Biometrics Security News and Information

The New CSI: DNA Analysis In Two Hours

Our DNA

DNA is that strand which in terms of a physiological level, is what makes and identifies us.  Everybody has it from the moment they are born, and if you examine at a deeper level, from the moment we are conceived.  The use of DNA holds many medical hopes, but also, it is widely and heavily used in law enforcement, and the criminal justice system.  This is so because DNA is what can 200% verify if a suspect is the actual guilty party or not.  Thus, it becomes a very valuable asset for forensics investigators.  Given this, just imagine the custody chain which has to be closely followed and regulated.  Because of the rich information it contains, DNA is also being examined as a possible Biometric Technology in the future.  One Biometrics Vendor leading the charge in this area is Northrop Grumman. 

Here are the details:  “Northrop Grumman Corporation announced today that it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army BOSS-U (Biometrics Operations and Support Services - Unrestricted) program to further develop and supply the IntegenX RapidHIT 200 Human DNA Identification System. Previously, IntegenX participated in an invited US Department of Defense (DOD) exercise where the RapidHIT system repeatedly delivered correct DNA identifications of individuals in under two hours . . . The RapidHIT 200 Human Identification System automates and accelerates the process of producing standardized DNA profiles from cheek swabs, human tissue samples, and other objects with low copy numbers of DNA. DNA profiles generated by the RapidHIT System are used to match collected samples with existing DNA records in domestic and international databases or to expand those databases. Numerous local, state, national and international law enforcement and security agencies use DNA-based human identification to make informed decisions.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9316/). 

My Take

I have written about DNA Recognition (the Biometric terminology being used here) on many an occasion, and in fact, I even have a published article about out in Europe somewhere.  If DNA Recognition can prove itself, it would probably the ultimate technology of all, given the amount of rich and unique data it contains (even more so than the iris or retina).  But the biggest hurdle right now faced by research and development teams is the time it takes to be processed. First, it used to take weeks, but given the recent advancements over the last few years or so, it can now be brought down into just a few days.  And according to this Biometrics Vendor, they have now the technology to bring DNA Recognition to just under two hours, or even less.  I am by no means a forensics or DNA expert, but this is a very quick time for DNA Recognition to take place. 

As you can see from the above quote, DNA profiles can be created from swabs taken from saliva, and other human tissue samples (I am assuming primarily blood).  These are then compared to actual DNA profiles in the databases.  So, my question, is at just how deep of a level is the DNA taken by this solution???  For instance is it just a small, representative sample, or can a whole DNA profile be created???  When I think of a DNA profile, I think of a complete portrait of the DNA strand, which includes all of two base pairs.  To me, a SNA sample contains just some of the base pairs.  Again, I am no expert, so if I am wrong here, somebody please correct me.  Based from what I have read, it seems like that this solution is primarily designed for the military and the battlefield. 

Of course, it makes sense to have this hear, as we absolutely want to make sure we have the right terror suspects in hand, and in custody.  We for sure do not want a repeat of Gitmo, where so many people are still being held, and who are probably innocent.  In fact, why not compare their DNA samples to existing terrorist databases and determine their guilt or not???  Well, irregardless, the fact that any type of DNA can be used in just under two hours is a great development.  Now, if it can just be brought down to two seconds or less, we would then have what I call “The Ultimate Biometric Technology of All Time.”  Hmm, I like the sound of that, maybe it could be the title of an award which could be presented to a Biometrics Vendor who can achieve this very task.

New Alliances Being Forged

Some Great Partnerships

Well, I have to admit, the news in the Biometrics Industry is a little boring today, so I am going to talk about something which I have not in awhile:  The strategic alliances which are being formed.  Just this past week, two major alliances have been formed, and below are the details.

Lumidigm and Identity Tech

“Lumidigm today announced that through its close partnership with IdentyTech Solutions Ltd., its exclusive distributor in Israel, Lumidigm is providing high security biometric solutions for organizations in Israel, the European Union, the United Kingdom, India and other countries throughout the world where organizations need reliable biometrics. With multispectral imaging technology, Lumidigm sensors use multiple spectrums of light and advanced polarization techniques to extract unique fingerprint characteristics from both the surface and subsurface of the skin to assure accurate fingerprint reads even in harsh environments.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9315/). 

AOptix Technologies Inc. and Emaratech

“AOptix Technologies, Inc. (AOptix) (www.aoptix.com), a leading developer of advanced biometrics-based identity solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with emaratech, a major regional system integrator for Government, Border Control, Aviation Security and Electronic Identification Systems and the sole creator and provider of smart and electronic border control gates in all of UAE airports, Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Qaboos airport and Jordan Queen Alia airport.” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9313/).

My Take

While there has been some sporadic reporting of newer partnerships being formed, this is the first time I have seen such multiple ones being created in such a short time span.  But if you read the above quotes carefully enough, there is one common denominator: The geographic location of the Middle East, which includes Israel, and Oman, as well as the United Arab Emirates.  I can see Israel being a huge consumer of Biometrics, given the heightened need for Security there, especially at its international airport, David Ben Gurion International, located in Tel Aviv.  But to be honest, I am pretty surprised to see Oman in the mix of things.  Sure, I have talked about other Middle Eastern countries using Biometrics, especially Saudi Arabia (which still perplexes my mind, given the deep cultural and religious beliefs there), but never have I talked about Oman. 

I guess every country has a right to choose if they want to use Biometrics or not, but the country of Oman is not a place where I conjured up as being high Security.  I actually flown through the airport a number of times (it is called “Seeb International Airport”, and is located in Muscat, right in the middle of the sweltering desert), and to me, the people were very friendly, and the landscape and the culture there seemed to me, to be very tranquil.  And believe me, Oman is not a country which comes to mind as a terrorist breeding ground like other countries, such as Yemen.  Another interesting trend is in the choice of Biometrics technologies being utilized: Fingerprint Recognition and Iris Recognition. 

But, hey any partnerships created is good news, it means there is some vibrant economic activity happening, and we need that today amidst the depressing news we about every day.  But overall, there is a trend I have noticed in the Biometrics Industry.  And that is, not factoring into account the geographic location or territory, there seems to be a swelling of partnerships before there is any major buyout or merger/acquisition activity.  So are all of these partnerships a sign of something big to happen in the Biometrics Industry??? Who knows, only time will tell, and you can bet, my eyes will be on it.

Secure, Wireless Airwaves

Smartphone Security

Yes, we all have Smartphones today (OK, let me  redefine that, maybe not a Smartphone, but at least a wireless device of some sort, like me).  With our Smartphone, we can pretty much do everything we need, from finding the route from Location A to Location B, to ordering stuff online.  Given this extremely bundled nature of Smartphones, with all of these apps, Security is of prime concern (well, to most people, I guess).  Smartphone Security is something I have written extensively about, but today, I came across a Press Release which again talks about this topic, but with a different twist. 

But before, I get into this “twist”, here are the details:  “AuthenTec, a leading provider of security and identity management solutions, today introduced the world’s first security solution that combines VPN client security with fingerprint recognition for Android smartphones and tablets. AuthenTec’s QuickSec Mobile VPN Client 2.0 is a full-featured IPsec-compliant VPN solution that is faster, more secure, highly interoperable and less expensive to maintain than the native Android VPN client and can be quickly launched via fingerprint authentication . . . the new QuickSec VPN 2.0 Client offers improvements over AuthenTec’s QuickSec VPN Client for Android by offering the latest features such as IKEv2 with MOBIKE, IPv6 and Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and later Android OS support. It also offers improved configuration, security, and interoperability with all major VPN gateways. QuickSec VPN 2.0 is offered as client software for integration in Android phones and tablets by the world’s leading OEMs.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9308/). 

My Take

This Biometrics Vendor, known as “AuthenTec”, is in my view, one of the leaders in terms of fingerprint sensors which are used on Biometrics devices, which are primarily found laptops, netbooks, and yes, even Smartphones themselves.  From what I have read, this Biometrics solution offers a number of key benefits, such as:

*Compatibility with different sorts of networks;

*Support for IP Version 6 (supposedly, the latest Internet Protocol, but it is not widely used yet);

*Can be used with a majority of the Virtual Private Network Gateways (VPN’s);

*Primarily supports the Android Smartphone, which is probably the most commonly used wireless device used today.

OK, so now where is this “twist”, I talked about in the above first section???  Well, to many of those out there who do not know about it, VPN is another secure type of Internet Protocol.  It is primarily used between two or more computers (and even Smartphones).  Trying not to get too technical here, it is the data packet which carries the bulk of information and data in which computers communicate with each other.  Very often, these data packets are not protected, are suspect to hijacking with a network sniffer. 

The idea behind the VPN is that these core data packets are actually sandwiched into another data packet, which if captured, is rendered useless to the hijacker.  So looking at it in another way, a VPN, in a very simplistic way, is just a data packet providing protection to another data packet by surrounding it.  When people think about Smartphone Security, the thought that comes to mind is just securing the login information into that particular Smartphone.  Meaning, as long as we think there are Security measures in place to ensure the local login, we are safe.  But that is far from the truth.  After we login into our Smartphone (whether it is via a Biometric, PIN Number, Password, etc.), remember, our communications then take place via the airwaves. 

And this is where ensuring Security becomes extremely critical, and also, where most people forget about.  This is where the role of the VPN comes in.  It is used to protect these airwave communications between Smartphone to Smartphone.  And given the use of Biometrics, VPN’s just become that much stronger.  When most Biometric Vendors talk about Smartphone Security, they merely talk about the device, not the in between communications which take place.  This is the first Biometrics Vendor I have come across which addresses this very crucial Security issue.  So to them, my hats off.

We Want "MADE IN THE USA!!!"

China In The News

Yes, we all have heard about China.  Who can forget about that gargantuan country, with the world’s largest population???  As the Holiday Season will soon encroach upon us, ‘tis the season for gift buying.  And of course, we will see those ever famous manufacturer’s  labels, “Made In China”.  Well, this verbiage is not just hitting the retail sectors en masse as it usually does, now it is hitting the Biometrics Industry. 

Here are the latest headlines:  “Fingerprint Cards AB's (FPC) Chinese distributor Hardware & Software Technologies Co. Ltd (HST), has placed an additional order valued at more than SEK 20 M to expand its market segment Personal identification via internet banking. The order pertains to FPC's area sensor FPC1011F and deliveries will take place during 2011 and into 2012 . . . The sensors, which are to be integrated into identification units, will be delivered to one of China’s largest banks. The bank expands its market into an additional region by supplying units to customers using the bank services via internet as well as to the bank’s employees. The decision to launch biometric units in one additional region creates a large market opportunity since only a few regions have started to implement biometric units for their customers.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9295/). 

My Take

As you can see from up above, the Biometric Technology going to be used is Fingerprint Recognition.  This is pretty much a contract awarding, with a  value of 20 M SEK.  Not sure what the exact conversion rate is, but it sounds pretty sizable to me.  The Biometrics application which will proliferate from this contract awarding is geared primarily towards the Chinese banking and financial sector, with one of its largest banks using this Biometric technology. 

And, it seems like that this solution will be used to help fortify Internet banking.  In my view, I am not surprised to see China be such a huge consumer of Biometrics and other security related products and services.  After all, they have the world’s largest population, and when compared to the United States Europe, they seem to be so far still, economically OK. 

But heck, who knows how long that will last.  As I eluded to up above, we see everything being made in China.  The primary advantage of this is that for the business needing production done, it is far cheaper to outsource to China than hire workers here in the United States (and of course, lend a hand to some job creation).  But this is where the advantages stop.  When we outsource to China, there is one thing that often gets overlooked. 

And it is a huge thing, namely Quality, and QA testing.  To me personally, I would be very nervous if I outsourced a major business function to China.  Yea, it will be cheap, but how will the quality be assured???  Meaning, the product will be delivered from China, but what guarantees do I have as a business owner, that there were QA test and checks involved in the process???  Meaning, I would have to do this on my own. 

And really, who knows who has made the product in China???  So, who would I go back to for QA checks???  As far as I know, the business function I had outsourced could have very well taken place in a Chinese prison.  QA testing for products is a very important thing obviously, especially if it is a huge undertaking, such as a building, a car, a bridge, etc., if it is branded “Made In China”.  I guess we can let the small retail products slide a little bit, but in the end, quality is quality, no matter what the product is. 

And quality and QA testing is even more crucial in the Security industry, especially the Biometrics one.  I myself will go on the soapbox and take a risk here:  I do not want to see any the United States Biometrics Industry being outsourced to China.  In today’s times, people need to feel protected and safe, and not having to feel they belong to another country. 

We here in the United States have a very powerful Security infrastructure, and we do not need to outsource any of it, including the Biometrics Industry to China.  We can hold our own here, and by developing our own products and solutions, we not will only create more jobs, but have the assurance of great quality being instilled into our Security products and services. 

We here in the United States want to hear the term “Made In The USA” once again.  Given the economic times we are in, unfortunately we cannot quite say that yet.  We are literally at the hands of the Chinese, given our huge trade deficit with them, and how much of our debt that own in terms of financial instruments.  But keep the faith, one day “Made In The USA” will return, and it could very well be the Biometrics Industry which leads the charge.

Great Customer Service Is Always Awarded

Yes, More Awards

OK, last week I talked about awards being given out in the Biometrics Industry, well lo and behold, another has been given out.  Hmm, lots of award in just under a week or so.  Could the Biometrics Industry rattle the economy back into shape?  Hmm, who knows. 

Anywhere, here is the goop:  “The business consultancy Frost & Sullivan honoured DERMALOG with its Customer Value Enhancement Award, because it has stayed ahead of the competition by developing a wide range of high quality biometric products with undivided focus on customer needs. The product range of the German biometric expert includes AFIS installations for government agencies and administrations as well as cutting edge border checkpoint systems, biometrically secured documents and fingerprint payment systems . . . The Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement is presented to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers with a focus on improving the return on the investment that customers make in its services or products. This award recognises the company's inordinate focus on enhancing the value that its customers receive, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and ultimately customer base expansion.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9303/).

My Take

OK, so what is different and unique about this one which merits its own blog posting???  Well, if you take a look at the above quote, you will notice quite readily that it is emboldened with the words “customer service” all over it.  And isn’t this something I have been ranting and raving about for who knows how long???  I have to admit, this is probably the very first time I have seen an award being given out to a Biometrics Vendor with such an emphasis on customer service.  Most of the other awards in the past have dealt with the “geekdom” side of Biometrics, namely things like robustness and optimization in the algorithms, enrollment and verification templates, etc.  It so refreshing to see something like this being given out. 

It means that there is truly a Biometrics Vendor that really cares about their customers, and is willing to go beyond the extra mile.  True, just about any industry and the associated businesses would be fit for an award like this, but this is really important for the Biometrics Industry.  This is so because here in the United States, acceptance is so low. Hopefully with this type of award being given out to other Biometrics Vendors, especially here, the public perception will improve.  Here, we have the image that Biometrics is all this fancy and sexy thing, with no control over our data.  Really, it is like a huge mystery machine.  But now, this award should hopefully dispel that weird phenomenon, because now the customer is getting some attention.  But, it should also be noted that providing great customer service goes more than just beyond being there 24 X 7 X 365 to answer any and all support related calls and issues. 

It also means developing Biometrics solutions which actually provide a positive ROI in the eyes of the customer.  In other words, it’s not just implementing a fingerprint recognition system to meet the security nerds, rather, it is actually showing over a period of time, that the precious $$$ invested is starting to show a payoff as a result of lowered security headaches and costs (one that especially comes to mind are those pesky password resets – it costs something like $250/employee/year just to reset one password).  In this regard, the Biometrics Industry also suffers from low public acceptance because there is a perceived notion amongst the public here that Biometrics devices are very expensive, and there is no positive rate of return. 

So again, hopefully with this award, and those down the road, we here in the United States can actually start believing that the Biometrics Vendors out there really want us to be happy with their products and solutions.  And of course, happy customers means repeat business directly, and referral business down the road.  So, in conclusion, my hats off to this Biometrics Vendor that won this award, it is truly an accomplishment that you care so much about your customers.  Again, it is a hope that the other Biometric Vendors will catch on, and stake their claim, as well as their reputation on this prestigious award.

Watch Out For Your Behavior

The Emergence Of The Behavioral

As we all know in the world of Biometrics, there are two predominant categories:  The physical, and the behavioral.  It is the former which has been the predominant one, but the latter is gaining a lot of steam as well.  And a press release today only exemplifies that fact even more. 

Here we go: “Communication Intelligence Corporation, a leading supplier of electronic signature solutions and the recognized leader in biometric signature verification, announced today that it has been selected as an approved vendor for Wells Fargo Funding to provide its SignatureOne electronic signature technology to all Wells Fargo Correspondent Lenders . . . Mortgage lenders today are facing a challenging environment that includes complying with a multitude of regulations. Cost and time savings are dependent upon having technology in place that will streamline important functions such as delivering required documentation and gathering signatures.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9304/). 

My Take

This Biometrics Vendor, CIC, is probably amongst one the bigger players in the behavioral biometrics field, especially when it comes to Signature Recognition, and all things associated with it.  We all know that with the proliferation of identity theft,  and the financial collapse back in 2008, every piece of documentation is now scrutinized when it comes to loans and virtually all type of financial transactions.  It is not just the mortgage industry which is coming under the magnifying glasses of regulators, but the entire financial industry as a whole, even when it comes to the buying and selling of commodities, stocks, ETF’s, mutual funds, etc. 

For every piece of paper that changes hands, there has to be some sort of audit trail.  The goal in the end is to protect the customer, but all of this red tape and existing security policies can make for a sheer nightmare.  So thus, enters into the foray Biometrics.  Seriously, what better tool to use?  It does not really make too much sense to use the physical type, so Signature Recognition here makes the most sense.  When compared to the other Biometrics out there, it is probably amongst the easiest to use.  All it requires is some pretty simple hardware, and some software.  Setting up the system is pretty straightforward, and in comparison, the costs and expenses are much lower. 

Also, training the end user in this extremely simple.  But keep in mind, as I have written in the past, Signature Recognition is not just capturing the actual signature itself; rather, it is about capturing those unique features (pressure, timing, speed, etc.) in which we sign our name.  I had mentioned up above that the use of behavioral Biometrics is starting to come into the limelight.  Why is this so???  Well, in my view, it really has been the explosion of the Smartphone, and all things wireless.  There seems to be a comfort zone with people when they have to type in something (Keystroke Recognition), rather than having to give up a fingerprint or an iris scan.  Remember, Wells Fargo is a huge financial institution which has even weathered through the extremely choppy waters of the collapse the real estate bubble. 

The fact that they have adopted the use of Signature Recognition speaks boons for this technology.  Hopefully this level of capital exhibited will proliferate and leverage Signature Recognition to new and higher levels of acceptance and use in the marketplace.  Apart from the training and cost advantages, it also portrays other key benefits for the lending industry such as quicker document delivery and the collection of signatures.  So, hopefully, in the end it means for people like me and my fiance Anita, getting a loan for our first home together will be just that much more painless, and quick.  One of them being that confounded FHA loan application process!!!

There Is More That Meets The Eye

Accolades And Awards

You know, it is always human nature to crave for attention, especially when it comes to being recognized.  Whether it is at the workplace or in our personal lives, we all want recognition and praise.  Heck, even I love having it myself.  Even a small amount of praise can go a long way to embolden the human spirit for the long term.  The same is even true of businesses and corporations.  They need it too, especially in these trying times. 

Awards to businesses transcend all forms and types of industry.  Some get more recognition than others, even in the Biometrics Industry.  Really, it is not all too often when you hear an award being given out.  So without further ado, here we go:  “Morpho (Safran group) is proud to announce that MorphoIDent, its latest handheld mobile identification device, has received a prestigious “Janus de l’Industrie” 2011 award from the Institut Français du Design (French Institute of Design) for its modern, compact, easy-to-use design. Held annually under the patronage of the French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry, the Janus awards for Industry honor products designed to provide clear user benefits.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9294/).

My Take

This Biometrics Vendor, known as “Morpho” is one I have written about before on previous occasions.  In the industry, it is a very big organization.  If I recall correctly, most of their applications are large scale ones, dealing with primarily Federal Government contracts.  The primary bread and butter in terms of technology deployment is Fingerprint Recognition.  True, awards are given primarily for metrics with regards to the robustness of algorithms and the Failure to Accept/Reject Rates.  I have to be honest that this is the first time I have seen an award being given for the design of a Biometrics solution, in other words, how it looks. 

I guess in this regard, image is just as important as needs.  Yea, a customer wants a Biometrics solution which will meet their needs, but also has a sleek, elegant image which will fit into their business or organization.  Heck, they can even possibly win some selling points from their own customers by image alone of Biometrics.  Who knows, along with the technological and algorithmic side of Biometrics, will come the ergonomic design of Biometrics devices.  I really even have not given it much thought on that aspect until just now.  But, on a much more serious note, I am seeing another trend here evolve in the Biometrics Industry.  And that is the need for rugged, handheld devices, primarily for forensics investigations. 

With the technological advancements happening, the legal system needs to have evidence which is more than just 100% accurate.  The forensic evidence collected has to be fresh, and occurring within a short time span after the crime has been committed.  Remember the Amanda Knox case in Italy???  Well, I for one I am very happy that the poor girl is now home.  I saw some TV clips just last Friday night on how shoddy the Italian forensics investigators were in their collection of the so called evidence against her.  Had they perhaps used one of these more advanced Biometrics solutions, such as the one described, the evidence would have pointed towards another suspect. 

In the end, what is needed is real time evidence collected by the most advanced technologies possible, and if it has to be collected later, every effort has to be taken that the residual trails left are collected with the utmost care and analysis.  I know I am going off on a tangent here a little bit, but as we are seeing how DNA evidence is the make or break in a lot of judicial cases, we will soon see Biometrics in that same regard.  And it won’t be the evidence collected by the actual investigators themselves, it will be the evidence collected from one of these hand held devices.

The United States: Election Year 2012

Good Ole’ Election Year

Well, as Barack Obama loafs into the last year of his presidency, it can mean only one thing:  Election year is coming up in 2012, and in fact, the Republican presidential debates have already started in full swing.  So far, it seems that Mitt Romney and Rick Perry could be the favored ones (even though for sure, Perry has his fair share of controversies).  But whoever comes out winning next year, this could very well be the most watched and debated election ever, because of the economy.  But, what could be the deciding factor as to who will win, will of course be us, the voters.  And in close election years like this one could very well be, we want every chance to be assured that our vote will be counted.  We want the lines to be quick and efficient, and to have the most accurate count possible.  What other better technology to use to help with this??? 

Of course, Biometrics.  It is with this in mind, that a Biometrics Vendor known as “Digital Persona, Inc.” just announced that their Fingerprint Recognition systems were deployed successfully in a recent election, of last year.  Of course, here are the finer points:  “DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today announced the company's U.are.U fingerprint biometrics were incorporated by Diebold into the electronic voting system used in the successful 2010 Brazilian national elections. The combined Diebold-DigitalPersona solution enabled the identity of voters to be verified in the balloting that resulted in the historic selection of President Dilma Rousseff. To ensure that Diebold met the stringent deadlines and quality standards set by the Brazilian government, DigitalPersona® delivered more than 180,000 U.are.U 4500 fingerprint modules over the course of just 3 months. In addition, DigitalPersona worked closely with Diebold to enable its electronic voter registration and balloting systems to take full advantage of the imaging capabilities of the U.are.U fingerprint readers.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9305/).

My Take

In my view, close to 190,000 fingerprint scanning modules is a pretty significant amount, it is nothing to be sneered at. It should also be noted that this Biometrics solution was used in the Brazilian election, as you can see from the above quote.  Really, this is all good news.  With Biometrics, people do not have to wait in long lines to register to vote, and because of the uniqueness involved, for the most part, just about every citizen who voted can have some assurance of a high probability that their vote was counted.  But here is where the good news ends. 

Now, the bad news.  This Biometrics solution is being used by Diebold Systems to help with the electronic voting process.  In an absolute sense, there is nothing wrong with this, it just that here in the United States, electronic voting resonates a very unpopular theme, which is that of the violation of privacy rights.  Every election, whether it is at the federal level, state or local, which has used electronic voting has been fraught with this issue.  True, electronic voting is not perfect, but when it is combined with Biometrics, in my view, this is one of the best ways to be assured that voting lines will go by quickly and efficiently, our votes will be counted, and that there will be a reduction in voter fraud (as opposed when the manual methods are used).  So, will Biometrics be used in the elections of next year. 

Of course, it will be, but be ready to hear the outclamoring of privacy rights and civil liberties violations.  This hypothesis here just merely underscores the overall conclusion that Biometrics is just very slow here to adopt than the rest of the world.  In other parts of the world, like Africa and Asia, Biometrics is almost welcome with open arms just because it gives the poorest of the poor a chance to vote – a luxury they never had before.  But here in the United States, we have always been afforded this right for the last 200+ years, so we take it for granted, and thus can always be worried about such things.  Yes, Biometrics really has its fair share of advantages in the electoral process, but at least here in the United States, it will never catch fire, when compared to other countries, like Brazil. 

But here in lies yet another oxymoron.  Remember back in the 2000 presidential elections where Florida was the hotly contested state, and the voting officials were getting severe eye strain examining each and every ballot???  That image is probably what stands out most in my mind.  Now, hmmm, just think if Biometrics was used back then in the voting process . . . get the idea???

Tough Economic Times: Open Source Is The Way

Hey, It’s Free!!!

In today’s economic climate and volatile markets worldwide, everybody is watching their spending, from the largest of large corporations to the smallest of the small SME’s.  As one glances through the headlines everyday, the first thing we hear about is the lack of job creation, and the lack of it. True, this is all very important for an economic recovery, it is a lagging indicator.  Meaning, in a typical economic recovery, you won’t see jobs pick up until six to nine months out.  But, other than jobs, there are also immediate signs of a faltering economy, and these are transparent from within a business itself. 

As you can guess, IT budgets are the first to go.  And I don’t just mean spending on computer hardware and software, everything literally goes out with the kitchen sink, and yes, spending on Security.  Yes, it is very unfortunate that IT budgets are the first to go, but try putting you self in the shoes of a CEO.  Their main goal is to increase the Earnings Per Share (also known as EPS) for their shareholders, even if it means cutting everything out (except their own fat salaries, of course).  So, what is an IT Manager supposed to do in the face of a slashed IT budget???  Well, there is an alternative out there, and that is known as Open Source Software.  Meaning, it’s free.  You don’t have to worry about licensing fees, or how many users you have, as long as you have an Internet connection, you can download it, and start configuring your applications within minutes. 

Open Source Software includes everything, from the OS, to the apps, to the Web Server, and all the way to the database level.  There are many variants of Open Source out there, but the most popular framework is known as “LAMP”.  All of this stands for Linux-Apache-MySQL-PhP.  Breaking it down, Linux is the OS, Apache is the Web Server, MySQL is the database, and PhP is the language used for developing web applications.  Many organizations today are embracing this framework, including some of the big name social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.  And because of this explosion in Open Source, comes the demand for greater levels of Security.  And so, enter Biometrics. 

One Biometrics Vendor is making their solutions available to Open Source, and here are some of the technical details of it: “Green Bit has announced that starting today, the Multiscan SDK, which supports the complete Livescan product line  of Green Bit, provides compatibility with Linux OS. The now available beta version has been developed and tested for the following:

• Kernel version: Linux 2.6.32­28
• Linux distribution: Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS (Lucid Lynx)
• Architectures: x86 & AMD64

Customers with sufficient access on Green Bit's website may download the Multiscan SDK for Linux OS from the respective download panel for the BASIC and FULL ENHANCED version of the Multiscan SDK.”

(SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9299/).

My Take

OK, I am not a geek like I used to be in a past life, so I leave it up to you visit the website of this Vendor to figure out all of these downloads.  But one thing that sort of sparks my interest is that this Open Source software is developed for their Livescan Fingerprint Recognition line, which means it supports applications for heavy usage, especially like law enforcement.  I have written about Biometrics and Open Source on a couple of times in the past three years, but this is the first time I have seen anything designed for heavy usage. 

Other apps I have written about have dealt with simple SSO solutions.  But, when you look at the overall, macro picture, here is a very unique opportunity for the Biometrics Industry.  Given that economic conditions probably won’t improve any time soon, or even in the next couple of years, the trend will be for business, especially the SME’s, to adopt and use Open Source.  So why not piggy back on this trend and create more Biometric applications with this??? 

After all, this is just another avenue in which the acceptance of Biometrics could greatly increase, that is, coupling Biometric apps with Open Source.  I really can’t think of a much better route to help increase public awareness and acceptance, and in the end, greater revenues and deeper pocket books for business owners.