Biometrics Security News and Information

A Message To Corporate America

Results From A Survey

Do you remember last week at some point in time, a Biometrics Vendor known as “BIO-Key International, Inc.” had asked me to put up a Press Release about their insights into Security and the demand for Biometrics in the future???  Well, they also did a follow up survey based upon the launch of that Press Release (from where it was posted on other sources).  Both online and print surveys were made available (with regards to the latter, it was distributed to some 2,500 top industry leaders).  And of course, here are the results of this survey:

*“44% of the participants stated they had a lack of confidence in their current security system.

*36% of the participants stated they are reviewing their security process within 6 months.

*79% use passwords & 24% use pins

*94% of the participants stated that their company's security system would be better if it included finger biometrics.

*45% fear internal threats to security — 36% external.”

(SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9019/). 

What’s my take on all of this???  Well, based according to these statistics, most of what I have been writing in these Postings have been reflected up above.  For example, it comes to of no surprise to me that close to half of the total respondents have a severe lack of confidence in their existing Security infrastructure, protocols, and practices.  As I have said before, the United States is one of the most technologically advanced countries on earth, it is probably the most backwards when it comes to Security.  And, Corporate America is no better. 

Given these tight economic times, IT budgets are the first to be cut, which of course includes the Security component.  But given these tight economic times, Corporate America still has to be very proactive and serious about their own Security, both from a logical and physical standpoint.  After all, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company may save $$$ by trimming budgets, but it will cost a hell of a lot more if it was hit with a massive Security attack.  And in my opinion, 6 months is too long to wait to review existing processes and protocols.  It should be done NOW.  In my view, anything disastrous can happen from now to 6 months later, and by then, much newer Security threats and vulnerabilities will come out, thus making that review process totally obsolete.  With regards to the third bullet, it comes to of no surprise to me pretty much the overwhelming majority still uses passwords, PIN’s, or a combination of both. 

I am not finding fault here with this, after all, passwords and other related login credentials have always been the norm, so why not stick to something that has always been used???  In other words, it’s only human nature to stick to the present, and to be afraid of change, and the future.  But passwords and PIN’s can only be used for so long.  True, Corporate America has adopted stronger Security policies to further strengthen password entropy, but that very often requires the employee or the individual to remember some long and extremely complex password.  Being so frustrated with it, the employee will merely revert back to their old password habits, thus defeating any purpose of an enhanced Security policy.  Therefore, it is great to see that an equally overwhelming majority favor the use of Biometrics, especially Fingerprint Recognition. 

When it comes to Biometrics in Corporate America, I think it will be Fingerprint Recognition which will out in the end.  Why do I say this???  Well, Fingerprint Recognition is probably the oldest amongst the Biometric Technologies, it is easier to deploy and understand, and is the least prone to Privacy Rights Issues.  Could other Biometric Technologies come into the forefront???  Perhaps so, and if does, it will be Iris Recognition first, then Facial Recognition.  Finally, it also comes to no shock to me that close to half of the respondents surveyed fear the internal threat more than the external threat. 

This is so, because as I have written before, it is the employee which is the weakest link in the chain-whether Security breaches occur with intent or by accident.  It is the employee which is the greatest threat to businesses and organizations, because they possess the most knowledge of internal workings and processes.  Thus, they know how to easily circumvent the system, given enough time.  So, how can the results of this survey be best summarized in just a few words???  CORPORATE AMERICA, IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP!!! There, short and succinct. 

News From India And Malyasia

News From The World

Well, how was everybody’s weekend???  Mine was fine, spent most of it with my darling girlfriend Anita, and just relaxing.  Probably our first relaxing in quite some time!!!  As many of you may not know, Anita also has an Indian heritage, just like me.  Her father was Indian, and her mother is American. 

But my parents were Indian.  So as we are laying plans down for the wedding we are having here in the US next July, we have also been talking a little bit about having a wedding in India, to give honor and tribute not only to our parents, but to our culture and heritage as well.  So with this international theme in mind, let us take another Biometrics tour of the world, but this time, we are just focusing on one specific segment:  The Asian Pacific region, specifically India and Malaysia.

India Once Again

In a massive move, one of the largest financial institutions there, the Reserve Bank of India, has announced that it will be a issuing a Biometric Card for all of its customers.  Here are the details of this:  “Credit cards which moved from being embossed pieces of plastic to magnetic swipe cards a decade back are set for another transformation as the Reserve Bank of India moves to the next level of card security. An RBI panel has said that all credit cards issued three years from now should have a electronic chip and transactions should be authenticated by a personal identification number (PIN ) . . . these recommendations have been made in a report by a working group set up by RBI to increase the security of transactions where credit cards are present (unlike online transactions). The report suggests that an alternative to PIN could be a biometric verification of the cardholders identity using data from Aadhar - the project by the Unique Identification Authority of India.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9013/). 

As I have written about before, India is also home to what is deemed as the world’s largest Biometric project.  In this effort, the Government of India is hoping to register each and every of its 1.3+ Billion citizens into a Biometric Database, whether it is Fingerprint Recognition, Iris Recognition, or Facial Recognition.  So, this decision by the Reserve Bank of India to implement a Biometric based financial card born from this project makes complete sense to me.  Although the specific type of Biometric Technology was not mentioned, I can safely assume that it will be Fingerprint Recognition. 

After all, most financial institutions worldwide are now using this, when it comes to Biometrics.  The primary objective here is to reduce, as much as possible, the level of credit card theft and fraud in India.  But being of Indian origin, and having visited India many times, this is a country where corruption and fraud are extremely prevalent.  True, implementing Biometrics will help to a certain degree, but the problem is so deep and wide, the use of Biometrics is just a drop in the bucket in curtailing this problem.

Border Control In Malaysia

Just last week, I had written a Posting about Border Control in Canada.  Now today, we see it in Malaysia:  “Malaysia is expected to fully implement its biometric system at all border entry points by end of this month in a bid to check cross border crime involving foreigners . . . Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the system, which was studied and tested for one and a half years by the ministry, had so far been implemented in several entry points since June 1 . . . The minister said initial discussions with foreign experts also revealed that the system had been proven effective in detecting the movement of foreigners with criminal records.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9012/). 

It is anticipated that this new Border Control system will be completely up and running in Malaysia by the end of this month, June.  It did have a staggering cost associated with it to the Malaysian Government, and the prime objective here is to keep track of  foreign visitors entering and exiting the country (and also to make sure they do not use a different alias/passport), much like the Canadian implementation.  Interesting to note though, it is not the fingerprint which is the primary Biometric to be used, but rather, the thumbprint. 

In the initial field studies, the Malaysian Government has had success with this project, in that it was able to keep tabs of foreign visitors in Malaysia whom had some sort of criminal record associated with them.  To me, it will be interesting to see how the people of Malaysia react to this, given the Islamic culture and beliefs there (if I am not mistaken, I think Malaysia has the world’s largest population of Muslims).

Facial Recognition In The Limelight

Facial Recognition

As I look back at my 700+ Postings, I have come to realize that it has been actually, quite some time, since I have written about just one piece of a specific Biometrics Technology.  So, without further waste of time, let’s talk about Facial Recognition.  Long story short, Facial Recognition, when compared to the other Biometric Technologies out there, is still a relatively new one, even though it may sound like it has been out there for quite some time.  The best days of this I remember are back earlier last decade.  After the tragic incidents of 9/11, pretty much all of the Biometrics Technologies got a very close look at.  But, for some reason another, it was Facial Recognition, which got the most. 

Even a couple of the leading Vendors out there got a huge boost to their stock price and bottom line because of this great level of attention.  But unfortunately, over time, Facial Recognition could not live up to all this hype, stock prices fell, and the media totally condemned it as a pure violation of Privacy Rights and Civil Liberties.  As far as how the technology actually works, a Facial Recognition takes pictures of different angles of the face, most notably, the chin, nose, lips, cheeks, etc.  All of these separate images are then compiled into one master picture, and from there the unique features are extracted.  So yes, the process does sound the same, as say, Fingerprint Recognition. 

But that is where the similarities end. Back in the day, Facial Recognition could not take into consideration weight loss, or weight gain in the face, changes in facial hair, or even if one was wearing a hat in one picture and not one in the other.  But one of the biggest problems with Facial Recognition was that it could not take into consideration lighting in the external environment, which would reflect upon the face.  Although the technology has greatly improved over time, these problems, to some extent or another, still persist.  But, as I eluded to before, there is one gargantuan problem which plagues it.  And that is the issue of Privacy Rights/Civil Liberties violations. 

In fact, this same concern was echoed by the top leader at Google:  “Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, recently raised concerns over the misuse of face recognition technology. Eric Schmidt said he was “very concerned” over the rapid development of face recognition technology and that it could result in an infringement of privacy. He said it would be unlikely Google would develop a database using facial recognition advances and that “some company by the way is going to cross that line.””  (SOURCE:  http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_news3.asp?articleid=266309&arttitle=Face recognition is not bad technology but its use does need to be monitored and controlled). 

To counter this argument, a Biometrics Vendor known as “OmniPerception” provided this:  “Mr Hefferman said that while he welcomed public debate about the integrity of face recognition technology that he was concerned that it would create negative connotations that the technology was somehow flawed.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_news3.asp?articleid=266309&arttitle=Face recognition is not bad technology but its use does need to be monitored and controlled). 

What’s my take on all of this???  As a society, whether we like it or not, Facial Recognition will be used, and is here to stay, for the long term.  True, it does have its flaws, just like anything else out there (heck, I will even say human and non human flaws).  But despite its flaws, in some ways or another, it has definitely proved its worth in some applications.  And these types of apps are those where there are a lot of people present in one location, at anytime.  A perfect example of this is the international airport. 

At any one point in time, there will obviously be a ton of human traffic in and out of the airport.  Obviously, Security guards cannot keep their eye on each and every individual, so thus, Facial Recognition becomes an important tool.  Another example of this is Facial Recognition being used with CCTV Cameras at major traffic intersections.  Heavy traffic, large crowds.  But admit it or not, Facial Recognition will always be plagued with the issues of Privacy Rights and Civil Liberties violations, much more so than the other Biometric Technologies out there???  Really, this should not be the case, because Biometrics in general has that connotation.  So why does Facial Recognition receive such negative views??? 

Well, I think it is because of its negative association with law enforcement.  Every where we go (and especially at the Post Office), we see pictures of wanted or known criminals.  For some reason or another, this is associated with Facial Recognition.  This is also analagous to Fingerprint Recognition.  Since the fingerprint has long been associated with law enforcement as well, there is also a negative connotation associated with it (but to a much lesser degree than Facial Recognition).  So how do we resolve this issue with Facial Recognition???  Well, it lies in the public’s perception of Biometrics as a whole. 

If people are more accepting of it (especially here in the United States), then perhaps Facial Recognition will get a boost.  But this will only come when the public sees concrete examples of Facial Recognition in action, in a positive way, not negative, as the media and press so often elaborate upon. Really, in the end, it comes down to who is examining and using the Facial Recognition technology. 

For the Biometrics Vendors, the customers using it (and techies in general) will find this to be a viable Security tool to be used, whereas the public (who does not really understand the technology, and only get their information from the media and the press) will have a very negative feeling about it.  To me, I have no problems with Facial Recognition, but I caution people who use it, not to rely upon it solely.  Your best defense, as I have said many times before, is a multiple approach.

Our Neighbor To The North: Canada

Northern Protection

Hey, with the summer now here, and in full swealtering power, how many of you have trips planned around here in the United States, or even worldwide???  If it is the latter, be prepared to use the e-Passport (or even any other types/kids of electronic documentation verifying your identity).  And also, be prepared for the extra Security procedures and protocols, as other countries around the world, in my view, seem to have much better levels of Security than we do here in our own homeland.  So maybe you can see where I am going with this topic, which is Border Security.  This is always a very much hot button topic, especially with our neighbor to the south, Mexico. 

But how often do you hear about our neighbor to the north, which is Canada???  I have not heard too much, at least that is until today.  Just last week, the Canadian Government announced that it was implementing Biometrics within the country on a full scale basis. 

The details:  “Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's office has confirmed Canada will soon roll out biometric scanning for travellers seeking visas to Canada, but it won't say which country will be first . . . the federal government is planning to roll out the first phase of the $200-million electronic fingerprinting program in India because of ongoing concerns about widespread immigration fraud on applications from that country . . . The government announced in 2008 it was moving to biometrics, which is considered more reliable than the use of subjective photo identification by immigration agents, because it uses digital measurements that can be stored on computers and magnetic strips.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/9005/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

First of all, it should be noted that Biometrics is not being used totally for Border Control all around Canada, it is just requiring foreign visitors entering into the country to enroll into the Canadian Biometric system.  And of course, it is Fingerprint Recognition which is being used here as well (a natural choice, since Security surrounding the use of electronic documentation always revolves this Biometric Tool).  But still, requiring foreign visitors to fall under this protocol is in my view, still an umbrella of Border Control. 

And what is even more amazing is that the catalyst for this massive initiative is the ongoing problem of visa and immigration which is occurring in India.  This deployment here will cost the Canadian Government some $200 Million plus dollars.  It does not surprise me in the least bit to see India as the major thrust here, because corruption and bribery are rampant in that country, and even I have witnessed it.  I even wonder how much this has caused other countries to ramp up their visa and immigration procedures as well. 

It should also be noted that the Canadian Government has not yet fully compiled its list of those countries whom are required to be enrolled into this Biometric system (this is expected to happen by 2012).  The United States-Canadian Border is a very long stretch of real estate, something like 3,000+ miles wide across.  If I am not mistaken, I also think it could very well even be the longest border between two nations in the entire world.  But for as long as it is, this border hardly has any Security attached to it.  So, in my view, it is really quite awesome to see the Canadian Government do something to protect its own borders with us, even if the US Federal Government refuses to do anything. 

Watch for this topic to come up in the next Presidential election.  It is always the case that when there is another Presidential election, Border Control is always at the top of the list.  Hopefully, this time around, we can perhaps take away some attention with regards to Border Protection to our neighbor in the South, and devote it up north.  Security is greatly needed here as well.  We just can’t assume that nothing will happen here, because nothing has happened previously before.  This is the mindset we had with the WTC and 9/11, and look what happened . . . 3,000+ innocent lives lost, for no reason what so ever. 

It should be noted that this Biometrics program which is going to be implemented by the Canadian Government has a strong bearing and resemblance to the US VISIT program.  Hopefully though, the Canadian Government will have learned from our own mistakes with this technically challenged program, and implement a Biometric system which is fair to all foreign visitors visiting Canada, and ultimately, having these people wanting to come again for another visit, albeit business or pleasure.

Those Extremely Annoying Traffic Lights

Are We Being Watched???

I see my beautiful girlfriend, Anita, just almost every week night.  I usually see her after I get done working out, or doing the martial arts.  Anita lives about 10 miles or so from where I live, so in theory, it should not take a long time to get to her house.  But that is theory, but reality dictates the opposite.  The traffic can be extreme, but that is only during the day time.  During the night time, there is another nemesis I have to deal with:  Traffic lights.  The western suburbs here in Chicago, and especially here in Lombard, have to have some of the slowest traffic lights in the world. 

It gets the most aggravating when it is like 11:30 at night, and I am waiting like 3 minutes to make a left turn, when there is virtually no traffic.  The temptation to drive right through the traffic light is extremely strong, but I know fully well, there is probably a cop ready to pounce and give a ticket, or worse yet, there are those CCTV cameras that take a picture of your car and license plate if you commit a traffic violation.  Think you won’t get caught with this fancy technology?  Think again . . .more than likely, two weeks later, you will get a hefty ticket in the mail.  And I can tell you from experience, this has happened to me on at least two separate occasions, and it caught me totally off guard, and very much to my surprise.  So this brings up the issue of these surveillance technologies, and how they are used covertly. 

It is a topic I have written about before, but I came across a Press Release which updates these previous Postings.  Apparently, there is a market research report which just came out, making the forecasts for CCTV Cameras is going to escalate, especially when it is combined with the use of Biometrics.  The details:  “In an attempt to mitigate crime and terror, the global installed base of more than 45 million CCTV surveillance systems has been experiencing dramatic growth throughout the last decade. The current decade will be marked by the fusion of CCTV with Biometrics, and human behavioral signatures, which will create a new multibillion premium security market of CCTV-Based Remote Biometric & Behavioral Suspect Detection . . . This family of technologies results from the need to remove the bottlenecks of current CCTV and people screening systems, the inability to provide reliable real-time alarm when suspects are viewed by the CCTV camera and the staggering cost of security officers, required to operate 24/7 CCTV workstations. This fusion of technologies brings significant growth opportunities to CCTV, biometric and IT systems manufacturers, security systems integrators and entrepreneurs. This new market (including systems sales, upgrades and post warranty service) is forecasted to reach $3.2 billion by 2016, growing at a CAGR of 33%.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9018/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Some statistics worth noting, which even completely surprised me:

*The CCTV (along with the use of Biometrics) is expected to reach some $3.2 Billion by the year 2016;

*There are some 45,000,000+ CCTV Cameras used globally;

*The above forecasted revenue represents a growth rate of about 33%.

As you can see from the above quote, the use of the traditional CCTV Camera is now fast dissipating-the trend now is to use Biometrics along with it, especially when it comes to the use of Facial Recognition technologies.  As populations continue to grow, data needs to be captured and analyzed in real time.  I mean, even the traditional Security guard cannot be awake 24 X 7 X 365-the claim exists, but in reality, it probably never happens. 

Implementing Biometrics with the CCTV Cameras to a certain extent provides this extra eye, but best yet, it provides for an extra layer of irrefutable evidence once the person is caught, and is tried in a court of law (and of course, decreases the need to hire Security guards).  To be honest, I am not all surprised by this huge growth rate in CCTV Cameras.  Although they are a traditional piece of Security technology, they definitely have proved their worth, and in my view, provides probably one of the best forms of evidence in a court of law.  And given its use with Biometrics, it will just become that much more powerful.  But, I do have a strong fear here as well. 

And that is, the misuse of these CCTV Cameras in a covert fashion.  I am not at all against using CCTV Cameras in a covert fashion, as long as the public knows that they are there, and they are being watched.  I do have to credit to the city of Chicago, and the surrounding suburbs.  Whenever there is a traffic light which is being monitored and enforced by a CCTV Camera system, there is at least a sign warning you of it.  But, by biggest concern is that the covert nature of these CCTV Cameras will be used to convict the innocent people, and bring a rush to judgement, because of the robustness and the automated nature of CCTV Camera systems, especially when combined with the use of Biometrics. 

But remember, CCTV Cameras are just another piece of technology, very much prone to mistakes as well.  This is where the human factor comes into play.  With the quickness, speed and clarity of the evidence which comes in with these new powerful CCTV Cameras, it is also very much equally important to analyze that data to make sure the right person is actually caught, and convicted, if need be.  And the only thing that can do this is the good eye of human judgement.

An Industrial Insight

A Different Insight Into Biometrics

For the past three years of daily blogging, I have offered my insight into Biometrics, as well as my opinions and commentary into the future of Biometrics, especially as we travel through these challenged and turbulent economic and Security times.  I have covered such topics as to what I think which Biometric Technologies could be the wave of the future, as well as economic and financial forecasts.  Well, in today’s Posting, we are taking a different approach into this subject matter.  I have been asked by a Biometrics Vendor known as “BIO-Key International, Inc.” to share a Press Release (actually more of an open letter) into their analysis into what the state of Biometrics is now, and into the future.

This Press Release covers the following topics:

*Has the overall Security market reached some sort of tipping point, which will be the catalyst for the boom in Biometrics (especially with regards to the use of Usernames/Passwords)???

*What role will Biometrics play in a totally mobile environment???

Download the Press Release here, and get actual industry insight:

www.biometricnews.net/Bio-Key International/Press_Release.pdf

The Tax Man Cometh

Tax Time!!!

Yes, April 15^th is a time we all dread, no matter what our walk of life is.  To many people, it can bring good fortunes via a nice tax refund (like what happened to me this year), or you could very well have to pay taxes.  And for those deep in tax debt, this day bring about many types and kinds of nightmares.  And to business owners in particular (just like myself), this time period can be even more stressful, because now you have to garner all of your business income and expenses together.  Also, as small business owners, we also have a tighter time frame to deal with, as all of this stuff is due on March 15^th of every year. 

Now, if you are like me, you never trust yourself to do your own taxes.  You always hire a reliable tax professional to do it all for you.  Yea, it can be a bit of a small expense, but believe me, it is worth the trouble. Because, I for one do not know a darned thing as to what to put on what line on those dreaded tax returns.  Personal income taxes are complex enough, but just imagine what it is like for business tax returns.  And if you have a small business with multiple divisions, it gets even worse.  When we hire a tax professional, the first thing that comes to mind is how cheap they are in terms of costs.  Heck, even this runs through my mind first as well.  But, there is a lot more to look at a tax professional than just cost. You want to make sure they are established, have a track record, and have client testimonials.  But most of all, you want a tax professional who will stand up for you and protect your rights in case you get in trouble with the IRS for any reason.  And once again, this is something very crucial to have, as I have had to deal with the IRS in the past myself, of course, with the help of my seasoned tax professional.  I

t is in this regard, that the IRS is now cracking down on honest and ethical tax preparers.  I think this move is the first time in this organization’s history.  And to help actually prove who is an ethical tax preparer, Biometrics is being used.  In the Press Release, the Biometrics Vendor known as “Daon Trusted Identity Services” is mentioned, and here is the inside scoop as to how they are helping out the IRS:  “Daon, a global provider of identity assurance software and services, announced that Daon Trusted Identity Services (DTIS) has been awarded a contract with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide fingerprinting and FBI background checking services for the estimated 1 million people that prepare and/or assist in the preparation of federal tax returns . . . The multi-year contract will provide tax preparers with a cost-effective and convenient way to prove that they meet the ethical standards of conduct set forth by the IRS. Working in conjunction with The UPS Store, DTIS will designate a minimum of 450 The UPS Store locations throughout the U.S. within the next six months to collect fingerprints. Additional international collection locations will be established as well.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9003/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Although the exact dollar volume was not mentioned, it appears to be a rather large sized Biometrics contract which was awarded.  For example, it is multi year, and will require the 1,000,000+ tax preparers to be enrolled into this system, to prove their identity, and that they are legitimate.  And of course, the Biometric Technology tool of choice of here is Fingerprint Recognition.  In my view, I think this is a great move by the IRS.  There are so many tax preparers out there, who do you know who is legitimate if you are shopping around for one for the first time???  It is so easy to get lured by promises of large tax refunds, but remember in the end, no matter who prepares our tax returns, we, the American taxpayer are in the end responsible for the validity and honesty of our own tax returns. 

If the IRS ever questions your tax return (and hopefully they never), they will come down on us, not the tax preparer.  In their own defense, the tax preparer will just claim that they completed the tax return based on the information which was provided to them.  In fact, in this regard, a new trend seems to be emerging.  Every time you use a tax professional, they now make you fill out a disclaimer form that the work they do is solely based on the information and data you present to them.  It does not matter for how long you have personally trusted your tax professional, this is now the up and coming trend, given the high costs and probabilities of law suits and litigation.  Heck, even I had to sign a disclaimer form this year, even though I have been using the same tax professional for two years now.  But what is even more surprising is the venue in which the Biometric System will be deployed: 

The UPS Store.  It will implemented at some 450+ UPS Stores (and even international locations are soon to be slated).  To be honest, this is the last place I would have thought of.  But after thinking about it long and hard, it makes sense.  You want to have a place which is nice and convenient to enroll their fingerprints, especially when it comes to the IRS.  Nobody ever wants to walk into an IRS office for this.  It would just be way too intimidating and scary.  Hmm, I wonder what the next step will be:  Verifying the identity of all the United States taxpayers with Fingerprint Recognition???  I tell ya, from a technical perspective, that would be one hell of a massive Biometrics database for 350,000,000+ US citizens . . .  

 

The Thirst For Online Education

The Costs Keep Going Up

Well, I don’t know how many of you keep track of the financial markets, especially here in the United States.  If you do, you will know that two days ago (June 1^st), was the worst day for the DOW since August of last year.  It went down something like over 200 points, or 2% of it’s total value.  Many economic variables were at play here which were blamed for the downfall, especially low manufacturing numbers, and today, the escalating gas prices are being blamed for the sluggish retail sales this past month.  Customers and consumers are cutting back as much as they can, and trying to consolidate their traveling to stores in order to save on the enormous gas costs.  But, it is not just gas prices which are going up. 

It seems like prices are escalating in all facets of life, and yes, even higher education, especially that of college.  Higher learning costs have escalated beyond control, and compared to that, what I paid for tuition expenses in my undergrad years is just a drop in the bucket.  So, as a result, many individuals are now turning to online education as a viable means to get that college or other higher education degree. In other words, forget about the traditional brick and mortar methods of learning, all you need now is just an Internet connection, and you can take all the courses you need for your degree all from the comforts of your home or office. But, all of this does come at a price, and namely of higher demands for Security.  After all, when you log into your “online college”, how do people at the other end of Cyberspace really know that it is you??? 

Well, a Biometrics Vendor known as “Biometric Signature ID, Inc.” has come up with a solution to this problem, and of course, here are the details:  “Biometric Signature ID, Inc. (BSI) announced today that the patented BioSig-ID signature gesture biometric technology for identity authentication and the uSignOnline electronic signature application were selected by the online distance education consortium, EduKan, for use this Fall 2011 to verify student identity online. It is the goal to not only be in compliance with regulations regarding authentication of their online student population but to manage costs to keep fees down to students. 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 . . . EduKan found that BSI’s Identity Management software could enable them to grow their online enrollment while keeping costs down. BSI’s software does not require any additional hardware or software downloads, can be used on any PC anywhere, anytime, does not collect personal identifying information, and tracks and reports all interactions. The cost per student for this technology is capped per student, thereby saving students money on additional examination proctoring fees, which was also a benefit for keeping the cost of education manageable for the students.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8987/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

The Biometric technology of choice here (and as can be seen in the quote up above), is known as “Gesture Recognition”.  True, it is not a Biometric which you hear about every day, but from what best I can tell, it exists out there.  It uses a combination of handwriting and gesture recognition, and the all the online student has to do to prove their identity is to click, with their mouse, various objects in a specific image. 

You may be wondering how fail safe is that, but keep in mind, each online student is given some sort of token which contains a unique piece of ID information and data (I am assuming some sort of a Cryptographic key).  Apart from the obvious Security advantages which are not too hard to figure out, there are numerous other benefits to be realized, especially that from a financial standpoint:

*Tuition contracts can be signed online (of course, with an electronic signature), thus saving money, and most importantly, time as this document can be signed and sent over in just a matter of seconds, versus hours or even days at the brick and mortar institutions of higher learning;

*Apparently, this Biometrics solution does not require any additional hardware or software, so thus, it can be used virtually anytime and anywhere.  As a result, tuition costs can be limited or capped per student, so there are no extra or additional exam fees to be paid, and online education expenses can be greatly curtailed and thus manageable.

So, given the current and forecasted economic climate, online education will be the place for higher learning, and college degree attainment.  But it is not just a general hypothesis to say that economic conditions will drive this growth.  Even hard core statistics prove this.  For instance, it is projected that by the year of 2015, some 25 million students here in the United States will be attending some sort of online education, versus the 4+ million students attending the brick and mortar institutions. 

While this does present great market potential for the people selling online education, it once again comes with a price:  A heavy burden placed on Security, especially in one area:  The 110% positive verification and/or identification of online students.  I mean, how will an online exam proctor know that some person in China is not taking an exam for an American student (true there are ways to go about this, like backtracking and reverse looking up the IP addresses)???  Forget PIN’s and Passwords, the only way the online education world will know that their students are for real is through the use of Biometrics, especially that of Fingerprint Recognition, and Iris Recognition, or a combination of both of them.

Good News For The Small Business Owner

A Dream Come True

For the small to medium sized business owner, in today’s economic times, the more that can be done as a single unit is great news.  What do I mean by this? For example, combining logistics processes.  If a business owner can get multiple product lines from just one supplier, that is for sure great news.  Time is saved, and of course, price breaks and discounts will be much greater.  The same even holds true for the IT needs of the small business owner.  Granted, the costs of hardware have dramatically reduced in price from when I first started in IT, still putting together a bunch of networking cables and servers, and printers, can be a very daunting task for any small business.  The costs then greatly escalate due to software licensing, and hiring a so called IT consultant telling the small business owner what they need at absorbant prices. 

Heck, even the same holds true for Security needs.  Wouldn’t it be great news if just one Security product or service can meet all demands of the business.  Well, it may be coming true now, via Biometrics.  A Biometrics Vendor known as “Entrust, Inc.” announced how their solution called “IdentityGuard” can do this:  “Entrust, Inc., a  digital identities and information solutions provider, today announces the release of Entrust IdentityGuard 10.0, which brings together security solutions for three distinct, yet closely knit worlds – physical, logical and mobile access. This latest update to Entrust's award-winning authentication platform offers users a single platform that delivers the broadest range of authenticators on the market, provides secure access through today's leading mobile platforms for business and simplifies the issuance and management of smartcards by integrating card and certificate management . . . Through its single versatile platform, Entrust IdentityGuard 10.0 enables organizations to easily manage and deploy a comprehensive range of unique authenticators simultaneously which can be issued based on specific requirements, associated risk and cost. The platform leverages a single administrative interface which allows organizations to manage and adjust security for a wide range of user groups, ranging from millions of consumers to a select group of senior executives. This flexibility enables organizations to adjust security in real-time to meet the quickly changing threat landscapes or future regulatory requirements.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8983/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

So as you can see from the above quote, this Biometrics solution combines all three of the market applications:  Physical Access, Logical Access, and Mobile/Wireless needs.  So, it offers a number of succinct advantages:

*The Security threshold which is required can be set exactly as dictated by the needs of the small to medium sized business;

*It is not just Security requirements which can be met, but also, but other essential criterion can be met as well, such as the risk tolerance of the SME, as well as how much they can afford on their tight IT budget;

*There is virtually no limit on the number on the number of people this Biometrics solution can service.  It can range from millions to just a handful of key people;

*All of the Security thresholds can be done in real time.  This provides a great benefit, as the Security threat landscape is always changing on a dynamic basis, 24 X 7 X 365.  It can also be made to meet Federal Mandates and Legislations, which can cost the SME’s huge amounts of money;

*This Biometrics Solution also comes with what is known as its own Public Key Infrastructure (also known as “PKI” for short).  Thus, the management of the associated Smart Cards becomes very effective and very efficient;

*The Security needs of the road warrior, or the mobile employee constantly on the go are met very easy and rapidly.  The Smartphones of these employees can be very easily connected to their corporate network, or even intranet very quickly, and can even be incorporated into the PKI infrastructure as described above;

*Also, via this Biometrics Solution, the employees of the SME (or really, anybody who uses this solution) can also be assured of safe, secure, and encrypted online communications when they are conducting financial transactions over the Internet and Cyberspace;

*But probably best of all, the Security features just listed do not have to be installed all at once.  Rather, they can be deployed over a period of time, so as to not disrupt business continuity.  And for the SME, this is great news, as any word of halts and stops to the business cycle always sends shivers down the spines of SME owners;

*In the end, this Biometrics solution allows the SME, to a certain degree, to keep up with the Security Threat landscape, by keeping it easy to use, flexible, and meeting the exacting needs of business.

In my view, while all this is great, my concern is that of cost.  I mean, if everything is bundled into one unit, how expensive can that be???  Of course, it can be just as expensive or even more if the SME owner had to implement Security controls at the Physical, Logical, and Wireless levels individually. 

But, there is another viable alternative to this, which the Biometrics Industry has still yet to fully embrace and implement:  A hosted Biometrics solution, where all of these Security needs can be met at a fraction of the cost, and just a few clicks of the mouse. 

A Tribute To The Children Of The World

The Future

How was everybody’s Memorial Day weekend?  Anita and I spent most of it in Goshen, IN, where she met my life long friend, Dennis.  We also saw a lot of different things, especially the Amish settlements out there.  It was truly a contrast to see the horse and buggy carriages sharing the same piece of highway as the motor vehicles.  A clash of the times, I would say.  But also, something happened which was totally unexpected.  We adopted two little kittens (both under a month old) from a farmer in the Goshen area.  Their names are “Kelly”, and “Cally”, both female kittens. As many of you know out there, we are planning to get married next July, and of course, after Anita attends and finishes up grad school, we are planning to start a family. 

We both would like to have two kids, and I guess having two kittens, in a unique way, is a great warm up to experiencing what family life will be like down the road.  So, this brings us up to the issue of children, and yes, how Biometrics relates to this.  In a Press Release today, a Biometrics Vendor known as “BIO-Key International”, announced that Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of the largest of its kind in the United States, has adopted one of its Biometric solutions. 

Here are the details:  “BIO-key International, Inc., a leader in finger-based biometric identification solutions, today announced that Nationwide Children's Hospital, one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric hospitals and research institutes in the United States, has implemented BIO-key's Positive ID Director for Epic, into their Epic user's workflow to insure their compliance with the Ohio Board of Pharmacies Positive ID requirement s . . . "Nationwide Children's Hospital has been using biometrics in association with our electronic medical records for over ten years. Our old biometrics solution never met our requirements. Upon witnessing significant improvements in the hospitals ability to enroll users, provide an accurate and consistent authentication experience and offer a convenient flexible transition, the hospital elected to migrate to the BIO-key Positive ID system" stated Michael Hunt Information Services - Technology and Infrastructure Coordinator, Nationwide Children's Hospital.”” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8974/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

As one can decipher from the above quote, the Biometrics Technology of choice is Fingerprint Recognition.  The primary application of this is to, of course, to come into compliance with the state of Ohio’s pharmacy and medical requirements (I am making a rather blanket assumption here that this is probably HIPPA related), and to safeguard their medical records and documentation. Apparently, this organization has been using Biometrics for some 10+ years in this regard, but decided to massively upgrade their systems with this new Biometrics solution. This organization is also one of the biggest advocates for children not just here in the United States, but worldwide as well.  Upon cursory glance, there is really nothing unique, as I have written about children and the use of Biometrics in other regards, primarily with regards to the subsidized school lunch program. 

But for some reason or another, this Press Release really struck a chord with me.  I don’t know because Anita and I planning to have a family, and we have been talking about it a lot recently, or we adopted the two kittens and saying that they are our kids.  As I read through it, I had one of those moments where I realized how precious children are, and how they are the future of not just the United States, but the world also.  Every effort must be given to them to realize their fullest potential, and how they can contribute their part to society as well. 

True, I realize this is a huge, general blanket statement to make, and there are tons of ways to do this.  Heck, even I have my own ideas as to how Anita and I can do this for our own kids down the road.  But truly, these little kids and babies are the ones which will be leading the world, and hopefully into a better, and much more prosperous ways than what we have now.  Hopefully they will live in a world where the world will be in peace and harmony, and where economic opportunities will abound and be plentiful.  As the older generation, it is our duty and responsibility to teach them the ways of values, beliefs, morals of what we think is right. 

Hopefully then as these babies and kids grow older, hopefully they can take they have learned and make it a part of them.  And be of no doubt, Biometrics in some way or another, will play a role in this, no matter how large, or how small.  I fully realize that this Posting is far from the norm of what I write about on a daily basis, but I call for all of the parents in the world, to take time with their kids, just give them a hug and a kiss, and tell them how much you love them.  A little love can go a long way.