cost and benefits of a decision over time.

If a port does everything perfectly, implementing a biometric identity management system that accomplishes the task of getting people into the facilities with dramatically reduced time and labor costs, risks remain that will alter the ROI calculation. Regulations might be enacted that impose other costs (regulatory risk), or other ports may adopt a different system that is incompatible with the system they use (interoperability risk).

Regulatory risk and interoperability risk are real, but technologies do exist that can help firms ameliorate these risks. SecurLinx has developed technology (middleware) that address both of these risks. Our middleware enables scalable and modular biometric deployments that facilitate integration with all major biometric service providers.

With SecurLinx technology, a firm that invests in a biometric identity management system and then opts to integrate that system with another system can do so cheaply and effectively. Moreover an organization that finds success with one type of biometric system (ex. fingerprint time-and-attendance) can integrate another type of system (ex. face-recognition) without starting from scratch or being forced to run two parallel and incompatible IT systems.

Biometrics should deliver maximum ROI. We can help.

Monday, July 19, 2010

FBI National Academy Associates, Boston

SecurLinx and AmberVision will be in Boston for the exhibition associated with the FBINAA festivities this weekend, July 24 & 25.

The Law Enforcement Exhibition is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in the Hynes Convention Center, Hall C.

Law enforcement officers from the Boston area not attending the conference may obtain a Law Enforcement Day Pass to tour the exposition Saturday or Sunday. Department-issued photo ID required.

If you're in the area, please come visit us:
Booth 212.

Friday, April 16, 2010

CSI NJ: Cops Using High-Tech Tools To ID Victims

From WCBS-TV.com (New York, March 4)
The link leads to an article and video showing how the Jersey City Police Department uses their SecurLinx IdentiTrac system.