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| March 09, 2006
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Dear readers,
The Biometrics Info provides you with the latest news on biometrics, smartcards and network security. We provide you with this free service 2 or 3 times a week depending on the news available.
We provide a RSS feed for daily use. During the week all the news will be available through the RSS feed with a weekly summary on friday through the Biometrics Info e-zine.
We carefully selected the newsarticles for this Biometrics Info and we hope you appreciate this edition.
Enjoy reading.
Reinier M. van der Drift
BioXS
10-for-your-Bio
In today's episode of the “10 for your Bio” we welcome Stefan Jonsson from Worldwide Trust SA.
We asked Stefan the 10 questions. Click to read the interview and see what Stefan has to say about biometrics and the biometric industry.
English
Speedy check-in still faces hurdles
WASHINGTON – Just months before the launch of a program aimed at speeding some travelers through airport security checkpoints, the airline industry is growing dubious about the effort.
The industry's lobbying group says the Registered Traveler program may generate business for security vendors but won't necessarily satisfy passengers. At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where security wait times have vastly improved without the new system in place, officials are also skeptical. And passengers remain leery about the prospect of releasing iris scans, fingerprints or other personal information in exchange for the promise of convenience.
"I like to protect all of my personal information," said Camille Sparkman, who was recently headed to Denver from D/FW. "Where does it go? Where is it housed? Who's monitoring it?"
The Registered Traveler program, conceived as passengers grew frustrated with security measures after 9/11, is scheduled to launch nationwide in June after more than four years of planning.
For a fee of $80 to $100 a year, travelers would register with a private firm and undergo a background check by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
DallasNews
Date: 2006-03-05 |
Researcher Hacks Microsoft Fingerprint Reader
SAN FRANCISCO -- Never mind worrying about hackers stealing your password. A security researcher with the Finnish military has shown how people could steal your fingerprint, by taking advantage of an omission in Microsoft's Fingerprint Reader, a PC authentication device that Microsoft has been shipping since September 2004. Though the Fingerprint Reader can prevent unauthorized people from logging on to your PC, Microsoft has promoted it not as a security device, but rather as convenient tool for home users who want a fast way to log on to Web sites without having to remember user names and passwords. In fact, the Microsoft.com Web site warns that the Fingerprint Reader should not be used to protect sensitive data. Hoping to understand why Microsoft had included the caveat about sensitive data, a researcher with the Finnish military, Mikko Kiviharju, took a close look at the product. In a paper presented at a recent Black Hat Europe conference, he reported that because the fingerprint image taken by the scanner is not encrypted, it could be stolen by hackers and used to inappropriately log in to a computer. Kiviharju's report can be found here.
Lords reject Blair's ID card plans again
Tony Blair's plans for a compulsory ID card, backed by a national database of all citizens, were heavily defeated in the Lords for the second time last night, setting the scene for a constitutional trial of strength with the Commons.
An all-party coalition of peers voted by 227 to 166, a majority of 61, to reject the Government's proposals requiring everyone renewing their passports from 2008 to register their biometrics on the database.
Telegraph
Date: 2006-03-07 |
BIO-key Announces the Availability of its IdentityMatch(TM) Fingerprint Identification Solution
WALL, N.J., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BIO-key International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BKYI - News), a leader in finger-based biometric identification and wireless public safety solutions, announces the general availability of its new IdentityMatch(TM) automated fingerprint identification system. IdentityMatch provides law enforcement with the capability to store and search fingerprints and associated demographic data in a local or regional database where it can be used in a variety of ways, including:
Fujitsu shows smaller, faster palm-vein sensor
Fujitsu and Fujitsu (Profile, Products, Articles) Laboratories have developed a new model of their palm-vein security sensor that is smaller, faster, and cheaper than the previous model, they said Thursday.
The new sensor also conforms to an industry-standard API (application programming interface) and will be available globally later this year, Fujitsu said at the Cebit IT show in Hanover, Germany. The company will use the PalmSecure brand name for the product and technology.
InfoWorld
Date: 2006-03-09 |
Spanish ID cards to feature Entrust technology
Technology pioneered by digital identity specialist Entrust will be imbedded in Spain's new electronic identity cards. AdvertisementIn addition to its physical security measures, the electronic ID card will have a digital certificate for authentication and digital signature capabilities. The centralized infrastructure supporting this effort will consist of a hierarchical architecture, including, among other elements, certification authorities and registration authorities provided by Entrust. SIA CEO Enrique Palomares noted, "The implementation of the electronic National Identity Card will provide all the elements to more securely identify Spanish citizens, and provide a user-friendly process to carry out procedures that require a digital signature. As a leader in securing governments world-wide, Entrust was the natural choice for this effort.
Wood Sheriff First to Use Iris Identification System
The Wood County Sheriff's Department has become the first law enforcement agency in West Virginia to adopt the Children's Identification and Location Database that relies on iris recognition biometric technology to help identify missing people. According to a local detective, at least 13 other state sheriff's departments have expressed interest in the system, which is endorsed by the National Sheriff's Association and is used by at least one law enforcement agency in 10 other states. The program is run by the Nation's Missing Children Organization and National Center for Missing Adults. Wood County's purchase was made possible by a U.S. Department of Justice grant. http://www.ap.org
RFID-Embedded Police Badges Debut In August
There's another crime-fighting weapon being added to law enforcement's arsenal, and it's not what you'd expect. Along with handcuffs, guns, and night sticks, cops' uniforms will soon include badges with RFID chips.
V.H. Blackinton & Co. Inc. has developed a badge for law enforcement and government agencies with an embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chip it plans to launch in August, company officials said Friday. The SmartShield system validates badges and verifies the wearer. The package comprises Blackinton metal badges equipped with RFID chips, and Enforcement Identification (Eid) software that tracks information on each badge in a department’s inventory. Blackinton has worked on the application since 2003. Research began in 2004, and development and manufacturing last year. The product will launch in August.
IndyMedia
Date: 2006-03-04 |
Hope is Not Enough When It Comes To Compliance
There is no "how-to" book that tells businesses exactly what they have to do to achieve compliant status whether we’re talking about Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA, or a myriad of other regulations.
Regulatory language is largely ambiguous, using terminology such as "reasonable assurance" to define steps for compliance, leaving businesses somewhat confused regarding what is expected of them. As the CEO of a leading e-mail security company, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of businesses about compliance measures they have put in place or plan to implement, and I continue to be shocked by what I hear. "Hope" seems to be the operative word these days when it comes to the current state of meeting regulatory compliance – everyone is hoping it’s the other guy that gets nailed first.
Compliance Pipeline
Date: 2006-03-08 |
Company To Unveil Biometric 'Computer-On-A-Stick'
FingerGear today announced that fingerprint-secured biometric models of its Computer-On-a-Stick USB Flash Drive will be available next month. Called the Bio COS Touch Edition, the new product will allow login with either a password or an "on-stick" scan of the user's finger.
The company today released a new product called the Computer-On-a-Stick Professional Edition, a version of a previously released Computer-On-a-Stick. The original Computer-On-a-Stick, announced in July 2005, was the first commercially available bootable USB Drive, according to the company. The PRO Edition allows access host PC files and other peripherals such as additional USB drives.
Personal Tech Pipeline
Date: 2006-03-08 |
Mark your diaries for Biometrics 2006
Biometrics 2006 will take place 18-20 October 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in the heart of Westminster, London, UK.
The annual Biometrics Exhibition and Conference continues to grow with 2005 showing a 22% increase in exhibition visitor numbers over the previous year and record numbers of delegates attending the conference sessions.
This year's three-day conference will once again offer a mixture of case study and industry presentations by renowned expert speakers with the spotlight on its use in government and commercial applications.
ItSecurity.com
Date: 2006-03-09 |
Consumers trust biometric technologies to help combat identity theft crimes
A new survey by Unisys reveals UK consumers place most confidence in biometric technologies, such as fingerprint and eye retina recognition, to help combat the rapidly growing identity theft industry, which is now estimated to be costing UK industry £1.7 billion per year.
The independent survey, commissioned by Unisys, surveyed 1,000 UK households to investigate the incidence of and attitudes towards financial fraud and solutions. The survey revealed that 2 in 3 consumers believe that banks should be turning to biometric technology in order to combat identity theft – a widespread problem which now affects 1 in 4 British adults according to Home Office statistics.
SecurityPark
Date: 2006-03-08 |
Biometrics passports go into production
But planned link to national identity card scheme causes problems in the House of Lords. The first biometric passports were issued in the UK this week, as a debate on their role in the national identity card scheme continued in Parliament.
The new passports will be rolled out gradually over the next few months and by August all renewals will be replaced by new-style documents, which include an electronic chip holding a facial biometric.
The passport renewal process is key to the lastest defeat of the government’s ID card plan.
UK supermarket trials fingerprint payment tech
A UK supermarket chain is offering shoppers the option of authorising payment for their groceries using their fingerprints. Three Co-op stores in the Oxford area are trialling "Pay by Touch" in what's said to be the first European use of the technology.
The scheme, which is free to use, means supermarket customers can avoid using either cash or credit cards when visiting the stores. Users can register at participating stores or at home (providing they have a fingerprint scanner handy, that is). Customers supply their bank details on registration. Fingerprint-authorised transactions are subsequently deducted from their accounts.
The Register
Date: 2006-03-09 |
Francais
L'Imprimerie nationale confectionnera les passeports biométriques
L conseil d'Etat a confirmé, vendredi 3 mars, la suspension de l'attribution du marché du passeport biométrique à la société Oberthur. Il clôt ainsi le contentieux entre l'Imprimerie nationale et le ministère de l'intérieur, et contraint ce dernier à confier toute la confection des nouveaux documents à la société publique.
A l'issue d'un appel d'offre lancé à la fin de l'été 2005, la Place Beauvau avait choisi Oberthur pour concevoir et fabriquer les éléments de personnalisation du passeport, c'est-à-dire la puce contenant les données biométriques du porteur - l'image faciale numérisée et les empreintes digitales n'étant prévues qu'à partir de 2008.
Le lecteur biométrique de Microsoft hacké
Les mesures de sécurité biométriques qui se généralisent laissent penser, parfois à tort, qu'une empreinte digitale est un sésame infalsifiable. Pas si sûr...
Un chercheur militaire finlandais est parvenu à exploiter une faille dans le lecteur Fingerprint Reader de Microsoft, commercialisé depuis moins de deux ans, et qui permet surtout de faciliter la visite de différents sites Internet dont l'accès est protégé par un identifiant et un mot de passe. Contrairement aux appareils dévelopés par les fabricants de PC, et qui interdisent le démarrage pur et simple de la machine par qui que ce soit d'autre que son propriétaire, cet accessoire est donc davantage orienté vers le confort que vers la sécurité. Néanmoins, s'il commande l'accès à des sites sécurisés tels que votre banque en ligne ou votre compte PayPal, l'inquiétude est légitime.
Génération NT
Date: 2006-03-07 |
Monopole sur les passeports; l'Intérieur débouté
Le Conseil d'Etat confirme la décision du tribunal administratif empêchant le ministère de l'Intérieur de confier la fabrication des passeports biométriques à une entreprise privée.
Le Conseil d'Etat a confirmé vendredi 3 mars la suspension de la fabrication des passeports biométriques, en rejetant les demandes de cassation déposées par le ministère de l'Intérieur et la société Oberthur contre cette décision, a annoncé la haute juridiction.
Le Conseil d'Etat confirme ainsi la décision du juge du tribunal administratif de Paris, qui a ordonné la suspension de la fabrication pour faire respecter la loi du 31 décembre 1993 attribuant le monopole de fabrication des documents administratifs sécurisés à l'Imprimerie nationale.
Nouvel Observateur
Date: 2006-03-08 |
Nederlands
Bioscan voor hooligan
AMSTERDAM - De KNVB begint volgend seizoen een proef met het herkennen van lichaamskenmerken bij het Ajax-stadion. De bedoeling is supporters met een stadionverbod uit de Arena te weren. Gedacht moet worden aan gezichtsherkenning, vingerafdrukken of een irisscan. ''Wij geloven dat deze biometrie-techniek ons op de lange termijn gaat helpen supporters met een stadionverbod te weren,'' aldus Wilfred de Rooij, manager facilities bij de KNVB, initiator van het project. Supporters die zich volgend seizoen bij de Amsterdam Arena melden, zullen met deze techniek worden gecontroleerd. Als ze worden herkend als ongewenste fan, wordt hen de toegang ontzegd.
'Beveiliging Fingerprint Reader Microsoft stelt niks voor'
Dinsdag 7 maart 2006, 13:39 - De Fingerprint Reader van Microsoft is geen goed middel om gevoelige informatie te beveiligen. Dat geeft Microsoft zelf al toe, maar een onderzoeker heeft het nu ook bewezen. Tijdens de beveiligingsconferentie Black Hat die vorige week in Amsterdam plaatsvond, gaf onderzoeker Mikko Kiviharju een presentatie over de tekortschietende beveiliging van de Fingerprint Reader van Microsoft. Wie de Fingerprint Reader installeert, krijgt van Microsoft al de waarschuwing dat het apparaat niet is bedoeld voor de beveiliging van gevoelige informatie. Consumenten kunnen de Fingerprint Reader gebruiken als middel om in te loggen op websites en dergelijke. Ze hoeven geen wachtwoorden en gebruikersnamen meer in te typen, maar alleen hun vinger op het apparaat te leggen. Uit het onderzoek van Kiviharju blijkt dat deze vingerafdruk niet met encryptie is beveiligd. Met een sniffer is het daardoor theoretisch mogelijk om de vingerafdruk te onderscheppen. Overigens is het vervolgens niet eenvoudig om met de buitgemaakte vingerafdruk in te loggen als de oorspronkelijke gebruiker.
Webwereld
Date: 2006-03-07 |
HP introduceert notebooks met Core Duo-processors
De drie notebooks, de HP Compaq nx9420, nx6310 en nc6320, zijn ontworpen voor mobiele professionals die snel en efficiënt willen werken, aldus HP. Kenmerken van de nx9420 zijn een dun en licht ontwerp, een 17-inch breedbeeldscherm, een krachtige grafische kaart (een ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express Graphics Controller met 256 MB videogeheugen) en een tegen schokken beschermde harde schijf. De nx6310 is wat lager geprijsd, heeft een gewicht van 2,7 kilo, is 3 centimeter dik en is uitgerust met een 15-inch XGA of 15-inch XGA Brightview. De nc6320 blinkt - met zijn optionele smartcard lezer, HP ProtectTools-software en vingerafdruksensor - vooral uit in veiligheid, zo stelt HP.
InfoWorld
Date: 2006-03-07 |
Brits Hogerhuis tegen verplichte identiteitskaart
LONDEN - Het Britse Hogerhuis heeft maandag tegen een omstreden regeringsplan voor de invoering van een nationale identiteitskaart gestemd. Het is een meerderheid van de Lords een doorn in het oog dat de regering de kaart met een omweg verplicht wil stellen.
De regering van premier Blair had aanvankelijk gezegd dat de kaart op vrijwillige basis zou worden verstrekt. Maar het kabinet heeft later een verandering aangebracht waarin staat dat iedere burger die vanaf 2008 een nieuw paspoort aanvraagt, ook verplicht is een identiteitskaart aan te schaffen.
Reformatorisch Dagblad
Date: 2006-03-07 |
Twijfel over toegang inlichtingendiensten tot Visumsysteem
Nederland ondersteunt het voorstel van de Europese Commissie om nationale autoriteiten belast met de interne veiligheid toegang te geven tot het Visum Informatiesysteem (VIS). Maar of dat betekent dat inlichtingendiensten zelf toegang krijgen tot het VIS valt nog te bezien. Dat schrijft staatssecretaris Nicolaï van Europese Zaken in een brief aan de Tweede Kamer. De Europese Commissie stelde in november 2005 voor om de nationale autoriteiten die belast zijn met de interne veiligheid, toegang te geven tot het Visum Informatiesysteem. In het VIS, dat in 2007 operationeel moet zijn, komen de biometrische gegevens te staan van alle visumaanvragers voor de Europese Unie. Nederland steunt het commissievoorstel. De strijd tegen terrorisme is een hoge prioriteit van de EU en de lidstaten. Maar Nederland maakt wel kanttekeningen bij het voorstel. Daarbij gaat het vooral om de definitie van 'autoriteiten belast met de openbare orde en interne veiligheid'. Dit suggereert dat inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten integraal onder de werkingssfeer van het voorstel vallen. Volgens Nederland ontstaan dan juridische problemen, omdat in het EU-Verdrag staat dat de bescherming van de binnenlandse veiligheid uitsluitend de bevoegdheid van de nationale lidstaten is. 'Naar Nederlands oordeel zou het voorstel zich niet uit moeten strekken tot toegang en gebruik door AIVD en MIVD,' aldus Nicolaï. In de Nederlandse optiek zou de toegang van de inlichtingendiensten getrapt moeten plaatsvinden via de Basisvoorziening Vreemdelingen, die als 'berichtenmakelaar' gaat functioneren voor het VIS.
Staatcourant
Date: 2006-03-09 |
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