Biometrics Security News and Information

Contacless: The Wave Of The Future

A New Generation of Biometrics???

One of the key issues of Biometrics (along with that of Privacy Rights) is the contact with the actual device.  For instance, touching your hand or finger onto the platen, in order for the picture to be captured, so that the unique features can be extracted, and the subsequent Enrollment/Verification Template created.  A question I get asked very often in this regard is “What if I contract an illness or a disease by touching the Biometric Device???”  The truth is, you have a much higher probability of contracting an ailment by shaking hands with people, and the normal chores we go about our daily lives.  But given the way that Biometrics is advancing so rapidly, the point will come when everything will be contactless-gone will be the days when the finger or hand will have to actually touch the platen involved.  And in fact, I came across a research report which supports this hypothesis of mine. 

The nitty gritty:  “The touchless sensing market has gained momentum since a year and is increasing rapidly. The touchless sensing market is expected to reach $3656.8 million by the end of 2015. The companies are realizing the potential of this market and answering the customer needs regarding better hygienic factors. The touchless biometrics market is also on the rise . . . The gesture recognition market is expected to reach $625 million in 2015 from $200 million in 2010 at an expected CAGR of 25.6% from 2010 to 2015. The gesture recognition market was commercialized in the third quarter of 2010 with the launch of the Microsoft XBOX Kinect (hardware). Gesture recognition has their applications in a several sectors ranging from entertainment, consumer electronics, and transportation to healthcare. The market acceptance of this industry is very low since this is a new technology and the users are not aware of the technology as yet. However, this market is estimated to grow in the next seven to eight years.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9070/). 

My Take

If you take a look at the above quote very carefully, contactless Biometrics has been much more narrowly and specifically defined as “touchless sensing”.  Whatever it is, it still means that the end user will not have to touch the Biometric  Device by any means.  According the macro statistic, the “touchless sensing market” will continue to receive strong demand and growth well into 2015.  The biggest market drivers of this growth rate is the concern of the hygiene of the Biometrics Technology, and the belief that taking an image from a contactless standpoint will mean more accurate Biometric Templates.  For instance, a light can still take an image of a hand or finger if it has cuts, scars, or abrasions on it, whereas a device which requires direct contact with the hand or finger may not yield an accurate Biometric Template.   But think about it. 

Look at all of the Biometric Technologies which I have discussed about, both from the Physical Biometric and the Behavioral Biometric standpoints.  Pretty much everything is contactless, with the exception of Fingerprint Recognition and Hand Geometry Recognition.  But, there is still this misnomer and myth of the public that all Biometrics requires contact.  The flat out truth, there is hardly any contact required. Even with the latest Biometric Technologies which come about (most notably Vein Pattern Recognition), no contact is required, all that is done is that a special light is shone, in order to reflect back an image, so that the unique features can be extracted.  In my view, the public needs to be educated on two fronts:  1)  That a majority of Biometrics is contactless, so there is no need to have hygiene fears of any type or kind;  2)  The light that is flashed to get a picture of the veins, iris, face, etc. is perfectly safe, and that no harm will come.  Why do I bring up this second point??? 

Well, despite the fact that the public might be accepting of the contactless form of Biometrics, there will still be fear about the light (in most cases, it is just an infrared light which is used).  If you take a second look at the quote above, you will also notice that there is a small blurb about Gesture Recognition.  For as long as I have been in the Biometrics Industry, even I myself do not know about it too much.  I am strictly assuming that it means a Biometric Device will look at something like the gestures of your hand or fingers to positively verify/identify you.  This type of Biometric Technology is also expected to have a huge growth rate, again, exemplified by the statistics which can be seen in the quote above also.  It is projected that this newer type of Biometric Technology (if it can be classified as such) is expected to grow strong in the next decade.  According to the research report, a key reason why this has not taken off as much because of the low awareness rate of it.  Bu truth be told, it has received a wide spectrum of attention, especially by the market research industry. 

As I have written about before as well, Gesture Recognition is being used quite heavily to gauge responses to advertisements (whether online or on traditional TV), in order to formulate and execute marketing strategies which will work, and mean that customers will buy products and services.  What all this means is that contactless Biometrics will be the wave of the future, no matter what shape or form it takes. 

Just How Fancy Can It Get???

A New Car

Well, today, I have the unexpected luxury of driving a brand new Cadillac.  I actually did not buy this car, I am renting it for a couple of days, until my car, which is a Honda Civic, gets outfitted with a brand new bumper.  My Civic is rather old fashioned, as it is a 2003 model.  It is all manual, which I like.  I like things which are simple and easy to use, and which can be easily fixed, if the need arises (it also means less cost for repair).  I knew that with a brand new rented car, the technology would be very advanced, but when I got into the rental Cadillac, I was totally taken aback but just how advanced it really is. 

For example, I am so used to the manual way of turning on the headlights in my Civic, I was totally blown away that the headlights in the Cadillac are all automatic. Meaning, the lights turn on and off automatically, whenever the sensor detects that there is a diminishment in light, or if there are any adverse weather conditions.  Also, I was equally blown away by the fact there is also a sensor in the car which can actually determine the speed limits on the roads you are driving on, and even displays the net speed if you are going above the limit.  And another fancy feature:  When backing up, sensors go off if you are coming to close to another car, or if there is any other obstruction in your way.  So yea, these are all fancy things, but today, I came across a Press Release which could kick up the level of high tech even just one more notch:  Yep, the use of Biometrics. 

A major Voice Biometrics Vendor known as “Nuance” has announced a strategic partnership with the Ford Motor Company to bring Voice Recognition to the next generation of car.  The details:  “Ford and Nuance are testing a number of new algorithms, based on intent and meaning, for the voice recognition system in Ford SYNC that is powered by Nuance voice solutions. These new techniques can flag common words and phrases that drivers might typically use in conversation, yet are not the specific commands or syntax required by today’s SYNC system. By interpreting or understanding the user’s request, SYNC will be able to execute the command or respond by coaching the user down the correct command pathway . . . With each generation of SYNC, we have learned more about how drivers use the voice recognition system, and have continuously refined it so customers can do more and say more to get their tasks done more quickly and efficiently . . . With intent, we are examining how to take our voice recognition to the next level of command and control, helping further reduce the learning curve and improving ease of use – and ultimately building higher customer satisfaction. In the end, we want the user’s wish to be the system’s command . . . New SYNC owner market research, conducted by Ford, shows that acceptance among owners of voice recognition continues to grow, with more than 85 percent of owners now using voice control while driving. That’s up from 70 percent in the initial study conducted in the fall of 2010.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9068/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

True, this really should come to of no surprise to me, by any means. I have written about the use of Biometrics before in cars, with the specific example being of using Fingerprint Recognition to lock and unlock your car, and yes, even start your car.  But, I never thought of Voice Recognition being used in this regard.  Yea, this does blow me away a little bit.  Although this Voice Recognition solution cannot take complete command of your car, from the best of my understanding, it allows you to have some basic control, such as adjusting audio settings (those in regards to listening to music), adjusting the temperature of your vehicle, and making cellular and wireless calls. 

But the purpose of this Biometrics Solution is to give the ability to the driver to specifically tell the vehicle on board computers what to do, rather than having the computer to guess it, and it if it is wrong, having the driver to repeat the commands each and every time, thus causing more confusion, and frustration on part of the driver.  In other words, the driver should be able to say what they want done in the car, and the computer should be able to understand immediately, and perform it without fail.  In this solution, this is known as “intent based technology.”  There are other variables which are being examined which will allow the driver to execute even more sophisticated commands, especially when it comes to things like climate control, and even navigation control.  Also, there is a strong demand for this technology, as the above statistics in the quote prove it.  For example, there is a 70 percent increase in the demand for it in 2011 versus 2010, according to a recent survey.  Really, in the end, all this is about is developing neural network like algorithms which can guess the thought process of the driver with minimal effort and time needed. 

My view???  Well, yea, all this is great and fancy, but my concern is that the automobile of today is becoming far too technologically advanced, and if something goes wrong, there could be a cascading failure among the whole car if any electronics breaks down.  This will only translate into further expense for the driver should any electronic component needs to be replaced.  Also, what if the computer misinterprets a driver’s command, and does something else, causing a serious accident???  In fact, I was just talking about this with my close friend Dennis.  He has a truck with all of these fancy, electronic gizmos, and to fix the wiping mechanism, he has to replace the entire electronic mechanism.  The bottom line:  Increased out of pocket expenses, if you don’t want insurance to cover it, then your expenses will be increased.  So, back to my Honda, all that needed replacement is my front bumper.  Now imagine, if my front bumper, had all those fancy electronics sensors attached to it:  Yep, you got it…HUGE $$$$ in expenses!!!  Let’s hope the car of the future stays simple, and easy to fix, even though it will be outfitted with tons of fancy gizmos and electronics.

Biometrics Helping To Fight Poverty

A Different Perspective

I know I have been beating about this topic a few times now in the last several weeks, but it is a rather important topic, especially when it comes to the world of Biometrics.  After all, this is as of now, deemed to be the world’s largest Biometric project, and its implications down the road, after this project has been completed, can be gargantuan.  What am I talking about???  Yep, you got it, it is the project which is currently going on in India, in which the ultimate aim is to register each and every citizen, into a Biometrics database.  Today, I came across an editorial which sheds a different perspective upon it. 

Here are some of the excerpts from it:  “The explosion of IT companies in India has done little to alleviate extreme poverty within the sub continent, but could the biometric ID card programme currently being implemented create real change?  . . . Last year I wrote about the project. I did so following the news that tier-two Indian IT services provider MindTree was awarded a software development and maintenance contract to support the complex software that will authenticate every Indian citizen using biometric technology . . . Lahiri [Anjan Lahiri, CEOsaid the pace of enrolment is soon to increase to one million citizens per day.

* The biometric ID card scheme in India will see all 1.3 billion Indian citizens receive an ID card that authenticates their identity through biometric checks.

* It will sign 600million people up in total.

* Each person registered will have an estimated 5 megabytes of data and the datacentre that will hold the information will have 4 Terabytes of data coming into it every day during peak enrolment periods. This will be about the biggest non commercial datacenter in the world.

Lahiri told me last year that the project will succeed in India, where the UK failed, because it is about alleviating poverty rather than privacy.

He described how giving people an identity will allow them to get a bank account. The cornerstone of life these days.

But he went further and explained how the ID scheme will support a cashless society. He said all vendors will have a biometric reader and citizens can pay for things with a fingerprint scan. Even a bag of rice.”

(SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/9063/)

OK, so how does this shed a different perspective than from what I have written about before???  Well, in the past, I have always written about the social implications of Biometrics, but in a very general, or macro sense.  In this regard, I have always written things up as to how it can help people (especially those in poor countries) be recognized in the eyes of their own, respective governments.  But the problem is, that I could not offer specifics as to how it is helping people.  Well, the above excerpts certainly offered that perspective to me.  What is it you might be thinking??? 

Well, Biometrics is not just being used to provide a sense of identity to people, it is also being used to relieve poverty.  How does Biometrics do this???  By having a sense of identity, the poorest of the poor citizens in India can stake a claim to what is their own property, and their own assets.  This is something which has never, ever happened before in this land which is the second most populous in the world.  The editorial even goes on to provide views as to how Biometrics will allow the poor citizens of India to open up bank accounts, and how they can use their own Fingerprint Recognition Template, or even Iris Recognition Template to pay for the most basic necessities in life, of which we take for granted here in the United States on a daily basis.  Ultimately, one of the goals of this huge Biometrics project is to make India a cashless society. 

That is of course great news to those people who don’t even know what cash looks like.  And this point even made me think about the social implications of Biometrics even more.  Remember just recently I had written about how a similar project was launched in the United Kingdom, but failed miserably???  They key here is that people viewed as a sheer invasion of privacy, rather than it helping the poor people there.  That is why Biometrics is so successful in places like India and other developing nations. 

The citizens view this technology as a means to help them, not to hurt them.  And here in the United States, given how bad the economy is, there are many people out of work, and who could very well could soon be living in poverty.  Perhaps if we took the mindset that Biometrics can help these people, rather than being an invasion of our privacy rights and civil liberties, perhaps the adoption rate of Biometrics would be a lot higher.  Something to think about, and food for thought for the Biometrics Industry here in the United States.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

Trying Something New

By nature, I am a person who likes to stick to a routine, or a daily schedule.  This includes all things, such as work, the tech writing business, martial arts, working out, etc.  But I also realize that “variety is the spice of life”, and so after being with my beautiful girlfriend Anita, I have learned to broaden my horizons just a bit, and try different things, especially when it comes to eating different kinds and types of foods.  Probably the best example of this is just about two weeks ago.  I am not a huge fan of Italian food, but we ended up going to a fairly nice and romantic restaurant called “Brio’s”, located very near to where I live.  It was a very special and sweet time for the both of us, and believe it or not, I have come to like Italian just a little bit more now. 

But since we are on this topic of places to eat, have you ever wondered how your waiter or waitress can juggle around so much cash and credit cards at the register, and still keep everything straight???  I have sometimes wondered that, and so far, I have always been tendered back the right change and credit card.  A huge point of frustration for these workers, is in during peak rush times, getting that cash register open and closed as quickly as possible, and trying to keep up all those passwords straight which are needed to open it.  Well, a solution is now available from a Biometrics Vendor known as “Digital Persona, Inc.”, and the eatery where this is deployed is known as “Sailormen, Inc.”, which is a franchise of Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits. 

The inside goop:  “DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today announced Sailormen, Inc., the largest Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits franchise in the U.S., is rolling out U.are.U Fingerprint Readers to 148 locations throughout Alabama, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri. Sailormen, Inc. has found that the deployment of fingerprint biometrics as a part of their point-of-sale (POS) systems, has improved employee accountability, increased sales, and reduced both unauthorized transactions and payroll fraud . . . This Popeye's operator uses U.are.U fingerprint readers and point-of-sale software for verification of manager overrides and for employee time and attendance tracking. Prior to the use of fingerprint biometrics, managers at the company's Popeye's locations used swipe cards to authorize overrides and voids, and employees "punched in" using a pass code. By using the biometric readers for time and attendance, employees can no longer punch in for one another, dramatically reducing payroll fraud. In addition, with fingerprint biometrics, employees cannot "borrow" a manager's card for transaction authorizations, thereby increasing the assurance that a manager has approved all overrides and followed the proper business and loss-prevention processes. As a result, the Popeye's locations with fingerprint-equipped POS systems have experienced a decrease in overrides and inventory losses due to fraud.” 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

The immediate benefits from this Biometrics solution are very obvious:

*Increased sales;

*An enhanced level of employee accountability;

*A virtual elimination of payroll fraud (which can cost SME’s up to 5% a year in terms of the overall payroll budget), which stems from “buddy punching”;

*An almost irrefutable audit trail, and this is a prime advantage for managers at high volume restaurants.  For example, there is now proof if a manager has authorized a POS override or not versus if it was done illegally by an employee;

*A huge decrease in shrinkage;

*Ease of integration into POS Systems;

*There is a very quick rate of return (ROI) by using this type of Biometrics solution; for example, it is claimed that a positive ROI can be garnered in just 30 days, and best of all, “ . . . A growing number of merchants are telling us these savings alone can pay for a whole POS refresh . . .”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9055/).

This Biometrics solution will be a massive one, as it will be deployed across in almost 150 restaurant locations, with a geographic target of states in the Midwest and the South.  My view on this???  I think this is great.  I just wish other fast food types of restaurants would employ this kind of Biometrics solution into the future. 

A prime example of this is the McDonald’s which is just right across from my apartment building.  I go there every day for my hazelnut coffee (used to go to Starbuck’s, but McD’s is much cheaper), and there is often a long line at the POS terminals.  Why??? 

Because the poor cashier has to open the cash register each time there is a cash sale, and have to enter their POS passwords each and every time.  Perhaps, with the swipe of a fingerprint, customer lines and wait times will be greatly reduced, making everybody all involved very happy and satisfied.  After all, there is no business like repeat business.

Forget The Federal Government

Businesses Are In Need

Ever since the economic recession back in 2008, the Federal Government here in the United States has always stepped up to the plate to help recover the American economy.  Now, this is in theory, but reality has dictated the opposite in terms of results.  A lot of negativity, very little positive results, in my opinion.  But we will leave that to the economic and political blog posts to discuss all of this.  There is one area also that the Federal Government has played a big role in, and yep, you got it, it has to do with Biometrics.  Ever since this big recession we have had, the Federal Government has been the biggest customer of Biometrics, as well as the biggest awarder of Biometrics contracts.  But, that is soon, perhaps, about to change.  This is according to a survey, conducted by a Biometrics Vendor known as “Digital Persona, Inc.”. 

The details:  “As data protection mandates become stricter and high profile instances of data loss proliferate in the media, a new survey of more than 360 attendees at Infosecurity Europe 2011 found that more than two in five respondents (42 percent) were interested in biometrics for network access control. The study was conducted by authentication and endpoint security provider DigitalPersona, Inc . . . The survey also found that two thirds of respondents (67 percent) hold disk encryption to be an IT security priority.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9059/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

It should be noted, at least in my opinion, this was probably a rather informal survey, probably not conducted in the most scientific of environments.  As you can see from the above quote, this survey was conducted at the Infosecurity Europe 2011 Conference, and some 360+ plus attendees were polled.  Apparently some out of every 2/5 respondents wanted to have Biometrics as part of the Security portfolio.  It should be interesting to note that this is for logical Security, and not for Physical Access Entry Security applications.  Also key to note is that almost 70% of the respondents believe that disk encryption is a critical component to any Security Policy.  A few of my thoughts here as well. 

First, this is probably the first survey I have seen in some time which reflects the strong preference (could this translate into a need???) of SME’s for Biometrics.  It is refreshing to see that the Federal Government is not the only dominant party interested in Biometrics.  But now, the Biometrics Vendors have to capitalize on these findings and translate these statistics into some hard core growth and revenue numbers for the Biometrics Industry as a whole.  Of course, how all of this is done depends upon the marketing initiatives and campaigns of each of these Vendors.  As I have said before, what will be key is just good ole’ quality customer service.  By this, I mean giving persona attention to each and every potential customer, meeting their exacting needs, and not just leaving them after the sale has been made.  That means providing solid training into the use of the Biometric system. 

In other words, keep out the techno jargon, and Biometric-ese down to a level the customer can understand, and relate to their very own Security needs.  Second, it does not surprise me to see that there is a strong demand for Biometrics for Logical Security.  Given the proliferation of Identity Theft, and the rise in E-Commerce and online transactions, this is the first thing which comes to a person’s mind, even my own.  Third, I was a bit surprised to see Encryption (which, by the way, falls under the realm of Cryptography) as a strong need for SME’s.  Because encryption is often used at the local level (such as the netbook), as the survey found, many SME’s find it too expensive to incorporate at the macro, or global level, like the bigger organizations can afford. 

Also, it makes no sense to encrypt the local data and not the other copies of it which are lying around somewhere in Cyberspace.  Thus, the need to deploy the principles of Cryptography becomes even more crucial.  This is now a segway into an emerging field which combines both Cryptography and Biometrics.  This is known as “BioCryptography”.  In a general and loose sense, this simply means applying the principles of encryption to further enhance the Security of the Biometric Templates. 

So, imagine a Fingerprint Recognition Template further encrypted with an encryption algorithm of some sort (heck, you can even use public keys and private keys as well here).  Now that is protection kicked up by three notches.  I mean, there is not much you can do with a Biometric Template, but adding that extra layer of protection makes just that much more secure.  This is a field which is not just relegated to the world of academia, but something of which the Biometrics Industry needs to play a key role in as well.

Coming To A Soccer Venue Near You

Soccer Fans, Out There???

To all of my subscribers out there, how many of you are soccer fans???  Granted soccer and football are two terms that are mismatched with each other, and soccer is not a huge thing here in the United States, there still has to be some fans out there?!?!?!  I had some experience with soccer back in high school, and the closest I ever came to watching an international soccer tournament was when it was held in South Africa some time ago.  But never the less, it was quite interesting to watch.  But, there is one thing about soccer tournaments which also catches the eye: 

They have been known to be home to a large amount of violence and chaos, especially with the fans out in the stadium, as they cheer for their home team.  Well now, this trend could soon be diminishing as Biometrics is being used to track those down who instill and provoke violence at these venues. 

The details:  “The 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot that broke out in the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, happened directly after the Boston Bruins' win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals . . . This has prompted the ICBC to offer Vancouver police the use of the facial recognition software they commonly use to identify facial characteristics in driver's license photos to prevent identity fraud. The preexisting driver's license database images would prove useful to act as a cross-reference against pictures taken the night of the riot.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/9049/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Apparently, there was quite a bit of damage at this 2011 Stanley Cup venue.  For example, according to the Press Release, there were some 100+ arrests, 140+ injuries, over $1 Million worth of damages to both public and private property, and some 100 insurance claims were filed.  Now, in my opinion, this is some very serious damage.  So, why not use Facial Recognition as a further weapon in the arsenal to apprehend those who are responsible, and make them pay???  To me, I see nothing personally wrong with that.  After all, Facial Recognition is a Security Technology, and it should be used as such, especially in identification purposes (in this scenario, it would be a one to many, 1:N, matching process). 

But then there is of course, the issue of Privacy Rights.  In fact, quite some time ago here in the United States, there was a huge uproar when Facial Recognition was being used at a football stadium. Of course, this was used in a covert fashion, and the public had no idea that their, own individual faces were being scanned.  Thus, the huge uproar.  As it is also noted in the Press Release, via the use of various Social Media websites and through the use of cameras on the Smartphones, some 1,000,000+ photos and 1,000 hours of video were provided to the Vancouver police.  Now incorporate that with Facial Recognition, and you have one heck of an arsenal to find the perpetrators at these riots. 

But, Privacy Rights will still be an issue.  So, here is my question:  If social media and Smartphone cameras can be used so freely to capture pictures and videos, and nobody seems to question their use and even approve of it, why are people so much against Facial Recognition???  I mean it is just another way to capture images of people at large venues, like these soccer tournaments.  I guess it all comes down to is that Facial Recognition is viewed as “black box technology”.  Nobody seems to understand it, so then as a result, why advocate its use???  It is often viewed even as a “James Bondonian” type of technology, thus even more marvel behind it.  But behind the marvel has to lie the substance to use it, especially in the eyes of the public.  What will change public perception of Facial Recognition??? 

Well, of course, increased training by the Biometrics Vendors, but also, the media needs to put out positive case studies and applications about Facial Recognition, rather than condoning it.  On a technical note here:  Facial Recognition has not advanced to the point yet where it can make 110% accurate matches with people in a crowd with what is in its database.  So in a much needed effort to make sure that the wrong people are not apprehended, the human equation is also needed, in order to fully evaluate a match with certainty and accuracy, before an actual arrest is made.  So, the next time you are at a soccer venue, watch out, Facial Recognition will be keeping its tabs on you.

A Lesson In Project Management

A Key To Success

In today’s business world, the ability to manage projects, and get them done on time (at least for the most part) is a major key to success today.  There are countless number of books and literature written on this subject matter (and believe me, I do know of what I speak on this one, as I experience it on an almost daily basis on my job).  But in the end, where is the best place to learn about effective project management skills???  Of course, no where else but the real world.  And yes, we turn to the world of Biometrics in this regard. 

Remember I had written about a gargantuan Biometrics project taking place in India??? Well, today I came across an update in which this project is well ahead of schedule.  Here are some of the details:  “The UIDIA's Aadhaar project, the world's largest scale biometric identification initiative, is off to a fast start. In a country where 500 million people don't have a reliable form of identification, it might seem like the 4 million registrations in the first 6 months of a 5 year project is a failure, but this number surpasses initial milestones by quite a bit. As of July 2009, chairman Nandan M. Nilekani's goal was to initially issue the first million IDs within 12-18 months, but the UIDAI hit that mark by January 2011. When one considers that the United Kingdom's universal ID program, was hindered due to costs and privacy concerns, it's clear that India is on its way to becoming a biometric identity management trailblazer . . . Much of this can be attributed to the early success of the program. In avoiding the pitfalls of previous projects, chosing sensors which can enroll up to 50 people per day, and piggybacking on existing government infrastructure, the Aadhar project has scaled up quite quickly.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/9041/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

As I have discussed previously, this is deemed to be the world’s largest Biometric project of its kind and magnitude.  No need to rehash the details, you can search easily for the content in the search box on the blog site.  Based on from what I can gather, the first 1,000,000,000 Biometric Templates were collected about 6 months ahead of schedule.  Now, whether if this is a true gauge of statistical success or not depends upon what analysis is done on it, but in my view, as an outsider looking in, if you can get one million people to enroll into a Biometric system in a place like India, and is actually ahead of schedule, it is excellent news. 

The ultimate aim of this world’s largest Biometric project is to assure that the poorest of the poor in India (especially those living out in the villages and extreme desolate areas) have some sort of ability to be recognized 100% in the eyes of the Indian Government, in order to claim their fair share of entitlements and benefits.  In terms of the technical details, each Indian citizen registering into this Biometric database will have a  unique set of Fingerprint Biometric Templates, Iris Recognition Templates, and even Facial Recognition Templates.  The technical team who got the initial part of the project underway spent about 6 months coming up with the design and specs, and to also ensure that the Biometric System has strong capacities for data and information interchange, so the use of proprietary technology should not pose a problem.  

It should also be noted that this Biometric System being used in India, also comes under various Federal Government guidelines, including NIST, and the FBI.  Despite this project management success, there has been some criticism, and that includes that a primary focus seems to be on the quantity of Biometric Templates which are collected, rather than the quality (in other words, accuracy, with Failure to Accept, and the Failure to Reject being most important metrics here) of the Templates.  Perhaps this is a reason why this project is further ahead of schedule.  Btu if anything, there is one thing I gleaned from this Press Release which I thought was most important.  A similar program was launched in the United Kingdom, but was frought with hindrances and difficulties, primarily because of Privacy Rights Issues.  Now, here is a place like India in which such a Biometric System is being readily embraced and accepted. 

To me, this is a huge and stark contrast between a developed nation versus a developing nation.  Even without the most modern infrastructures, it appears to be that the developing nations are far more quicker to embrace the use of Biometrics than their Western counterparts.  Why is this so???  Well, in my opinion, in these developing nations, the citizens do not have the luxury nor the time to be worried about Privacy Rights Issues.  That is because these people are so poor, that they will welcome any type or kind of technology which will give them a better lifestyle.  This clearly demonstrates one of the strongest societal impacts Biometrics has upon a people in a particular country.  In the end, watch for the pace of developing nations to adopt the use of Biometric Technology to far outstrip the developed nations, especially here in the United States.

A Slick New Way For Keeping Track Of Medical Records

A Portable Library

To all of my subscribers out there, how many of you have a medical ailment or condition which requires you to carry some sort of bracelet or necklace which contains your medical information and data???  Heck, this even includes documentation which you have to carry in your purse or wallet.  Well, if you do, there could be a breakthrough on the way, which I came across this morning.  A Biometrics Vendor known as “SmartMetric” has just announced that it has launched the world’s first health records card, which is protected by Biometrics. 

Here are the details of this:  “If a person has diabetes, a heart condition, or any number of chronic or serious medical conditions, immediate secure access to their medical history and diagnostics can mean the difference between life and death in the case of an emergency. Now a person can conveniently carry their complete medical information and no matter where they are in the world, instant access to their vital medical information can be made by Doctors and Health Care professionals providing treatment. Access to this important private information is secure and protected by the owner's fingerprint. No fingerprint match means no access to the information on the card. Protecting privacy while protecting life, the new SmartMetric Portable Medical Records Card provides peace of mind for the millions of sufferers of chronic medical conditions.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9039/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

First and foremost, the Biometric Technology is Fingerprint Recognition. Once again, this comes to no surprise to me, as this is the technology of choice for most Security applications in the medical field and with regards to healthcare.  While I am sure there are other ways out there to contain your medical information and data on a card, this is the first time I have seen it being used with Biometrics.  And this I can say for sure, given I scour the Internet daily news and headlines in the Biometrics Industry.  And I think that personally, this is great, now that there is a secure way to contain your medical information, and have it on demand when it is needed, especially when you are in the ER, faced with a life and death situation. 

But, of course, with this huge plus, there are a number of big minuses as well which I will explore (hey that’s my job, right???).  First, what if the scenario exists that if a person is in a dire medical emergency, what if the information and data held in the records card cannot be accessed???  Since this is all controlled via Biometrics (I am assuming so at least), what if the Fingerprint Sensor fails to work, and extremely important stuff cannot be accessed???  This could mean a matter of life and death, in just a few minutes, or even in a few seconds.  Are there any other mechanisms in place which allow the healthcare worker (doctor, nurse, etc.) to access this data??? In other words, is there a fail safe in place??? Remember, as I have written about before, there is nothing fancy about Biometrics. 

It is just another piece of technology, and is prone to many failures just as well.  Second, what if the individual loses this health records card, and falls into the wrong hands??? Then what, are there other Security safeguards in place as well, to protect the information and data in it???  Third, just how rugged is this device, and how well can the technology in it absorb shock and extreme weather conditions???  By this, I mean, people are always on the move.  What if the individual accidentally dropped in water, or snow???  Can this device take a such an impact???  Fourth, from what I can gather, it appears to me that some of the Security of this device will be outsourced to different third parties.  For example, “An electronic imaging capture and transfer service will be managed by independent companies who will be bonded and audited to ensure record security.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9039/). 

As you can see, this is a broadly stated quote.  Who are these independent companies???  Are they actual Biometrics/Security Vendors with a good reputation, or are they outsourced Security companies working somewhere in China and India???  These are questions I would want to have answered if I were to purchase this solution.  If Security mechanisms have to be outsourced, then I would want to have them outsourced to reputable Security companies here in the United States.  Fifth, although this may be a great solution today but remember, these new Biometric solutions have to keep up with pace of Federal Legislations and Mandates which are designed to protect patient privacy. 

And if the Federal laws keep changing, so do the products and solutions, which means in the end, the cost will come down to you via having to purchase an upgrade or an entirely new health card.  Sixth, there is the concern of wireless communications involved here.  I am sure that the medical information and data will have to be access this way, so what are the Security mechanisms in place to encrypt those wireless communications???  These are all serious questions to consider, and I am sure that there are more. But to end on a high note, it seems like that this health card is designed to extremely affordable to anybody who wants to use it . . . from the Press Release it is currently priced at below $89, which is the retail price.

Weight Loss Through Biometrics

Biometrics Incentives

You know, I have been in the Biometrics Industry since 2003.  I have seen and written up just about every application there is with regards with to Biometrics, and it seems like that every few months, some new application comes out.  I would not say it is a completely new application, but rather a hybrid being born out of an existing application.  Probably the best one is that multimodal Biometric solutions, now called “Hybrid Multimodal Biometrics”.  This is a combination of using different Biometric Technologies, in one unit, to address multiple Security needs.  Oh, yea, and how can forget about the use of Biometrics in predicting consumer behavior, for targeted advertising???  The specific name for this is actually, Neuromarketing.  Well today, we come across a totally new application for Biometrics.  And it is not dealing with Security or marketing, but rather, helping to motivate people. 

The Vendor mentioned in the Press Release is known as “IncentOne”, and here are the details:  “IncentOne, the leading provider of incentive solutions to the healthcare industry, has launched the first outcomes-based biometric incentive program through its Health Power™ platform. With this solution, IncentOne will enable payers, health service companies, employers, governments and administrators to align incentives to outcomes and improvements in 20 different biometric measures. As part of the solution, these outcomes can also be combined with participation-based biometric activities and non-biometric activities for a turn-key engagement solution. 

Key features of the solution include the ability to:

*Combine outcomes and participation-based programs

*Set desired biometric outcomes for 20 measures including Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio, Total Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, HDLc Ratio, Triglycerides, Glucose, A1C, Cotinine, and LDL Cholesterol

*Set absolute, percentage or minimum improvements for each measure

*Require multiple biometric measures to be reached for incentive earning”

(SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9038/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

First, it should be noted that in this context, Biometrics does not specifically refer to Fingerprint Recognition, Iris Recognition, Facial Recognition, etc.  Rather, the reference is to out biological traits, as can is exemplified in the second bullet.  But hey, everybody has unique Biometrics in this regard as well, so in my view, it still falls under the definition of “Biometrics”, without the verification/identification component involved.  So yes, this is another new apps of Biometrics.  Whenever I have thought of Biometrics, I have always envisioned it as a Security mechanism.  But used as an incentive tool??? 

That is the furthest thing from my mind I have ever imagined.  So how are Biometrics being used as an incentive tool here???  Well, once again, the Biometrics as outlined in the second bullet are being used as a benchmark for which healthcare providers can use to create incentives for their clients to reach certain health and/or weight loss goals.  More specifically, this is known as an “outcomes-based engagement strategy.”  The hope is that coupling this methodology with various types and kinds of health management activities will motivate people to stay in their best shape possible.  This is deemed to be the next trend in healthcare management, and a hopeful benefit of this will be substantial cost savings, which of course will be great news to medical patients, given the ever increasing costs of healthcare. 

Overall, the Biometrics Industry plays a very huge role in the healthcare industry, and as you can tell, it is mostly for securing the privacy of patient record and data.  But now, as one can see, it is playing a completely different role, in that of healthcare maintenance.  I am really glad to see that Biometrics (although the term is being used rather loosely here) is being used to help people be in the best shape that they can be.  After all, the United States has one of the worst obesity rates in the world, and this is just another great means to bring that obesity rate down.  By having a lower obesity rate, this will mean the ultimate in cost savings to taxpayers like you and me.  So, in my view, this is another area the Biometrics Industry can work in:  The welfare of the people. 

Remember, it is not all about Security.  As I have written about before, Biometrics is one of those very unique technologies which embraces not only the secure aspects of our lives, but the social part of it as well.  And if the technology can be used to prolong the lives of us Americans, so be it.

A New Way To Combat Cybercrimes

Internet Security

Yes, as the title presents itself as such, it is a very serious threat.  The problem with threats from the Internet are that attacks and hijacks occur in an almost invisible state-you don’t know they are coming, until you are hit. And when you are hit, the worst has come, and your computer comes to an almost standstill.  In fact, this just happened to me about a month or so ago.  As I was leaving to see my beautiful girlfriend Anita, my laptop started to act in a very weird way.  At first thought, my suspicions were that it was the Norton antivirus pop ups which kept coming up at logon, which said “Install Now”. 

But by Sunday, this was not the case.  The pop us started to get worse, and finally, my entire computer was hijacked.  It got so bad, that it looked like my entire desktop had disappeared, when in reality, it never did.  It was just hidden by the malicious code which pervaded it.  Although cyberspace and the Internet offer great convenience for shopping (especially during the holiday season), we always are afraid once we hit the “Submit” button, if our confidential and private information is, and will ever be safe. 

But according to a Press Release I came about today, a Biometrics Vendor known as “Ceelox, Inc.” has a Biometrics solution which could help curtail the risk borne from Internet Security.  Here are the details:  “Ceelox, Inc., in response to the large rash of cybercrimes, offers a secure alternative to eliminate theft and user fraud. Ceelox ID Online incorporates two factor identity authentication utilizing biometrics. This patent pending solution can be implemented as stand alone protection and can be coupled with existing, hack ridden, solutions utilizing tokens or the typical username and password . . . Ceelox ID Online is a software portal that easily and quickly integrates into any institution's systems. With two-factor authentication, any institution significantly enhances the security of online Internet and cloud applications. Unlike other 2-factor authentication solutions, Ceelox ID, biometric two-factor authentication, is integrated into the design, creating the most definitive real time authentication tool available. In addition, the Ceelox patent pending solution eliminates replay attacks, which have been the source of the recent wave of cybercrime.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9025/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

To exemplify just how serious Internet Security is, according to the Press Release, Security breaches have cost Corporate America some $7.2 Million per incident. Now, that is a staggering amount.  To show another example, Citigroup was just recently badly hit as well. For example, “In a recent article published by the Wall Street Journal, Citigroup Inc. plans to send replacement credit cards to about 100,000 North American customers after its systems were breached by a hacking attack affecting about 200,000 accounts . . . The hacking incident at Citigroup Inc. could cost the company millions of dollars for customer notifications, card replacements and defections by jittery account holders. The attack, which affected 1% of Citi's North American bank card customers . . .”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9025/). 

Although the specifics into the Biometrics Solution were not mentioned, apparently, it takes a two factor approach.  Biometrics is one component, while Cryptography tokens, and yes, those extremely vulnerable usernames and passwords can be used also.  I am safely assuming that the Biometrics Technology is Fingerprint Recognition.  Also, this appears to be a versatile solution, as it can be used on both the local (individual laptop) and server level.  But despite these new solutions which come out, one has to keep in mind that Internet Security, and Cybersecurity, is a huge cat and mouse game, as I have eluded to and written about before, is nothing but a huge cat and mouse game.

Meaning, by the time a new solution comes out from a Security Vendor, the hackers have already found a way to circumvent that solution, and cause damage.  Really, anybody and any organization is very much prone to the effects of Identity Theft and Cybercrimes, but financial institutions need to play a very watchful eye on their systems, because after all, it is their customers money which is at stake.  Where these financial institutions need to keep the most careful eye is on the network access protocols, where a hacker can easily steal login credentials, and gain quick access to financial accounts. Any Security breach is not just bad publicity for them, but will also be a huge turn off as well as a huge loss of customers once the Security Breach is solved. 

In my view, although there is not 100% guarantee in any solution against the fight of hackers and malicious attackers, Biometrics will prove to be a great boon here.  After all, everybody has some sort of unique biological and physiological structure to them, which can ascertain their identity.  And once the identification can be verified with 2,000% confidence, that is all that is needed in order to win the war on Identity Theft.