onClick Biometrics in touch

Australia and New Zealand want to avoid 'creepy' concerns

Once again, privacy concerns float to the service. This time in Australia, following their efforts to begin biometric identification. The desire to control, standardize, and manage the use of the biometrics is very pronounced in order to avoid 'scope creep', or the chance that the information on a citizen can be used in other ways not originally intended when first capturing the information.

biometrics: privacy concerns over scope creep.

The DoD needs guidance.

The Navy is calling out to all industry professionals for help in deciding the best integration of biometrics into the Department of Defense identity managment program.
The goals of this program were outlined by the CIO:

• Standards-based solutions that meet real world challenges
  
• Personal and role-based credentials
  
• Support of high volumes of transactions
  
• Seamless interoperability with coalition partners, allies and other federal agencies
  
• Integrated identity management procedures for both cyber and physically secure communities
  
• Privacy protection
  
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, issued in August, which calls for a policy for a common identification standard for federal employees and contractors

Navy to industry: Help us with biometrics.

A new day, a new visa.

Sorry for the lull. We're back in the game now, starting with this one:

The Philippine's US Embassy has begun fingerprinting visa applicants as part of the next stage of US-VISIT. These are for new visas, but once an existing visa needs to be renewed then their time will come as well.

The article even comes with a dandy little cartoon. Know of any more cartoons jeering and/or cheering biometrics? Send them our way!

US Embassy using biometrics system for visa applications.

DoD 101

I think this site has been linked to before from here, but it's been a while, and a lot more has been added since.
The DoD's biometric division makes an effort to acknowledge the average citizen's need for knowledge about what will be affecting their personal information. Put in words you can understand, their tutorial section includes several things that give the lowdown on the technology.
They also include upcoming events, and current status of the DoD's efforts.
Department of Defense Biometrics website.

Power up!

Think of this as our very own Justice League. The European Biometrics Forum (EBF) and International Association of Biometrics (iAfB) have joined forces to combat security woes. Together, they will tackle standards and protect citizens by getting biometric passports and visas in working order. (What would be the acronym for that? FkdjaEkefi?)

Biometrics bodies link up

Looking ahead.

What will the next months bring for US-VISIT? More visitors will be required to follow the new processes during entry into the US, including those from the 27 visa-waiver countries.
Everything is kicking on all cylinders now...

September, October bring changes in US border procedures.

Biometrics on Terrorism

The technology as it relates to anti-terrorism.

- In Japan, and
- In America (by Borneo).
(For your own Osama voo-doo doll, click the pic.)

Bank on it: it's coming.

There are several industries that are in the race to get moving on biometric implementation. The casinos mentioned the other day are just one, and they're a much newer contender.
Some of the elders with more of a lead in introducing new technology to their world would be industries like finance, including insurance.

Penny Gillespie, senior analyst at Forrester Research, explains that the use of an identifying and unique feature such as a thumbprint might be a replacement for a credit card when a consumer makes a retail online purchase.
For online purchasers, computers could have a fingerprint reader attached as a peripheral, she said.
Will customers go along? That's the big question. John Herrera, an operations manager at Signature Reprographics in Sacramento, already has abandoned most check-writing in favor of electronic transactions.
"That's kind of weird," Herrera said, when asked about using his thumbprint. But, after a moment of reflection, he added that the idea might work.

Banking's new frontier - paper checks are giving way to digital imaging, rapid processing and other innovations.

Establishing a standard.

Here's a good one.

The idea of biometric security in airports is nothing new. They've been mulling over this for a while. But establishing a standard to ease the airport officials into it and make an easier transition - that's news.
Bill requiring biometric ID standards to secure nation's airports introduced in the house.

Poised for attack

Ouch.

If I can fault the industry on anything it would be that we don't have prominent spokespersons to stand up and bat these fears out of the park. It's always the same thing over and over again. You'd think by now there'd be a prepared, well-documented answer to rule out doubts, or at least minimize them if they are unavoidable. For now we are leaving it to the principals of the respective government departments to defend their reasons as to why they decided to give biometric technology such prominance. This is all fine and good considering it was their decision, therefore their responsibility, but they aren't the biometric experts. This is only one aspect of their job.
And this isn't just in the US either. The UK is in the same boat.
ID card plans slammed by MPs