Biometrics

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?”
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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
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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
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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
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Sector Report for Tuesday, 14 September 2010: Authentication / Biometrics
This report contains the following stories.
* AuthenTec and UPEK merge to form formidable biometrics provider

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

* U.K. Borders Agency in immigration biometrics deal with IBM

* Mobile biometric and document device for borders

* Until biometric standards are developed, passwords should be retained
Plus 2 additional stories
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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
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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
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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
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U.K. Borders Agency in immigration biometrics deal with IBM
The deal is valued at £191 million, and the government says it will save tax payers £50 million. or nearly 20 percent, from the contract price with IBM by cutting aspects of the planned system that were no longer needed
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Sector Report for Tuesday, 31 August 2010: Authentication / Biometrics
This report contains the following stories.
* Iris scan biometrics ideal for Minority Report-like project

* Automatic heart-beat recognition authentication for iPhone users?

* Worries about Afghan biometric database

* U.S. military personnel increasingly using biometric technology

* Biometrics replaces traditional means of identification
Plus 2 additional stories
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