Biometric technologies

DHS 2010 spending bill supports biometrics
The legislation includes $352 million for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, known as US-VISIT, the department’s largest biometric program; this is $52 million more than the fiscal 2009 amount
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Lockheed Martin in management contract continuation of FBI database
Lockheed martin wins $47 million, five-year contract to continue to manage the FBI’s criminal justice database; the contract calls for converting paper fingerprint, palm print, and photo records into high-quality electronic records for the FBI
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Real ID 2.0 introduced in Congress
Many states saw the provisions of the The Real ID Act of 2005 as onerous — and the price tag of $12 billion as prohibitive; legislators revamp the original act to accommodate the preferences of states
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Biometric use in Australia grows
National Australia Bank is now using voice biometrics to authenticate its customers; the bank joins a lengthening list of Aussie businesses relying on biometric technology for quicker and more accurate identification of customers
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TSA clarifies fingerprinting requirements
TSA makes clear that only non-U.S. citizens will have to give fingerprints upon leaving the United States — and for now, only for a pilot project at Atlanta and Detroit airports
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Canada to start fingerprint residency applicants
The Canadian federal government plans to start fingerprinting applicants for temporary residency permits
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Congress requires competition for for aviation security services
Despite heavy lobbying by airport managers, Congress insists that TSA must hold open and full competition for security background screening services for aviation workers
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Biometric technologies improve, offering greater reliability
Biometrics is not perfect — but it is improving; biometrics is developing along two lines — physical, which is often more intrusive for the user, and behavioral, which is usually less intrusive; Fujitsu’s Jerry Byrnes: “What was James Bond 15 years ago is biometric reality today”
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Smarter Security Systems shows vascular reader
Austin, Texas-based company shows its new vascular patterns reader; low false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.0001 percent, quickness (0.4/seconds per person), the ability to performs with skin conditions such as scars or dirt and any lighting conditions makes it ideal for industrial applications
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San Diego uses biometrics to identify and remove criminal aliens
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department deputies are the first law enforcement unit in California to use DHS Secure Community program to receive biometric-based immigration information
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Aussie Defense Department trials sneaky cameras
One of the biggest shortcomings of facial recognition devices is the angle of image capture; DSTO is toying with “attractors” — lights and sounds emitting devices that draw the attention of passers-by so they inadvertently look directly into a camera
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Biometric: Promise and peril
The trend toward digital identification and biometrics appears inexorable; this trend is a boon to companies in biometrics — but it also raises serious privacy concerns
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Travelers exiting U.S. will have fingerprints scanned
DHS relaunches a project to scan the fingerprints of international travelers leaving the united States; CBP will take fingerprints exiting the United States from Detroit, while TSA will do the same in Atlanta
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Centerlink replaces PINs with voice recognition
Australia’s welfare agency Centerlink has switched from PINs to voice recognition system to identify and manage clients; clients who routinely access self-service functions, such as lodging payment forms and updating the welfare agency with simple information about income, are most suitable for the system
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Secure Flight launches today
Secure Flight is the third version — you may recall CAPPS and CAPPS II — of the U.S. federal government’s decade-old effort to screen commercial airline passengers for risk against terrorist watch lists; it launches today
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