Biometrics

U.K. biometrics industry signs up to new guidelines
The new guidelines will define the level of competence needed for a particular job role or occupation, and will be used to support individual and organizational development and quality assurance
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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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New tattoo identification biometrics for law enforcement
Law enforcement still relies mainly on soft biometrics — such as height, weight, ethnicity, and identifying marks — to identify suspects; researchers offer law enforcement a better way of identifying tattoos
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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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E-Verify implementation delayed yet again
DHS created E-Verify to allow employers to check on line the eligibility of employees to work in the United States; implementation of the system has been delayed for the fourth time; new deadline: 8 September 2009
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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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More companies use DHS immigration database
DHS says that more than 118,000 public, private, and government employers enrolled in its E-Verify database as of 1 May; enrollment is growing, but E-Verify still is used by less than 2 percent of the nation’s more than 7.4 million employers
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Identity fundamentals. pt. 1: Who cares who you are anyway?
Identity can be defined as a combination of the uniqueness of an individual (or device) and the attributes which are associated with that uniqueness; in the absence of a standard unique personal identification number, personal names are often used to build a single view across different unconnected applications
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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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