The future has flying cars, replicators, and computers that recognize your face and let you log in just by looking at them. While we may have to wait a bit longer for the cars and the replicators, we can have face recognition right now, and it's surprisingly affordable. I took a look at BioTrust ($13), and it took a look right back at me.
The Council said that a "decisive political agreement" had been reached to back plans for a new agency to be set up by the summer of 2012 to manage the three databases. A proposed regulation drawn up by the European Parliament to establish the new agency receives Ministers' support, the Council said in a statement.
Since 2002, the Global Initiatives Unit has developed relationships with more than 50 countries and has received over 450,000 biometric records that have been added to IAFIS.
With the budget battle underway, the case for a strong identity credential for Medicare may be too good for Congress to pass up. Smart cards could help the federal government to reduce Medicare fraud and abuse to the tune of $370 billion in the next 10-years, says Kelli Emerick, executive director of the Secure ID Coalition.Fraud undermines public faith in social safety nets.
Nearly a decade after five suicide hijackers with expired U.S. visas helped 14 comrades carry out the Sept. 11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security and Congress have yet to come up with a fail-safe way to check foreign visitors in and out of the U.S., leaving an unknown number unaccounted for inside the country.Fail-safe? Many would settle for reasonably efficient.
Whenever you feel bored with the old way you used to access your iOS device’s screen, download and use the first biometric facial recognition application that is able to work with your native iPhone’s front-facing camera.Biometrics will be far more useful in enhancing privacy than eroding it. Getting low cost biometric tools into the hands of early adopters is very important to the growth of our industry.
A number of European privacy regulators are investigating Facebook’s facial recognition feature amid mounting concern about the technology, which attempts to identify people in photos uploaded to the website.There is a tension in these two paragraphs. "concern about the technology" or "introducing the feature without permission from users"?
The social networking site has come under fire from the German, UK and Irish authorities for introducing the feature without permission from users.
Facebook has raised concerns among privacy proponents with Tag Suggestions, a new feature that uses facial recognition technology to connect names to faces in uploaded photos and suggest tags to the uploader. Aside from the general privacy worries the feature has spurred, it's somewhat unclear just how long Facebook has had this feature in play.Transparency and Consent. Organizations neglect these at their peril because their customers/users value them highly.
"We have been given a daily target but how is it possible to meet it if people are not coming forward. A majority of people don't know why UID is important and where to get enrolled. The lapse is both from the vendors' and the civic body's end," said an official from one of the enrollment centres, requesting anonymity.It's not quite as bad as the headline makes it sound. They seem to be missing their goals by about 20% and 5% of Mumbai is a lot of people.
Once operational, citizens will be able to register through a government website and fix suitable appointments at the nearest centre for biometric registration. An official from the IT department of the state government said this will reduce registration time to less than 10 minutes.
The machine scans a passport, records fingerprints and takes a three-dimensional scan for facial recognition. And it uses voice-analysis software to help assess whether the person is truthfully answering questions that include “Are you employed?” and “At this moment, do you have any other outstanding loans?”As they say, read the whole thing.
The time has come for every commercial and government enterprise to recognize that traditional methods of security are no longer a deterrent to hackers and cyber thieves. Recent security breaches have proven that tokens are far too vulnerable, especially in cases where the data or information is mission critical and passwords, no matter how sophisticated, are easily compromised.
Passengers should be able to get from kerb to boarding gate with dignity. That means without stopping, stripping or unpacking, and certainly not groping. That is the mission for the Checkpoint of the Future. We must make coordinated investments for civilized flying.
Today's checkpoint was designed four decades ago to stop hijackers carrying metal weapons," said Bisignani. "Since then, we have grafted on more complex procedures to meet emerging threats. We are more secure, but it is time to rethink everything. We need a process that responds to today's threat.The PDF linked at the bottom of the first article shows that the International Air Transport Association (the industry) gets it.
A government resolution making Unique Identification (UID) card a must for all its employees before the end of the month has left the staff scrambling for forms to complete the enrollment. The Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have issued circulars to its employees stating their salaries would not be deposited unless they enrolled for the UID card.That'll motivate them.
Authentication is the first step in access control and there are three common factors used for authentication: something you know, something you have, and something you are. This article provides you with good understanding of the three factors of authentication and how they can be used together with multifactor authentication.
Hishammuddin said he would continue to monitor the situation and share information with countries which had used similar system, adding that the biometric scanning was still at an early stage and needed time to integrate with other existing system.Some people had to wait for 90 minutes in order to get through customs.
Knesset Science and Technology Committee chairman MK Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) and MK Avraham Michaeli (Shas) both voted in favor of the database at the end of a long discussion in which rights groups opposed the policy on privacy grounds.
You think you have contentious debates here in Congress? Come visit the Knesset for one day, be my guest.
The MCD has told the Delhi high court that there were no ghost employees on its payroll and accused the media of raising a non-existent scam.
That amount is not enough to introduce biometrics in every Canadian overseas mission, so immigration officials are now trying to decide which countries should be first.This really seems to be more about the rivalry between China and India than biometrics.
Security hotspots like Pakistan and Yemen are at the top of the list, but there was room for one large-volume nation as well, according to sources, and India is the recommended choice over China.
The decision could damage relations between Canada and India, which have only recently begun to improve.
[Reuters] L-1 Identity Solutions Inc said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) was investigating the face-recognition software maker's sale to French defense company Safran.L-1 is much more than a "face-recognition software" maker.
"Privacy's focus is increasingly on transparency now," Herath says. "This is fundamentally creating new challenges for professionals in their approach toward privacy and data protection."
For instance, the new generation of workers blurs the lines of personal and professional communication in their use of social media, and the type of information that is collected by these sites is often not in the control of an organization. Moreover, it can be used to cause reputational or fraudulent damages.
A government organisation that funds biometrics projects, such as tracking large groups of people congregating in one area, is planning to reach out to the community to lessen fears about biometric technology.
Speaking at the A/NZ Biometrics Institute conference in Sydney, Dr Helen Cartledge, told delegates that the National Security Science and Technology (NSST) wants community input in order to improve the perception of biometrics in Australia and also make policy changes.
Sources said that the department was left with no other option as it has failed to achieve the expected attendance outcome, even after conducting frequent raids in various government schools during the past six months.
Currently, funds under these schemes are disbursed through post offices or co-operative banks. The beneficiaries were facing difficulties in accessing their branches, which are mostly situated in talukas.
Jaiswal issued suspension orders of these health employees following a series of complaints received from NMC health committee chairperson Alka Dalal. She has many times pointed out that although the biometric machines installed at various zones have brought down proxy attendance since the workers have to be physically present, they continue to remain missing in their wards during work hours and are only seen at the ward offices at the designated time to mark their in-out time.
Canada's front-line border officers back the idea of a perimeter security arrangement with the United States, with a few caveats.Facial recognition often gets knocked around a bit because casual observers think it is supposed to function well as an unattended system. Maybe one day it will, but not yet.
The Customs and Immigration Union wants more intensive screening of travelers, including a biometric face-recognition tool to pinpoint security threats and wanted criminals.
The National Foreigners Enforcement and Registration System was introduced yesterday without any major hiccups.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusof said foreigners entering the country would now have their thumbprints taken electronically.
"The process went on smoothly and the department has not received any complaints so far.
"However, the system is new and there are bound to be minor glitches," he told The Star.
A bill that seeks to institutionalize the use of biometrics in voter registration is close to being becoming a law after the House of Representatives recently approved it on third reading.
The national science and security division within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPC) is looking to establish a new working group with industry to tackle biometric security initiatives.
While calling on the EC to expedite action on the process, we urge all political parties, civil society groups, the media, the generality of the people and the international community to lend this process all the encouragement and support so that biometric voting can take place in the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Without doubt the application of the biometric register for the 2012 elections would not only further enhance the credibility and integrity of the polls but also further anchor the country's already enviable democratic system and stature.
"Crossing the borders, accessing medicine cabinets in hospitals, even logging in onto our laptops is simply easier more convenient and more secure with biometrics", he said.
Many governments are adopting smart, chip-based solutions for several reasons:1.5 Billion is an astounding number.
- To help combat fraudulent and criminal activities
- To improve return on investment and bundle several applications in one document to create efficiencies for government departments
- To make the documents more user-friendly, flexible, and secure for citizens.
The program's cost has ballooned from $68 million to more than $700 million.Earlier posts:
[In 2006] The New York City government's budget is the largest municipal budget in the United States. The city government spends about $50 billion a year, employs 250,000 people, spends about $15 billion to educate more than 1.1 million children, levies $27 billion in taxes, and receives $14 billion from federal and state governments.
Stewart Hefferman the CEO of OmniPerception said that history has many examples where technologies have had the potential to be misused, frequently through a lack of understanding, until it has been properly legislated or a strong framework of standards has been implemented.
Last week, a TOI team visited the RTO office and found that out of the 41 employees, hardly 10 had reported on time. Many seniors also reached after 12 noon.State to consider mode of payment for beneficiaries (The Hindu)
The proposal to change the mode is under examination of the government in view of the Central Bureau of Investigation unearthing, in September last, a major scam in the disbursement of old age pension, according to an official of the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme Department.Not only does the UID project give government an increased ability to identify citizens, of far more importance to ordinary Indians, it gives citizens an increased ability to hold their government accountable. Implementation of biometric time and attendance systems within government bureaucracies can reduce or eliminate ghost workers and stem corruption.
SEEK (Secure Electronic Enrolment Kit), this is a portable electronic toolkit that collects biometric from people.
"Transnational criminals and terrorist organizations threaten all countries, and training seminars such as this one are an excellent method for the U.S. and India to partner together to enhance our shared capabilities.
The judges made their ruling in a case involving two men who were appealing against decisions not to delete DNA information stored about them.They didn't exactly strike it (the practice) down, either.
One of the men, GC, had a DNA sample, fingerprints and photographs taken after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, the summary of the ruling said. The charges were subsequently dropped. The other man, C, was acquitted of rape in 2009 and had requested that his finger prints and DNA be deleted from police records, the summary said.
"Their requests were refused as there were no exceptional circumstances within the meaning of the ACPO guidelines," the summary of the Supreme Court ruling said.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) plans to implement a biometric system - called the Flexi Immigration Clearance System (Flex-i) - that recognises a person's face at immigration checkpoints and allows the person to enter the country in record time.
The project is the first of its kind in Singapore and will allow ICA to toggle between automated and manned counters for immigration clearance.
"It was found that a number of teachers either report late to school or mark their attendance and leave for the day. Through this biometric system attendance such things can be checked," said Mahender Nagpal, chairman of the Education Committee of the MCD.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to more than estimated population of 13.78 million citizens in the capital city. It is next only to Tokyo in terms of area. Within its jurisdiction are some of the most densely populated areas in the world. It has also the unique distinction of providing civic services to rural and urban villages, Resettlement Colonies, regularised unauthorised colonies, JJ Squatter Settlements, slum 'basties, private 'katras' etc.
Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has fixed a five-year validity period for Emirati national ID cards because of the five-year life span of the electronic chip in the card, the authority explained yesterday in a statement.There are all sorts of good reasons to have ID cards expire but, barring severe bodily trauma such as permanent scarring or actually losing digits, changes to fingerprints aren't one of them.
The lifespan of the electronic chip in the national ID card is five years, Eida said.
And there may be biological changes in an individual with ageing which affects biometrics like fingerprinting. “Such changes have to be recorded in the system,” Eida said.
Despite nine years of fine-tuning and more than $400 million in funding, a government-issued picture ID card used at U.S. ports provides less security than the average state-issued driver's license, a federal auditor told lawmakers Tuesday.One of the biggest problems with the TWIC system is interoperability. If you own one location where your customers receive a service, it's all fine and good to have a proprietary, un-networked identity management system. If you're trying to control access at facilities scattered across the globe and managed by many different agencies, you have an ID management challenge of a completely different order.
BAGHDAD, Iraq—Army Lt. Col. Kimberly Johanek is one of the most powerful Americans left here. Not even the U.S. ambassador or the four-star commander in charge of U.S. forces has the authority to do what she does....
Johanek is trying to encourage the Iraqis to use biometrics, which match fingerprints or iris scans against a database. It is a highly reliable but expensive identifier that embeds a chip in a badge that can be matched against information stored in a database. The U.S. military uses such biometrics on its badges. But the Iraqis only have five biometric-badge readers, and neither government is willing to turn over their databases to read each other's badges.This lengthy but informative article underscores one of our common themes: ID management is about people.
What is Aadhaar?
A tool for social empowerment and inclusion, Aadhaar is a 12-digit number being issued to all residents by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). This number is stored in a central database and linked to some basic demographics and biometric information -- photo, 10 fingerprints and iris -- of each individual.
The biometrics attendance system is being used by this NGO in its bid to eradicate tuberculosis in the city which has about 217 per one lakh* people afflicted by the disease.The creativity of the scientific community in applying biometric ID management techniques to some of the world's most vexing problems is truly amazing.
As part of this ‘Operation Asha’ fingerprinting data is collected from patients and even potential patients with the help of councilors and by collecting fingerprint data from the patients during each visit, counselors at the centers are able to deliver personalized care to ensure that anyone infected is staying on their entire course of medication until they are completely free from tuberculosis.
Since they will no doubt want more specific suggestions, here are two policies that I think every poor country should implement. A small universal cash grant to everyone over 12, based on biometric identification. This guarantees that no one has to face the humiliation of being totally indigent, and from our evidence, makes people more productive as well. Making it universal is important, so that they do not attempt to identify the poor (which is very difficult to do effectively in poor countries).Rigorous identity management techniques are crucial to the success of programs designed to help lift the world's most vulnerable people.
The 2011 report investigated approximately 760 data breaches and finds that hacking (50%) and malware (49%) were the most prominent types of attack, with many of them involving stolen credentials and passwords.The username/password bloom is off the ID management rose.
As in previous years, the vulnerabilities created by conventional access credentials feature among the report's key findings.
Yes, the idea that your identity will be, captured on camera and put in a data base may set off the ultra liberal and conservative elements within our society. But the real issue here is not for those who worry about the government monitoring your activities; where you are going or what you are buying. This is about protection--the real issue is what it would cost both you, in your personal life, and the government, in its attempt to be as secure and fraud-free as possible, not to employ this technology?I agree with the author's premises. Username/Password as an ID management technique is pretty far past its sell-by date when it comes to managing access to anything the user considers important. The status quo is unsustainable.
During the years long process of tracking down public enemy number one, a break came in September 2010. That's when Osama bin Ladin was captured exercising in the yard of his Abbottabad compound by a satellite armed with facial recognition software.Add this to the list of reasons not to do bench presses... at least not outside.. if you're a known terrorist.. and the number one target of the world's most lethal organizations.
As independent MP Andrew Wilkie confidently declared he had the numbers to push gambling reforms through parliament, Clubs Australia said the blueprint for change handed down by a parliamentary committee today was a “dog's breakfast”.We've followed this closely.
Clubs Australia executive director Anthony Ball said the pre-commitment scheme, allowing players to set a limit on how much they are willing to lose, would cost clubs billions and force taxpayers to pay massive compensation to venues.
“This is a mandatory pre-commitment scheme which is a licence to punt,” he said.
“There is not a scintilla of evidence that this will help problem gamblers. This is just a system designed to inconvenience recreational gamblers.”
SA's newest credit information bureau, Inoxico, last week unveiled a biometric fingerprint scanning facility as the sector needs to comply with the police's digital system.The bolded section is often overlooked in the Identity management conversation.
The move is expected to speed up industry queries into whether prospective employees have criminal records. CIO Marius van Niewenhuizen adds the biometric facility will also help clear job applicants who are incorrectly thought to have records, because of inaccuracies when data is captured.(emphasis mine)
The procedure is a new security feature to curb transboundary crime and terrorism.
Called the biometric fingerprint security system, it is aimed at enhancing security in the immigration clearance process, which currently involves only the stamping of passports and matching photographs in the passports to faces.
Immigration officials said that with rampant forgery of travel documents nowadays, the biometric system would allay this worry.It is commonly assumed that governments implement biometric ID management techniques in some Orwellian effort to control people. But governments have obligations to their citizens and to neighboring countries. They have a duty to their citizens to prevent their victimization by those who would do them harm and they have a duty to neighboring countries not to provide a safe haven for those who would victimize citizens of neighboring countries.
Immigration Department director general Mr Alias Ahmad said such a security measure was deemed necessary in view of the increasing number of foreigners who had abused their privileges as visitors.
After years of delays Israel is finally getting ready to embark on a new age of biometric identification. In the coming months, Israeli citizens will be asked to replace their old passports and identity cards with new sophisticated means of identification.Perhaps because Israel's other security methods are so effective, Israel is actually somewhat late to the biometric passport party.
But don’t forget this. Iris-recognition technology already has evolved to the point where authorities can very quickly scan members of a crowd from a distance of 10 feet, a figure expected to increase dramatically. That means that they can scan your eyes without your consent. Forget about Apple tracking your iPhone or the government infringing your Fourth Amendment rights with GPS technology. Iris tracking allows authorities to track you with extraordinary precision. Tom Cruise taught us that. And if you’re willing to be tracked without consent and place your faith in your iris’ uniqueness to vouch for your identity, remember that technology is always fallible. It will fail, and citizens will be misidentified, in some cases with grave consequences when not also confirmed by DNA matching.I'd have to say that it's more likely a parody of an anti-biometrics article than a real anti-biometrics article because the arguments are transparent howlers.
U.S. forces flew to bin Laden’s hideout in helicopters about 1 a.m. Monday (late Sunday afternoon in Washington). Bin Laden was shot in the head after he and his guards resisted the U.S. attackers, the Associated Press reported. U.S. personnel identified him by facial recognition.
U.S. forces took photographs of the body, and officials used facial-recognition technology to compare them with known pictures of bin Laden.
Think for a moment about your bank account password. There's a good chance it's a string of letters and numbers you know by heart, could type in your sleep, and have been using for years. You probably use it for at least one other website, too—a security study last year found that 73 percent of people use their bank password elsewhere.
The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has said that biometric system of identification in hotels will go a long way in stemming the increasing rate of criminal activities in the industry.
The vision is to create an ecosystem whereby individuals, businesses, and other organizations enjoy greater trust and security as they conduct sensitive transaction online. The ecosystem would enable consumers who want to participate to obtain a single ‘trusted credential’ from a public agency or private secure ID provider that can then be used to obtain access and conduct transactions with online businesses without having to give confidential personal information to each business as is the case right now.
65% said that, if reliably deployed, biometrics or voice print technology would probably or definitely play an increasing role in IT security.More survey results at the link.
The Gillard Government is moving to introduce the system of mandatory pre-commitment in clubs and pubs next year as part of its deal with Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie to retain his support to remain in government.Oh, that's right; I remember now.
Alabama is the last state in the South to begin using a federal program for locating and possibly deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records.Jefferson, the most populous county in Alabama, is not included.
Fingerprint biometric systems can help to support the safety and security of many people, ranging from the elderly and infirm to someone with an armful of shopping. For the elderly and vulnerable, it can help by allowing them to signal that they are up, are active during the day and have gone to bed safely. The technology is available to accurately scan and record fingerprints with reader technology that is robust and reliable. The other attraction is its simplicity in use, just requiring the reader to place the finger on a pad to take a positive scan. The pad won't be lost like a key or swipe card.
Supporters of biometrics insist that concerns over privacy and data security are misplaced. Once a fingertip image has been taken electronically, it is then converted into a meaningless series of letters and numbers and the original image deleted. And while fingerprinting may have criminal associations, there is now a move towards face-recognition systems, which are unthreatening and user-friendly.These technologies are being adopted because they are cheap, convenient and consumers and stakeholders are demanding them.
“We don’t ask parents’ permission, because all that’s required is a simple photograph,” says Kelli Foster, head of sixth-form at Sir Christopher Hatton School in Northamptonshire, where face-recognition technology allows sixth-formers to clock in and out. “But if the law changes, I’m sure our students will persuade their parents to sign up because they like the system. They won’t want to lose it.”
THE PROPOSED CHANGES
- Schools will not be allowed to process biometric information without written parental consent unless a student is aged 18 or over.
- Consent will be required from “each parent of the child”.
- The child’s consent will still be required.
- Alternative systems must be put in place so that, if permission is refused, children are not disadvantaged.
Another major purpose behind the UID is to address the problem of mobility in the country. With urbanization, the rate of migration too is on a high in India. And it is further expected to take a leap. By having the aadhar number, these migrants, be it the rural or urban migrants, will have a portable identity.The world's poor deserve a legitimate individual identity. Biometrics can help.
Nilekani further emphasized that UID will make public spending more transparent , equitable and effective . By making no duplication or diversion possible, the UID project will aim at ensuring public service delivery more convenient. "The whole concept is based on the inclusion point of view and not exclusion.
Biometrics aren’t just useful for protecting confidential data. Construction firm Killby & Gayford is using custom fingerprint readers (built for personnel management software supplier Simeio by Psion) that also record a signature. That means the firm can accurately log hours worked by sub-contractors on building sites and automatically generate invoices, as well as proving that workers have read the safety rules for each site and simplify checking the roll call if there’s an emergency. Using the information to generate accurate invoices has avoided concerns about spying on staff by showing the system is useful to everyone. But, equally, productivity has improved too.A good survey of biometric modalities and applications.
Widespread fingerprinting is controversial in Western nations, but in countries where births aren't recorded, people lack official identification, and many can't even sign their names, fingerprints might be a person's best shot at securing a bank account.ID management is about people. Biometrics can help the worlds poor more fully participate in the markets that have lifted billions worldwide out of poverty.
The regulations issued by the Attorney General would require "covered entities" to disclose to consumers in an "easily accessible" manner information on their collection, storage, use and disclosure practices, including to whom the information is disclosed. S.B. 761 also allows, but does not require, the Attorney General to issue regulations requiring covered entities to provide consumers with access to their data and privacy policies, in a format that is "clear and easy to understand."
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) warned the move will cost the education system between £20m and £45m a year.Fingerprint systems that store only an algorithm-generated template rather than an image of a fingerprint pose little-or-no threat to a person's biometric privacy.
It is thought that around 30% of secondary schools use finger or face recognition for a number of reasons, such as allowing pupils to check out library books, pay for lunch in the school canteen or access certain school buildings.
Evidence suggests that in these schools that have so-called biometric systems, 99.8% of parents have no objection to it, the ASCL said.
Lockheed Martin has been named the North American Biometrics Operations and Integrations “Company of the Year” by Frost & Sullivan, recognizing the Corporation’s success in delivering innovative biometrics solutions that offer high levels of customer value.
“The full spectrum of identity management goes beyond mere issuance of secure documents; it encompasses the safe maintenance and archiving of biometric and demographic records of citizens and persons who have been permitted to reside in SA,” said Dlamini-Zuma.
"What's a Bill of Rights if it doesn't provide rights against the government?" asks Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the free-market Cato Institute.
Kerry and McCain are saying, "Do as I say, not as I do.'" If they want to lead on the privacy issue, they'll lead by getting the federal government's house in order.
On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using the Secure Communities program in Alleghany, Garrett and Washington counties to help federal immigration officials identify criminal aliens in state prisons and local jails by running their fingerprints against federal immigration databases when they are booked into the system.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began using the Secure Communities program in seven Michigan counties including Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Ottawa...
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has started using the Secure Communities program in Orangeburg and other counties to help identify criminal aliens in local jails by running their fingerprints against federal immigration databases.
