Biometrics Security News and Information

Biometrics As A Predictor For Economic Growth

An Economic Rebound???

Well, as we approach the 2^nd quarter of this year, all eyes are on the economy.  True, we still hear about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the recent bombings and airstrikes over Libya, but that is all faded away by news of our current economic situation.  Granted, the former are very important issues, but when it comes down to things like our own job security and health insurance, all other global problems quickly fade away. 

It all comes down to dollars and cents.  Probably the biggest economic reports we pay attention to are the job numbers, such as the so called ADP reports and the government reports which come out each month.  But, we are often dismayed by these reports, because as often as they paint a rosy picture, a couple of months later, when the “real” numbers come out, the reports are often a much gloomier forecast (a primary reason for this is that the employment and job growth numbers are lagging indicators of our economy, and while there will be some variance in later revisions, the Federal Government can never seem to get it right-there are huge variances, and really, there is no statistical excuse for it). 

But, while these numbers are important to look at, it is also equally important, if not more, to look at how the various industries are doing in our aggregate economy.  And of course, even in this regard, the Biometrics Industry plays a critical role.  After all, Security is a very important growth of our economic growth, right???  Well, today, I came across two news articles which paints a pretty decent picture for Biometrics. 

Both of these predictions are actual market research reports, and here are the details of the first one:  “Frost & Sullivan estimates TheWorld Biometrics Market to reach $5.3 billion by 2016; a huge increase over the market earned revenues of $1.2 billion in 2009 . . . Price decline and integrated multiple biometric technologies that offer a layered approach to complex security, immigration and privacy concerns poise the industry for rewarding global market opportunities . . . Successful large-scale government acceptance of biometrics and has helped the technology become recognized as one of the most feasible methods to answer identification requirements.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8738/). 

The second market research report deals with the e-Passport, and here are the details of this as well:  “Asia Pacific ePassport production will more than triple from 2009 to 2014 growing from 16.6 million to 55 million biometrically enabled ePassports issued annually. New forecasts from Acuity Market Intelligence project that the Asia Pacific ePassport market will represent an increasing percent of the global market for ePassports as unit market share grows from 27% in 2009 to 42% by 2014. Growth in regional unit issuance outpaces growth in global unit issuance by a factor of 3 to 2. Altogether, there will be twenty-six Asia Pacific nations producing ePassports by 2014 accounting for 84% of the region's total passport issuance.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/8735/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

There is no need to go over the specific statistics in the above quotes, as they are very well self explanatory.  But whatever it is, it is good news.  Keep in mind that these are not Federal Government reports of any kind, these market research reports and projections were formulated by high caliber organizations in the private sector (who knows, maybe the Feds should just outsource their monthly numbers here as well???). 

So, I do have very strong faith in these numbers which have been quoted.  Also, it is important to note that these statistics are for the global market in Biometrics in general, not just specifically for the United States.  But whatever it is, the United States is still probably the biggest contributor to the Biometrics Industry in terms of technology as well as research and development.  So, in the end, demand is still demand, and that means a greater need for Security products and services, which will translate into further revenue, thus providing some ammunition for future economic growth (here, it is where the GDP numbers become important). 

Whether it is just demand for a certain, absolute Biometrics product or service, or as a subset of it (such as the e-Passport, where Smart Card Technology also plays an equal role), it is money in the hands of the American economy.  And here is what I find most ironic:  It is not the policies of the United States Federal Government which will be saving grace for the American economy, it will be the rest of the world. 

And here is a double irony:  In a land where Biometrics is considered a threat to society, this is the one area which still outshines the rest of the economy.  Hmm, something to think about.

Using Biometrics For Marketing

A Massive Project

Remember, just last week I had written a Posting as to how Biometrics is being used in trying to determine the marketing strategies for various businesses and organizations???  Essentially, the key differential is that the reaction of potential customers can be captured in real time, versus using the traditional marketing methods.  Well, today, I came across a news wire in which there is going to be a much more collaborative effort in this regard.  This rather massive project is being spearheaded by the Advertising Research Foundation, or ARF for short. 

Here are the details into this:  “The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has released the first phase of its NeuroStandards Collaboration Project. The Project is an independent review of current neuromarketing methods, the core science of existing methods and the reliability of the conclusions. ARF will continue the study by setting up an “Expert Review Network" ; a group of independent specialists to assist users of the study. The second phase of the ARF NeuroStandards Collaboration Project, called NeuroStandards 2.0, will be detailed in a white paper planned for publication in summer 2011 and will inform strategy for the next iteration of the project, which includes a NeuroStandards Forum and special seminars for ARF members . . . Participating neuromarketing-suppliers included Innerscope, Mindlab International, MSW/LAB, NeuroCompass, Neuro Insight, Neurosense/decode, Sands Research and Sensory Logic. Media sponsors included ESPN, MTV Networks, NBC and Turner Broadcasting. This is the first major validation study designed to assess neuroscience as it applies to media and advertising response. Methods used in this study included facial coding, biometrics, electroencephalography (EEG), quantitative EEG, facial electromyography (fEMG), steady-state topography (SST) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/8724/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

There are number of key thoughts which come across my mind, and these can described as follows:

*Earlier Postings I have written (and there have been only a couple) on this subject matter have only been about isolated examples and applications.  This is the first time I have seen such a collaborative effort of using Biometrics for marketing efforts, collectively this is known as the “NeuroStandards Marketing Collaboration Effort”

*As you can see from the above quote, it is not just the smaller sized marketing advertising agencies which are taking part in this, there are some big name ones as well, such as NBC, MTV, and Turner Broadcasting.  To me, this means that this project is being taken very seriously, and as a result, could very well get some very serious funding;

*There are some higher levels of Biometrics being used here (according to how one actually defines Biometrics, the traditional ones are not being used here), such as resonance imaging; facial electromyography; electroencephalography; and facial coding to name just a few;

*This project is being broken down into two distinct phases:  1)  Current methods of using Biometrics in advertising and market research will be reviewed and examined; and 2) Later this year, a study will be released as to what the next phase will be, which will include forums and various types of specialized seminars.

What are my thoughts into all of this???  Well, I can see a brand new field of Biometrics coming out of all of this, which will shy away completely from the current applications of Biometrics.  And, if you have to put a name to it, I would even call it “Bio-Marketing”, or even probably “Neuromarketing”.  Meaning, there will be a trend now to use the existing Biometric Technologies to help define and quantify market research studies. 

In fact, I am even wondering if these other types of Biometrics just mentioned above in the second bullet will perhaps even lead to the development of newer types and kinds of Biometric Technologies, and probably being even used in conjunction with the existing Physical and Behavioral based ones.  This would really give Multimodal and Hybrid Biometric solutions a totally new twist.  So what am I trying to get at here???  Forget about Biometrics being used for Security.  It will now capture the glory and glitz of the marketing and advertising world. 

It was once considered to be (and still perhaps continues to be) a sexy tool for Security, now it will be even be used a sexier tool for this area of business, where image and branding are so crucial.  Heck, who knows, even perhaps the Biometrics Vendors could capture their marketing limelight here as well.  But remember, in the final end, when this new field of Biometrics takes off (and hopefully the Biometrics Industry will be cognizant and quick enough to jump on this bandwagon), the name of the game will not be Security, but rather “ . . . understand how and why consumers react to advertising from a scientific perspective and use this data to make better marketing choices.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/8724/). 

So, it is not about unlocking a door with your finger, but rather seeing how your face will be used in purchasing decisions for goods and services.

Convenience Vs. Privacy Rights: The Big Tradeoff

Remote Security

In some previous Postings, I had written about the emergence and growth of online universities, where essentially one can take get an get accredited degree all through the Internet.  There are obviously a ton of reasons fueling this growth, but some of the chief ones include the current economic conditions (for instance, the cost of going to a brick and mortar university has essentially escalated from when I went to Purdue to get my degree), and the needs of the mobile employee who is always on the road, but also wants to finish their degree. 

But given this trend in the online education world, there is also a greatly increased need for Security.  It is not Physical Access Entry into a campus building, but rather, verifying and/or identifying of the people who are getting their degree online.  In other words, if I were getting a degree online, the degree granting institution wants to make doubly sure nowadays that it is indeed me who is doing the work, and not somebody else.  After all, in the online world, anything is possible, right???  Well, today, I came across a Press Release which increased the ante just one notch further for the online education world.  The Vendors mentioned are known as “Questionmark” and “Software Secure”, and together they have formed a strategic alliance. 

Here are the details:  “Assessment technology providers Questionmark and Software Secure today announced a technology alliance that will bring added security to certification tests and other higher-stakes exams administered without the need for someone to travel to a testing center . . . Questionmark’s technologies enable organizations to deploy a broad range of assessment solutions to address critical needs such as certification, regulatory compliance, health and safety, sales and technical channel verification and employee selection. As the stakes of tests and exams increase, customers can take advantage of many standard features that help reduce opportunities for cheating and ensure the security of test content and scoring algorithms . . . Software Secure’s Securexam Remote Proctor uses finger-scan biometrics to authenticate the identity of a distance learning test-taker, and then records audio and a 360 degree view of the exam-room, wherever that is. The combination of Remote Proctor with Questionmark Perception will enable participants to take Questionmark exams anywhere, anytime, while providing many of the security benefits otherwise available in costlier, proctored test center environments.”   (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8729/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Based from the above quote, although this for sure does kick up the Security, it comes with an interesting twist:  Although designed for the online education world, this Security solution is meant to verify and/or identify  the remote test taker.  In other words, from what it sounds like, a student or a particular test taker does not have to travel to certain testing center to take a certification exam, or what is described as “higher stakes exams”. 

I can use myself to further illustrate this point.  At some point in time next year, I have to take that dreaded CISSP exam.  At the present time, I will have to cart myself off to some distance testing center in Chicago.  True, it will be a pain, fighting through the traffic, and trying to fight already nervousness that I may have, but if things change, given this new Security solution, I might very well will be able to take this test in the comforts of the townhome that Anita and I planning to purchase.  Now how wonderful is that!?!?!?!  To actually confirm my identity, the Biometric tool of choice here is Fingerprint Recognition.  Ah, but the next question is, how quickly will I rise into the temptation of cheating??? 

Well, I would like to think that based on my beliefs and values, I would not cheat.  But the institution administering this test has no way of knowing this, so as you can see in the above quote, along with the Fingerprint Recognition, the exam proctor will be able to get a 360 degree, panoramic view of the room I will be sitting in with my laptop, taking the exam.  But here is the tradeoff:  Test takers can take these types and kinds of exams from the comforts of their own home (or really anywhere for that matter, since this Security solution does not specify  certain testing conditions or environments), anytime they want to. 

So conceivably, I took my CISSP exam, at 2 AM with a great old big cup of a chocolate mocha.  But, to insure I am not cheating it, this Security solution will take that big picture of the room I am sitting in.  Do we really want this???  Do we really want the outside world to know about how we live at home???  Would this be considered to be an invasion of privacy???  Once again, this touches on another key issue of Biometrics:  Convenience versus privacy.  At the present time, we can’t have both, but perhaps given the advancements in technology, maybe perhaps, this balance will be struck one day. 

A New Way To Conduct Market Research

Purchasing Revisited

Do you remember yesterday’s Posting, where I talked about purchasing decisions, with regards to the Biometrics Industry, and the importance to look at the various types and kinds of performance metrics???  Well today, we revisit the same topic yet once again, but instead, we take a different angle. Rather, than looking at our own purchasing decisions, Biometrics is being used to help market certain product lines to specific groups of customers. 

And believe it or not, it is being used for the retail sector, focusing upon the ready to wear market.  The Retail Vendor is known as “INVISTA”, and the brand they are trying to market is known as the “LYCRA Style”.  Here are the details into this:  “LYCRA Style fiber, specifically designed to meet consumers’ need for personalized style without compromising comfort or fit, is kicking off its global launch in the U.S. in late March. LYCRA Style fiber was developed for the unique branding, performance and pricing needs of the ready-to-wear market. The brand helps to create clothes that consumers love to wear, all day, every day, from day to night and casual to dressy occasions . . . Historically, the LYCRA brand has always had a strong emotional connection with consumers. The LYCRA Style brand signals stylish, modern, fashionable and contemporary associations with consumers—all key attributes in ready-to-wear. The new brand is targeted to reach a new, younger customer and will redefine the role LYCRA Style fiber will play in providing individual style without compromise. To better understand how to emotionally engage this new target consumer, INVISTA went beyond traditional market studies and worked with Innerscope Research, a leader in the biometric market research field. The goal was to uncover deeper consumer insights that would not be limited by conscious responses." (SOURCE: http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8716/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

OK, so you may be wondering at this point where does Biometrics comes into all of this brew ha ha of marketing???  Well, it can be seen in the above quote.  As a small business owner myself, when trying to market a product or service to particular customer, especially the potential ones, we always try to rely upon the traditional means of trying how to market best to the customer, so we can get their attention, and of course, generate sales and revenues.

These traditional means often include conducting market research studies (for most of us it is often on the very primitive level, because of the huge $$$ costs involved with market research) in order to get some quantification as to how the customer will react to our products and services.  But keep in mind, this is very often in our very own biased view.  To get away from this, the Retail Vendor mentioned in this Posting hired a market research company known as “Innerscope Research” to actually gauge and ascertain the customer’s reaction to the ready to wear product line in real time.  This was a rather massive market research project, as women were profiled and studied across the three major cities in the United States which include Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  The ready to wear stimuli included the “ . . . LYCRA  Style fiber brand, logo, hangtag, concept statement and imagery.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8716/). 

According to the Press Release, the Biometrics which were studied upon the test subjects included such things as the heart beat rate, cognitive processing, the breathing input and output functions of respiration and perspiration,  as well as the visual attention to the stimuli mentioned (I am assuming in this regard, it means the particular eye movements of the each of the participants).  The key thing to really get out of this is that is the emotional engagement to the various stimuli which was examined, and how it relates to the purchasing sub conscience of the potential customer. 

This is data collection in real time, and holds the most level of significance as to how a customer will potentially buy a product or a service.   And this far surpasses any traditional means. I know in the past I have been very questionable about the use of Biometrics in this regard, but as I think about it, I change my position and my view on it. I think Biometrics can be a great boon to market research studies, as information and data about potential buying habits is collected and analyzed in real time.  

But the question now comes down to cost , obviously.  Currently, it is the biggest market research firms, such as the one described in this Posting, which provides these services.  And as a result, it is only those retailers and merchants which have the huge marketing budget which can afford these services.  In this view, perhaps another market avenue for the Biometrics Industry would be to offer these market research services to the small and medium sized businesses, so that it can be affordable. 

After all, we do live in a capitalistic society, and every business owner, whether large or small, should have their fair and equal shot at the money pie.  Apart from measuring how potential customers will respond to products and services, the business owner will also be able to fine tune their marketing strategies, and have an awesome communications strategy based form the real time information and data collected, and hit upon the emotional buying triggers.

Your Next Major Purchase

Purchase Decisions

Whenever we all make a purchasing decision, especially a rather large one, with a sizable investment on our part, we often judge the product or service we are about to purchase on a set of general standards or criterion (of course, it all depends upon specifically what we are acquiring):

*How other customers have viewed the same product or service, including the both the good and the bad;

*How the particular product or service stacks up against the competition (in other words, can we find something better for a cheaper price???).

With regards to the latter, we often use performance metrics, or standards, which are common upon the various industries and markets.  Such is the case for the Biometrics Industry.  As I have written about before in the past, there are three primary types of performance metrics:

*The Ability to Verify Rate (what % of the total population can be registered into a Biometric System);

*The False Acceptance Rate (the % probability of a Biometric System allowing access to an impostor);

*The False Rejection Rate (the % probability of a Biometric System denying access to a legitimate person).

Although there are other performance metrics in the Biometrics Industry, it is the last two upon which customers use the most to evaluate a Biometric System before they make the major purchase decision.  And it is with this mind, I came across a Press Release which further exemplifies these performance metrics for a Biometrics Vendor known as “Biometric Signature, ID, Inc.”, for their solution known as “BioSig-ID”. 

Here are the details of this:  “Biometric Signature ID, Inc. (BSI) has announced  that the patented BioSig-ID signature gesture biometric technology for identity authentication received an outstanding 99.97% accuracy in identifying and stopping imposters from a successful log in from The Tolly Group, an independent third party IT testing company. Additionally, the BioSig-ID software was able to identify legitimate users and permit access at an extremely high rate of 99.78%. Combining these results with a 99% positive user experience rating validates BSI as the newest solution available today for identity fraud reduction. BSI is the only software company with this patented technology that exceeds NIST requirements in the $12.6B Identity and Access Management (IAM) authentication market . . . BioSig-ID software measures the unique behavioral characteristics of the way an individual draws with their mouse, stylus, touchpad or finger. Metrics such as speed, angle, # of strokes, direction, order, or length are unique to the individual when they sign or draw. BioSig-ID can even distinguish subtle differences amongst users. In contrast, most security solutions including passwords, pins, tokens, or security questions do not authenticate the true identity of the person attempting to log into or access devices.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8713/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Based from the Press Release, the statistics revealed with regards to accuracy and identifying legitimate users is rather astounding.  For example, with regards to the former, it is 99.97%, and with the latter, it is 99.78%.  Another interesting variable mentioned is customer experience, which is ranked as high as 99%.  It should also be strongly noted that this testing for these statistics was conducted by a third party known as “The Tolly Group”. 

In the testing process, some 93 subjects were tested, over a time span of 3 days, the subjects were asked to take a stab at other subjects passwords (20 in total), and some 15,000 logon attempts were recorded.  Finally, this Biometrics solution discussed is that of Signature Recognition, which is a Behavioral based Biometric Technology.  What are my views on this??? 

All of the information relayed in this Posting is strictly from the Press Release, I have never seen this solution, nor have I done further research to validate these claims.  But keep in mind, Biometrics Vendors will always say that their performance metrics stats are the best in the business, so therefore it is on the burden of the customer to further evaluate these stats, and get customer referrals to further back them up.  But, I also want to make a further observation here as well. In my view as a technical writer, the technology for keeping up with the daily differences exhibited with Behavioral based Biometrics is much better than that of the Physical Biometrics sphere. 

A large part for this is that any differences in the physiological structure takes time to evolve and capture, but differences in our behavioral makeup can be noticed almost immediately.  So thus, Behavioral based Biometrics Systems can capture these almost instantaneous changes on a daily basis, where as the Physical based Biometrics Systems cannot keep up with the biological changes in us, because they tend to be so gradual. And, the results of the performance metrics can be highly skewed, unknowing to the customer’s attention.  In my humble view (and yes, I have a minor in statistics, so I can speak with some knowledge here) statistics and numbers can be highly “rearranged” in order to affect the purchasing decision of a potential customer, especially in the Biometrics Industry. 

So thus, I feel, rather than having a blanket set of performance metrics for all of the Biometrics products and solutions (Physical and Behavioral based), performance metrics should be established for each of these two major Biometrics groupings.  Then, the customer will have a better appreciation of the major purchase decision they are about to embark upon, in the name of increased Security.

A World Tour

A Dedication To Anita-The Love of My Life

Well, as we start this new week off, I just want to tell the world how much I love Anita, my spectacular girlfriend.  I plan to propose to her this September, and we plan to get married in May of 2012.  Anyways, as we were talking about our plans one evening, the talk came up as to where we would take our honey moon. It has come up before, but we are more or less thinking that we will go somewhere in Florida, and enjoy the nice warm weather and beaches. 

Eventually the talk turned into where we would travel to overseas, and some of our top destinations include Ireland, India (but of course), and Australia.  Although we had this conversation earlier in the previous week, for some reason or another, I was thinking about this morning, and it dawned on me that it has been quite awhile since our last Biometrics world tour.  So, here we go . . .

The e-Passport in Sweden

A Biometrics Vendor, known as “Gemalto”, has just announced that it has received contract renewals from the Swedish government with regards to its e-Passport and National ID Card infrastructures. 

Here are the details: “The Swedish National Police Board (“Rikspolisstyrelsen”), on behalf of the Swedish Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Migration Board has renewed its five-year agreement with Gemalto for travel documents. A contract has been signed with Gemalto’s operating company in Sweden, AB Svenska Pass and includes the launch of the European Residence Permit. Gemalto will continue to run the entire delivery process which includes live enrollment in Sweden, production of all secure travel documents and operated issuance services. The five year contract value is 1 billion Swedish Kronas, more than 110 million Euros . . . The enrollment solution comprises software for the applicant’s personal data registration and enrollment kiosks for instant capture of photograph, fingerprints and electronic signatures. Gemalto supplies the operated issuance services, which ensure document personalization from AB Svenska Pass’ secure service center and delivery to issuing authorities. The secure solutions and the production of all secure travel documents will be delivered by Gemalto.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8708/). 

A number of things stand out here. First, this only underscores the dominance Europe has in the e-Passport market, and how proactive the governments on this continent are with regards to Biometrics.  In turn, this only reflects the high level of acceptance of Biometrics in this part of the world, as opposed to here in the United States. 

Second, the monetary amount  of the contract awardings are rather substantial,  at more than 110+ Euros.  Third, with regards to the Biometrics Technology being used, only Fingerprint Recognition was mentioned, and this sort of surprises me.  With other e-Passport infrastructures, others are used, which include Facial Recognition and Iris Recognition.  Fourth, something new to me, Sweden is one of the first countries to adopt the use of e-Passports and the National ID card.

A Region Not Much Visited

Our next stop on our world tour takes us across the European Continent and into the Middle East, specifically Saudi Arabia.  Over here, a Biometrics Vendor known as “LaserCard” has just announced that it has signed a rather sizable purchase order for their National ID Card infrastructure as well. 

Here are the details:  “LaserCard Corporation, recently acquired by HID Global, was awarded a $2.1 million purchase order to provide chip-ready, optical security media-based credentials for the Saudi Arabia National ID Card program. Saudi citizens are issued The ID cards for identification, e-government and regional travel purposes.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8707/). 

Again, this sort of comes as a surprise, given the recent turmoil which is happening in that part of the world, for further reforms in democracy and self rule.  Somewhere I heard that the citizens of Saudi Arabia are actually considered to be the “property” of the government, so a movement towards a National ID card infrastructure is interesting news.

A Journey Back To Asia

And of course can’t forget about India???  These are my origins (and half of Anita’s as well).  As I wrote last week, this country is the home of the world’s largest Biometrics project.  There is an update to this project, in which a Biometrics Vendor known as known as “IrisGuard” has announced that its Iris Recognition system has received approval by the Indian Government for use in this project. 

And of course, here are the details into this as well: “IrisGuard, the world’s leader in Iris recognition technology, announced that its IG-AD100 Iris recognition camera received certification for deployment in India’s Aadhaar/Unique ID (UID) project from STQC (Standardization Testing & Quality Certification). The STQC Directorate is an attached office of the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India. The biometric devices certified by STQC ensure that these devices are reliable, safe, secure and meet the specifications of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).” 

I have written previous Postings about this project (you can find them in the search box of the blog site), and will continue to provide updates.  I did want to make mention that it is a combination of Biometric Technologies which are being used here, specifically, Facial Recognition, Iris Recognition, and Fingerprint Recognition.

Coming To Your Sporting Venue

A New Application

As much as I have written about the applications of Biometrics, I don’t think I have taken too much time to actually break down the major categories of them (a long time ago, I may have, so please forgive me if this comes about as yet another review).  So, here we go:

*Physical Access Entry:  Forget about using your keys to get into your house or office, now use your eye, finger, and hand;

*Time And Attendance:  Gone are the days of using a time card to keep track of the time you worked, again, use your hand or finger, and perhaps even the eye;

*Single Sign Solutions:  Ah, yes, we have to remember hundreds and thousands of passwords, don’t we? Everything from logging into our workstations to our banking and financial accounts.  And given the proliferated risks of Identity Theft, we now have to create passwords which are even harder and much more difficult to remember.  Well, this pain is now taken away with just using, for one more time, your finger and your eye.

*Hybrid Combinations:  Although the above are the three major groupings of applications, a lot of them can cross over with each other, and thus create hybrid solutions, which then merit the use of what is known as a “Hybrid Biometric Technology”, or a “Multimodal Solution”.  Meaning, you use more than one type and kind of Biometric Technology to meet these overlapping needs. 

You could very well be asking at this point, what industries and businesses use Biometrics??? Well, that is a very difficult question to answer, as there are literally hundreds and thousands of businesses and organizations all over the world using Biometrics.  But, long story short, Biometrics is being used where there is a need for an increased level of Security. 

But, there is one type of industry which I have never written about before which is using Biometrics:  Believe it or not, it is the sporting industry.  In the Press Release I found today, the home of the Washington Redskins, FedEx field, is currently utilizing Biometrics. The Biometrics Vendor is known as “Telos Identity Management Solutions, LLC”, and here are the details:  “The new Telos ID MAAC Visitors system, an expansion of the previously deployed MAAC Access system, extends biometric identity management to include temporary visitors, issuing temporary badges to visitors, VIPs and contractors requiring access to the facility for day-to-day business as well as on game or event days . . . during the verification process a visitor’s information is entered manually or by scanning documentation, then checked against watch lists and if clear, a temporary badge is issued to the individual. Badges are customizable by date and facility access. The MAAC Visitors system captures and logs detailed information to provide a complete secure identity verification and tracking capability and access history to FedExField.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8706/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

OK, well I guess I have to make a clarification here.  It is not directly a sports team which is using Biometrics, but rather, the sporting facility.  So that should count right???  As you can tell from the above quote, the primary needs for this Biometrics Solution is that for Physical Access Entry (which meets the first bullet above), and badge creation and tracking (which meets the fourth bullet).The idea of the latter is to grant access to the temporary visitors, as well as the VIP personnel which would be coming to the visit the facility. 

The exact Biometric Technologies being used were not mentioned, but a combination solution was mentioned.  Granted, sporting facilities and venues are rather large places, and there has to be a better way to keep track of all of the people of whom are coming in and entering out.  If manual processes are used, the lines could be especially backed up, and this is where Biometrics can be used to help to streamline the Security process.  While this is great in theory, I do have one serious reservation about all this: 

The Biometrics information and data which is captured in this system can be actually be used to track the individuals in question.  Couldn’t the use of Biometrics at these sporting events just further fan the flames of Big Brother watching???   A long time ago, when I first got started in Biometrics, there was a whole brew ha ha about Facial Recognition being used at a football stadium, but in a covert fashion.  Remember, sporting events and venues attract a gargantuan amount of people, and if Biometrics are being used without their knowledge, or even in a covert fashion, the acceptance of Biometrics amongst the public will take even a massive decline. 

The moral of the story here:  Using Biometrics covertly against a small group of people (such as your employees is one thing), but using it against a large group of people is another.  Inform the public of what is going on, and offer them an alternative means if they do not want to be registered into a Biometric System.  The bottom line is that sporting events are meant to be enjoyed, and not feared.

The Internet: A New Way For Remote Access

Back In The Day

I remember when I started my first Biometrics business back in 2001 or so.  I had no knowledge of the technology, and no formal training it.  I had to teach everything to myself, and much of that involved doing heavy web searches on Google, reading all the books that I could, and reading some of the leading journals (which to be honest, are not that many, even to this day-a plug in for my newsletter-I think it is one of the leading ones). 

Probably the best form of education I got about the Biometrics Industry was when I attended the Biometrics Consortium conference in 2002.  I met all types and kinds of Vendors, and saw various products and solutions.  When I was writing my business plan, it was primary intention to sell hardware and devices.  I had no intention to do the level of writing that I am doing at the present time. 

As I finished writing up the business plan, I had decided upon two Biometrics Vendors with whom wanted to do business with.  I had not established a formal VAR agreement with these Biometrics Vendors, rather, I was working on a case by case basis to see how things would go.  But in order to sell anything of tangible value, you obviously have to have a demo product to show to potential customers.  Thus, I ordered a hand geometry scanner, and a fingerprint scanner. 

When I got these devices, I was completely excited about receiving them. They were quite advanced for the time, but these devices were primarily stand alone devices, or if they were to cross talk with each other, they all had to come to a central server, with the requisite software.  The fingerprint scanner did not have such a system, but the hand geometry scanner did.  It was a rather archaic piece of software, but it did have the required functionality to provide the centralized services required by the customer.  I always kept thinking that there had to be an easy way to access remote Biometric devices, without having to go to a central server. 

And the answer to this is the Internet.  Today, I came across a Press Release which addresses this direct need:  To have the ability to access remote devices with just a mere click and point of the mouse.  The Biometrics Vendor mentioned is known as “e-DATA”, and here are the details:  “e-DATA introduces its browser-based, embedded Physical Access Control System (PACS) specialized for government, ports, airports and border applications. e-DATA readers feature an integrated fingerprint biometrics module that is HSPD-12, FIPS 201 and TWIC/PIV compliant. Supporting both smart cards and biometrics, e-DATA systems are open architecture, scalable and allow for third-party integration . . . e-DATA eliminates the headache of forcing legacy access control into an IP world with Web-based, embedded access control. With .NET support, e-DATA allows an agency of any size to manage access control over multiple buildings and sites — as well as third-party integration for video, ID and visitor management — through one secure Web user interface. Plus, the system expands as your needs do (from standalone to enterprise), and it features electronic event audits and detailed reporting.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8701/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

From the standpoint of being an Internet based Biometrics solution, it possesses some certain distinct advantages:

*It supports all types and kinds of Smart Cards and the new TWIC Card (which is primarily designed for Physical Access Entry at all maritime and cargo points of entry-this can be seen in the above quote);

*It has open architecture, and allows for easy integration with other third part Security solutions;

*This Biometrics works is built upon the very widely used ASP.NET framework.  Thus, this forges for a very robust Internet based solution, which allows for monitoring and access of multiple buildings and work sites, and can even be coupled with video Security solutions (I am assuming in this regard it is CCTV Technology).

Granted, there is nothing new in using the Internet to access a remote device or service-it is the cornerstone for any network administrator.  But for the Biometrics Industry, is still a rather new concept for the products and solutions which are coming out.  Although I have been out of the loop for some time with regards to the exact products, I have not come across too many which are Internet or Web based.  And when I have come across them, I have written distinct Postings on them. 

So what am I getting here?  With advent of virtualization, cloud computing, etc., the Biometrics Industry will soon be 100% entrenched in this new field.  The day will come when all Biometrics products and solutions will be hosted and web based, and designed for very specific market applications.  As I have said before, the primary benefits are that of ease of use, and low cost. And to the customer, in the end, this is all that matters.

2,000,000: The Lucky Number

An Update

As I was scouring the Internet today for stuff to write about today, nothing new seems to be happening too much in the Biometrics Industry.  I think a lot of this could be due to the fact of the extremely tragic incidents which are taking place in Japan, due to the double whammy of the hurricane and the tsunami which occurred just a few days ago. 

But, I did come across a Press Release which provides a continuance, or an update, to the theme of the large numbers in Biometrics.  Remember, I have been writing stuff about the world’s largest Biometrics project, which involves registering every citizen in India via their Biometrics??? 

Well, very important threshold has been crossed, and here are the details of it:  “Morpho, a high-technology company that provides identification, detection and e-document solutions has been a chief supplier to the de-duplication of fingerprint and iris recognition biometric records for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) since its inception. Morpho’s latest-generation technology deployed by the Mahindra Satyam/Morpho consortium has enabled the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to issue its two millionth identification number to the world’s largest biometrics-based identity program launched last September . . . Also referred to as the Aadhaar project, the plan will distribute a unique number to each Indian resident, which will provide citizens with extremely secure biometric identification access to a wide range of benefits and services. The Mahindra Satyam/Morpho consortium is one of the three biometric solution providers contracted for the initial phase of this program during which 200 million residents are expected to be registered.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8699/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

The Biometrics Vendor mentioned in the above quote, Morpho, is probably one of the largest Biometrics Vendors out there, and that is probably one of the key reasons why they have been chosen for this huge Biometrics project in India.  But hey registering the 2,000,000^th Indian citizen into this database is still a huge milestone, but it is still a drop in the bucket when compared to its total population of 1.3+ Billion people (by my crude mathematical calculations, it only represents some 15% of the entire population in India). 

From what I have read, it appears that Iris Recognition has been the Biometric Technology of choice to use thus far.  Also, it seems like that this gargantuan project is still in the initial stages of launch, and the ultimate goal of this phase is to have 200,000,000 citizens registered (so far, by my mathematical calculations, only 1% has been completed . . . yea, that is how large the population is in India!!!).  And over the next four years or so, the goal is to have up to 600,000,000 citizens registered. 

When that number is crossed, that will be huge news.  But when each and every citizen is registered, that will be making CNN headline news for sure.  Although one of the primary goals is to get each citizen registered, one of the other primary goals is to de duplicate the existing records which have been collected through other means and processes.  As I write today’s Posting, a thought has come to my mind for the Biometrics Industry, which eludes back to the tragedy the Japanese people are facing. 

The application described in this Posting proves that Biometrics can be used for huge scale projects, and can register millions upon millions of people.  So, why not use this same technology and efforts in a concerted attempt to identify and verify people in such natural tragedies which has just happened in Japan???  In other words, why can’t the Biometrics Industry respond to emergency situations in which a large number of people are displaced??? 

In times like these, every person needs to be counted, and the respective government needs to know all of this information and data so they can provide the relief, help, and assistance for all of its citizens.  Worst yet, having and emergency mechanism where Biometrics is used in this regard can help confirm the identity of the deceased in the face of natural disaster, and notify the loved ones and remaining family members so that they can have a sense of closure.  So to the Biometrics Industry:  It’s not just about profit, but is also time to serve the humanitarian causes as well.

Making Money From A Giant

Windows 7

So, how many of you out there have jumped onto the Windows 7 bandwagon?  Do you like it?  Is it better than the previous versions of Windows???  Personally, I have not used it, it’s not that I don’t have faith in it, it is just that I am extremely nervous in upgrading my laptop to a newer version of a Windows OS.  I have done these kinds of upgrades in the past, and believe, me it is just downright horrible. With the amount of time you spend fighting with the upgrade and making sure it works, it is just better to buy a new computer with the new version of the OS. 

And that is exactly what I plan to do, but only when my laptop dies out (or I get my beautiful girlfriend Anita a new laptop as gift somewhere down the road).  As written about previously before, what makes Windows 7 from the earlier versions of Windows is that it possesses what is known as the “Windows Biometrics Framework”, or “WBF” for short.  Long story short, it allows for the use of Fingerprint Recognition in lieu of the traditional password.  But once again, Microsoft makes news as yet another Biometrics Vendor makes its splash into its lucrative software line. 

In the Press Release, two Biometrics Vendors are mentioned, and they are known as “Aunthasas”, and “BIO-key International”.  Here are the details:  “Authasas “Authentication at your Service” announced the release of Authasas Advanced Authentication for Microsoft Vergence. This solution integrates market-leading authentication technology with Vergence, Microsoft’s flagship product for managed clinical workstations, providing healthcare professionals context management, single sign-on and authentication to clinical systems. Authasas Advanced Authentication® secures single sign-on credentials with biometric fingerprint authentication as well as other available authentication methods such as smart cards, contactless smart cards, and USB Flash drive token authenticators . . . Authasas is dedicated to providing state of the art authentication solutions to healthcare in the United States and globally. Biometric fingerprint authentication is ideally suited to clinical environments.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8698/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Well, I knew Microsoft made software for all types and kinds of applications, but this is the first time I have heard of a Microsoft product specifically designed for healthcare workers.  Call me naïve or what.  Hmm. 

As you can see from the above quote, the Microsoft product is known as “Vergence”, and it is designed to manage clinical workstations, as an SSO.  The Biometrics solution designed by Aunthasas is designed to integrate with Vergence, to provide further verification and authentication functionality.  It can work with a whole array of Security technologies, such as smart card and USB flash drives. 

The ultimate aim here is to streamline and make more efficient the workflow processes of the healthcare workers, in other words, just sign once into application, and have great ease in querying for multiple patient’s medical information and data.  Vergence is used by some 500,000+ healthcare workers, so this is a lucrative software solution for which Biometrics Vendors to add onto. 

With regards to BIO-key International, Aunthasas will integrate the former’s mathematical algorithms in the launch of its next Biometrics solution, which will allow for a one to many, or 1:N relationship.  This solution described here only allows for a one to one, or 1:1 relationship (this only makes sense, as an SSO, you only want one Biometric Template associated with just one individual).  So as I write today’s Posting, a new idea comes across my mind, which is from a marketing angle. 

This is only the second instance I have seen where Microsoft has embraced the use of Biometrics in any of its software products line.  So, wouldn’t it only make sense for the Biometrics Vendors to form partnerships with this huge and gargantuan behemoth in order to leverage their own Biometrics solutions and products, in the name of increased Security enhancements for Microsoft products???

It only makes sense to me, for two primary reasons:  1)  In my view, Biometrics is still untapped market with Microsoft; and 2)  Microsoft has the world’s market share in just about anything IT related, and 3) Given the very deep, and broad software product lines of Microsoft, there is a huge and diverse customer base the Biometrics Vendors can tap into if they formed a partnership with Microsoft. But hopefully, the profit sharing will be equal . . . . just something to think about.