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| July 24, 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
English
Brainy robots roll toward real world
Robot cars drive themselves across the desert, electronic eyes perform lifeguard duty in swimming pools and virtual enemies with humanlike behavior battle video game players.
These are some of the fruits of the research field known as artificial intelligence. A half-century after the term was coined, scientists and engineers say they are making rapid progress in simulating the human brain, and their work is finding its way into a new wave of real-world products.
International Herald Tribune
Date: 2006-07-18 |
Asia-Pacific states consider use of smart passports to curb terror
Gulf News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Manila: Member states of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) have unanimously agreed to help launch smart passports to isolate terrorists, a source told Gulf News.
The smart passport is part of the proposed region-wide Advanced Passenger Information Systems plan, said a source who was privy to the recently concluded meeting of Apec's Business Mobility Division in Hong Kong.
The meeting was part of Apec workshop on biometric technology for smart passports. Apec economies have envisioned a small passport that is no bigger than a credit card.
It will contain personal data of its holder, including data on facial features including the eyes, and fingerprints which can be read by biometric scanners.
Border Patrol tries to block entry to criminals
Brownsville Herald (Texas) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jul. 22--Rigoberto Pineda Rivas assaulted and kidnapped a woman in Raleigh, N.C., in 2003. After serving 30 months in state prison, he was deported to Mexico. Last week, he was detained by the Border Patrol near Falfurrias, while en route to Raleigh again. Pineda's story isn't a first. The Border Patrol catching criminals trying to re-enter the country happens more often than people think, according to Border Patrol spokesman Roy Cervantes. Last fiscal year, 6,517 criminal immigrants were identified by the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley sector. And 5,955 have been caught so far this fiscal year, he said.
"Identifying aggravated felons is only one of the many duties performed by the Border Patrol aimed at securing the nation's borders," Cervantes said.
The Border Patrol uses the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) to identify known criminals. The database shares information within the Border Patrol and the FBI as well.
Digimarc to make driver licenses more secure
The Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services extended its contract with Digimarc Corp. to deter driver license fraud, identity theft and related crimes. Under the four-year contract extension, Beaverton-based Digimarc (NASDAQ: DMRC) will change the state's driver license issuance from an over-the-counter process to a secure centralized production, allowing for the production of a more secure license that incorporates Digimarc IDMarc digital watermarking security features.
In addition, Digimarc will provide a facial recognition solution to combat duplicate driver license fraud.
Portland Business Journal
Date: 2006-07-21 |
Crime of the future--biometric spoofing?
Watch where you leave your fingerprints--soon they could be the target of thieves looking to break into your bank account. Although biometric security systems--using fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition--are only just now entering the mainstream, they are likely to be common within a few years. And as soon as biometrics begin to be used to protect bank accounts or benefit systems, crooks will start looking at ways of breaking into them, according to Bori Toth, biometric research and advisory lead at Deloitte & Touche.
Biometric spoofing is a "growing concern", she said.
Toth told silicon.com: "We are leaving our prints everywhere so the chance of someone lifting them and copying them is real.
AI checking to go biometric
The Times of India Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) NEW DELHI: Each time domestic passengers board the "original low cost" Delhi-Mumbai segment of an Air India (AI) international flight, security and immigration officials here say a silent prayer that these passengers get off at the stopover and don't continue flying to Europe or US.
For unlike domestic passengers boarding Air India flights from Mumbai, people taking an AI flight from here to go to another Indian city, don't have their photographs printed on boarding cards.
The Long Tail of RFID-Based Contactless Payment
According to a survey by a market research company, Ipsos Insight, over 100 million Americans would use contactless (RFID-enabled) credit cards for small payments. This supports a Research and Markets' paper that states that the biggest market for contactless payment is for sub-US$25 transactions in the "service station retail sector". [via TMC Net]
There is a potential Long Tail effect here. (Side note: Wired mag editor Chris Anderson's book The Long Tail was recently released. Anyone doing business online should read it.) The idea behind the Long Tail is that business on the Internet inverts the popular 80/20 rule. The latter rule says that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers, or some variation of that. On the Internet, this is not necessarily the case. The bulk of your business will likely come from the bulk of your smaller-transaction customers.
RFID Gazette
Date: 2006-07-20 |
EDS Obtains Approval To Provide End-to-End Identity Management Services For Federal Agencies
HERNDON, Virginia – EDS received approval today from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to assist federal agencies in meeting the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12) identity management requirements and deadlines. The directive requires federal agencies to adopt a government-wide standard for secure and reliable identification of all employees and contractors by October 27, 2006 via a standard federal smart card.
GSA’s approval recognizes the ability of the EDS Assured IdentityTM solution to assist agencies in complying with HSPD-12, and reinforces EDS’ standing as a leading provider advanced smart card secure access and identity management services to the federal government.
ABN Amro introduces voice recognition
ABN Amro is to introduce voice recoginition for its customers, the Dutch bank announced today. Customers in the Netherlands can soon be identified over the phone without the need for passwords and PIN codes.
The system distinguishes more than 100 biometric characteristics in a person's voice, including pitch, frequency, soft and even jaw structure.
The technology - Voicevault - was developed by Biometric Security, headquartered in Chertsey in the UK, in close collaboration with government and the military. The company says the solution is "the result of over 160 man years of research and development in to science, mathematics and technology."
The Register
Date: 2006-07-20 |
New Insight into Biometric Technology
Brighton, United Kingdom (PRWEB) July 23, 2006 –- Biometric Insight, a provider of biometric security information, has announced the launch of a new a monthly electronic newsletter that is predominantly focused around biometric identification and security technology. This new e-newsletter, which will become the definitive information source for the biometric industry, will be distributed monthly over 12 issues per annum.
In today’s world, biometric technology is advancing at a rapid pace so companies need to keep their finger on the pulse and be aware of what is going on in their industries. So whether you’re an end-user, a provider, a developer, an integrator or an investor in biometrics, Biometric Insight will provide you with all the information about key industry developments to keep you ahead of the competition.
NIST and GSA Certification of Identix Biometric Technology and Solutions Positions Company to Pursue Significant U.S. Government Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Program Business
Identix Incorporated (Nasdaq:IDNX) announced today that its AFIS-Grade fingerprint algorithm matching technology offering, BioEngine(R) 6, has been confirmed by the latest National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) testing report as meeting or exceeding all of the qualifications of the Minutiae Interoperability Exchange Test (MINEX). Identix also announced that its TouchPrint(TM) Enhanced Definition Series of Live Scan offerings (which includes 13 different products) and its facial quality assurance software for enrollment have been approved by the General Services Administration (GSA) for use within any Personal Identity Verification (PIV) program. The two certifications allow Identix to compete for federal agency biometric procurements associated with the implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD12), which is expected to be rolled out across the federal government by October 27 of this year.
BusinessWire
Date: 2006-07-22 |
Groups rejects bill on state secrets
PALU, Central Sulawesi: Several groups declared Saturday their opposition to a bill on state secrets which is currently being discussed at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.
The groups include the Palu People's Education Foundation, International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid) and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
The groups announced their opposition in a joint statement, read out by Edmond Leonard, ad-hoc coordinator of Sulawesi Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, saying that the bill might lead to a regime that was not transparent and will not take into account people's right to information.
The Jakarta Post
Date: 2006-07-20 |
New biometric passports are secure -Finland's interior ministry
Finland's Ministry of the Interior assured in a statement Thursday that there were no security problems with the new biometric passports to be introduced in August.
"Finland's new passports meet all the requirements set for biometric passports. They have no data security issues," said Anne Aaltonen, licence administration director at the interior ministry.
The ministry's comments came in response to an article, printed by Finnish daily Keskisuomalainen Thursday, which cited tests carried out in the US showing that the data contained in biometric passports could be hijacked from a distance of up to 20 metres.
Newsroom Finland
Date: 2006-07-21 |
NIST Releases Multimodal Biometric Application Resource Kit
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) this month released the Biometric Application Resource Kit (MBARK). MBARK is, according to a NIST release: "A set of modern software libraries, example applications and public-domain source code that may be leveraged to develop the next-generation of biometric and personal identity verification applications." It provides a consistent user interface regardless of sensor, and XML allows sensor interoperability via "plug ins" as well as "on the fly" workflow changes. "MBARK was originally envisioned as a targeted application to be used to collect a large-scale database of face, fingerprint, and iris images," said NIST. "Since then, however, the software has broadened into a set of libraries enabling a much wider variety of uses. For example, a custom MBARK-based application is currently being deployed in a NIST 10-print usability." MBARK downloads are free from the NIST Image Group Open Source Server.
Government Technology
Date: 2006-07-20 |
Precise Biometrics announces latest developments
Precise Biometrics has named Thomas Marschell as its new president and CEO. He will join the company on 1 September 2006, and will work alongside the current president and CEO, Christer Bergman, until he takes over the reigns on 1 November 2006. Thomas has previously served as CEO for international software company Synkron A/S. Before that he was with the Maersk Group as the general manager for Maersk Environmental Technology. Christer Bergman will keep his position as a member of the board of directors.
“We’re very happy to have been able to recruit Thomas. He has solid experience and his skills correspond very well with the profile we sought for the position. I’m convinced that his experience and background will be an excellent fit for Precise Biometrics and will contribute to our future development,” says Lars Grönberg, chairman of the Precise Biometrics board. “To also be able to keep Christer Bergman in the company means that the transition and transfer of responsibility can be conducted in a manner that will be very beneficial for Precise Biometrics.”
Security Document World
Date: 2006-07-21 |
Deutsch
Toshiba Portégé R200 bringt mehr Leistung
Der japanische Elektronikkonzern Toshiba Europe bietet sein Profi-Notebook Portégé R200 in einer neuen Konfiguration an. In der gestern in Neuss vorgestellten Version kommt der 1,29 Kilogramm-Rechner mit einem Intel Pentium M 773-Prozessor Ultra Low Voltage, mehr Arbeitsspeicher und höherer Festplattenkapazität im Hochglanzgehäuse.
Der Akku bietet laut Hersteller im mobilen Einsatz eine maximale Laufzeit von bis zu viereinhalb Stunden. Ein Intel Pentium M-Prozessor 773 Ultra Low Voltage arbeitet mit einer Taktrate von 1.3 Gigahertz und der 768 Megabyte-DDR2-Arbeitsspeicher ist bis auf 1.280 Megabyte erweiterbar. Die 1,8 Zoll-80 Gigabyte-Festplatte basiert auf Perpendikular-Technologie.
de.internet.com
Date: 2006-07-22 |
Forscher diskutieren über die Zukunft des ePasses
Kaum ist die Einführung des elektronischen Reisepasses in Deutschland vollzogen, unterhalten sich die Forscher darüber, wie künftig sichere ePässe aussehen können.Unter dem Motto Expanding the Dimensions in Biometrics diskutierten Biometrie-Experten auf dem CAST-Forum in Darmstadt, welche Technologie in 10, 15 Jahren die heute eingesetzte rudimentäre Biometrie in Pässen und Ausweisen ablösen kann.
Heise Online
Date: 2006-07-21 |
E-Business Experten Deutschlands treffen sich in Hamburg
E-Business Experten Deutschlands treffen sich in Hamburg - 8. E12-Gipfel bei Airbus Deutschland
(Berlin). ?Security ? Sicherheitslösungen für die digitale Zukunft?, so lautet das Thema des 8. E12-Gipfels am 28. und 29. September 2006 auf dem Gelände von Airbus Deutschland in Hamburg.
Der E12-Gipfel, eine Initiative von der Wirtschaft für die Wirtschaft, hat sich zu einer hochkarätigen Konferenz mit namhaften Experten und Teilnehmern aus dem E-Business fest etabliert. Im Organisationskomitee zum 8. E12-Gipfel engagieren sich Unternehmen wie EnBW, Audi, Airbus Deutschland, Beta Systems, LogicaCMG, plenum, Siemens und Steria Mummert. Neben klassischen Vorträgen, Expertengesprächen und Workshops gehören interaktive Formate wie Hands-on-Sessions, Exponate, ein Hacker-Lab, ?Erlebnis-Security? und die Erfahrung des Airbus A380 inkl. Simulatortest zu den Highlights des Gipfels in Hamburg.
Francais
Les photos de millions de Canadiens serviront à lutter contre le terrorisme
Un système de haute technologie visant à empêcher que des terroristes ou d'autres criminels obtiennent des passeports comportera éventuellement les photos de quelque 21 millions de Canadiens, permettent d'apprendre de nouveaux documents. Le projet de reconnaissance faciale de l'organisme fédéral Passeport Canada, en préparation depuis trois ans, représente l'une des premières incursions à grande échelle du gouvernement dans le domaine de la biométrie.
La technologie de la biométrie repose sur l'utilisation de caractéristiques mesurables. L'image du visage, la lecture de l'iris et la vérification des empreintes digitales doivent permettre de confirmer l'identité d'une personne.
La technologie biométrique séduit les adeptes de la sécurité accrue depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001 aux Etats-Unis, mais elle préoccupe les défenseurs des libertés individuelles, qui craignent qu'elle donne lieu à une surveillance excessive.
Matinternet
Date: 2006-07-23 |
Envizions EVO Phase One Lance Le 20 Octobre à L’Amérique Du Nord
ANNISTON, Ala./EWORLDWIRE/July 20, 2006 --- Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation vient d’annoncer aujourd’hui que EVO : Phase One meuble hi-fi des medias de divertissement (80 GB HDD) sera mise en vente via l’Internet le 20 Octobre 2006. La prix au détail suggère est $679.99. Le system qui sera transporté inclura l’application de vidéo de Akimbo installé en avance, plus, les clients peuvent appliquer une réduction additionnelle a plus que 1600 jeux du magasin de EVO : Direct en achetant leur unité de EVO.
eWorldwire
Date: 2006-07-20 |
Nederlands
BioXS en SafeBoot slaan handen ineen
Amsterdam/Nieuwegein, 24 juli 2006 - BioXS International, specialist op het gebied van biometrische beveiligingsoplossingen, en SafeBoot, leverancier van software voor de beveiliging van mobiele data, hebben een strategische samenwerkingsovereenkomst gesloten. De overeenkomst houdt in dat de partijen hun expertise en producten gaan integreren en op termijn samen nieuwe beveiligingstools gaan ontwikkelen. Klanten zijn zo verzekerd van een complete, ‘waterdichte’ beveiligingsomgeving, zonder dat zij zelf naar een aanvullende oplossing hoeven te zoeken.
BioXS/Safeboot
Date: 2006-07-24 |
Gartner: Security richtlijnen overheid VS zijn PR-stunt
Naar aanleiding van de diefstal van een laptop met de gegevens van 26,5 miljoen veteranen en verschillende andere incidenten waarbij vertrouwelijke gegevens op straat belandde, kondigde het Witte Huis strengere beveiligingsmaatregelen aan voor het beschermen van persoonlijke informatie.
Volgens onderzoeksbureau Gartner gaat het hier om PR-stunt en voorkomen de richtlijnen alleen maar sensationele koppen in de media, maar biedt het geen practische oplossing voor het probleem.
"Gartner is van mening dat het "onjuist gebruik" niet duidelijk op persoonlijke gegevens slaat, en dat er meer specifieke richtlijnen voor dit soort incidenten moeten komen" aldus analist John Pescatore.
In de nieuwe richtlijnen is het verplicht om alle gegevens op een laptop en mobiele apparaten te versleutelen, tenzij het om "niet vertrouwelijke" gegevens gaat. Verder moet de informatie met twee soorten authenticatie zijn beveiligd, zoals met een wachtwoord en smartcard. Ambtenaren die flexwerken of mobiele apparaten gebruiken moeten elk half uur opnieuw inloggen.
Security.nl
Date: 2006-07-22 |
Telebankieren bij ABN Amro via stem
AMSTERDAM – Weg met inbelcodes en niet te onthouden cijfercombinaties. Klanten van ABN Amro-bank gaan telefonisch bankieren met als enige veiligheidsslot hun eigen stem. Dat is gebruikersvriendelijker en sneller.
De stemverificatie wordt toegepast bij klanten die bellen voor saldo-informatie, telefonisch overboeken en beleggen. Klanten hoeven alleen het rekeningnummer uit te spreken en zij krijgen toegang tot hun eigen bankzaken. Bovendien wordt aan de klant de vraag gesteld ’waarmee kan ik u van dienst zijn’.
Volgens ABN Amro kan de klant ook gewoon telefonisch bankieren als de stem vervormd is door bijvoorbeeld een verkoudheid of een zware nacht. De computer controleert de stem namelijk op meer dan honderd persoonlijke zogeheten biometrische kenmerken als toonhoogte, frequentie, zacht-hard gehemelte en kaakstructuur.
Eindhovens Dagblad
Date: 2006-07-24 |
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