• Behavioral biometrics to detect terrorists entering U.S.

    DHS prototype designed to detect “fidget factor” of possible terrorists; the behavioral biometrics monitoring system gauges small changes in a person’s body, dubbed the “fidget factor,” especially in answer to a question such as “Do you intend to cause harm to America?”

  • Aussies launch security research network

    The Australian government has launched National Security Research Directory — a directory of hundreds of experts operating in a burgeoning list of fields across IT security, biometrics and counter-terrorism

  • Fast DNA analysis for law enforcement unveiled

    The cost and complexity of current forensic DNA analysis methods have contributed to significant processing backlogs throughout the criminal justice system; Lockheed Martin and ZyGEM Corp. unveil a new platform that uses recent developments in microfluidic research and development to accelerate the DNA identification process

  • NYPD buys new portable fingerprint scanners

    The NYPD is armed with a portable fingerprint reader that allows cops immediately to confirm identities at crime scenes with the roll of a thumb; they can also be used to identify the dead at homicide and accident scenes; the NYPD has become increasingly dependent on technology, a move that has helped it offset a decrease in the size of the force; there are about 6,000 fewer officers than there were in 2001

  • DHS testing iris scan technology at border crossings

    DHS is beginning a 2-week trial of iris scanning technology at a Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, where they will be used on illegal immigrants; a new generation of cameras that capture images from six feet away instead of a few inches; DHS will test cameras that take photos from 3 or 4 feet away, including one that works on people as they walk by; the ACLU is raising objections, saying the cameras could be used covertly

  • AuthenTec and UPEK merge to form formidable biometrics provider

    Florida-based AuthenTec merges with fingerprint biometric company UPEK; AuthenTec will be expanding its intellectual property to nearly 200 issued and filed U.S. patents, “the largest patent portfolio in the industry today,” the company says; UPEK had $18 million in revenues last year and has made $11.7 million in the first half of 2010

  • Biometric companies see government as the driver of future market growth

    Observers say that most of the growth in the biometric market will be driven by government spending; many still agree that the marketplace for biometrics is likely to continue to grow, but one of the bigger points of contention is that some are arguing that the growth will not be in United States but more likely in Central and South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia

  • Mobile biometric and document device for borders

    NEC shows a tablet computing device for biometric identity enrollment and verification using multiple biometrics — and which can also read travel documents; the company says the device will be sold to border control agencies

  • Until biometric standards are developed, passwords should be retained

    Biometric technologies offer many advantages, but until universal standards are set, the use of passwords should not be abandoned; the permanence of biometric characteristics creates a situation in which if someone were to intercept or hack one’s biometric data, a person’s entire livelihood would be at stake, as opposed to a simple password change

  • NY DMV says facial recognition technology is working

    The use by the State of New York DMV of facial recognition technology has been instrumental in identifying more than 1,000 cases of possible fraud, according to state officials; more than 100 felony arrests have been made so far, including an Egyptian citizen holding four New York licenses under separate names, one of which was on the federal “no-fly” list, and a former hit man who sought to establish a second identity after release from prison

  • U.K. government looking for identity verification solutions

    The U.K. government is soliciting ideas on potential requirements for the public sector on all aspects of identity verification and authentication; this is particularly relevant to online and telephone channels, and the notice says the services include the provision of related software and computer services

  • Identifying faces in a crowd in real-time

    U.K. company develops a face recognition technology that can recognize individual faces in a crowd — and do so in seconds, even when they are moving, at a wide angle, or in poor light; the system captures and analyzes images and compares them to a database, and alerts security personnel if a match is made

  • 3M acquires biometric specialist Cogent for $943 million

    Cogent Systems participates in the $4 billion global biometric market, which is projected to grow at a rate greater than 20 percent per year; identification and authentication solutions from 3M include border management products; document manufacturing and issuance systems for IDs, passports, and visas; document readers and verification products; and security materials, such as laminates, to protect against counterfeiting and tampering; Cogent Systems provides finger, palm, face, and iris biometric systems for governments, law enforcement agencies, and commercial enterprises

  • Iris scan biometrics ideal for Minority Report-like project

    Leon, Mexico has began implementing an iris scan biometric system from New York-based Global Rainmakers; the system, rolled out across the city, will see the eyes of anyone taking money out of an ATM, paying for items in a store, or simply catching a bus scanned by hi-tech sensors; Global Rainmaker’s CEO says the company has chosen iris scan for its project because “With iris, you have over 2,000 points— With those 2,000 points, you can create a unique 16,000 bit stream of numbers that represents every human on the planet. That provides a reference point that can connect everything you do in all aspects of life, for the first time ever”

  • Automatic heart-beat recognition authentication for iPhone users?

    To make iPhones and iPads more secure, Apple is considering implementing automatic biometric authentication technologies on the devices; the authentication procedure will lock the device and wipe all data on it in the event an unauthorized user tries to operate it; the technology may also report back to Apple in the event customers have jailbroken or unlocked the device, allowing the company to deny services to these customers