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Proposed bill calls for ID card for U.S. workers to curb illegal immigration
Advocates of immigration reform are pushing for a bill in the Senate which would create a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain; the biometric data would likely be either fingerprints or a scan of the veins in the top of the hand; employers will not be able to hire applicants who do not present a valid ID
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Canadian government says it is committed to biometric passports
The Canadian government first introduced the idea of a biometric passport in its 2008 budget, but implementation was delayed by questions over logistics, and how to cover costs; the government now say it is determined to move forward
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Canada to use DHS's Secure Flight rules
Starting in December, passengers on Canadian airlines flying to, from, or even over the United States without ever landing there, will only be allowed to board the aircraft once the U.S. DHS has determined they are not terrorists
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New research raises questions about validity of forensic DNA comparison method
In the mid-1990s, law enforcement added mitochondrial DNA comparison as one more tool for identifying people; because there are so many mitochondria in each cell, readable copies of their genomes can often be found even when the nuclear genome has been damaged; mitochondrial DNA-matching is based on the assumption that it does not vary much in an individual; researchers now find that this is a questionable assumption
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New identity authentication method: nose biometrics
Unlike other facial features used for biometrics, such as eyes or ears, noses are difficult to conceal and also are not changed much by facial expression; researchers find that nose scanning showed good potential for use as a biometric, with a good recognition rate and a faster rate of image processing than whole face recognition
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U.K. national ID czar: plan on target
Sir Joseph Pilling, who is in charge of implementing the U.K. national biometric ID scheme, says in a report to Parliament: "A lot of work remains to be done and some tricky issues are not yet resolved"
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Land down underAussies to require citizens of yet-unnamed 10 countries to submit biometric info
The Australian government has launched a $69 million plan which will require citizens of ten countries -- not named yet -- to submit fingerprint and facial images to apply for electronic visas to enter Australia; Foreign Minister Stephen Smith: "there may well be a diplomatic effort required in respect of some of those countries as you would expect"
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Biometric access control secures U.K. construction sites
Large, sprawling construction sites need to be secured; two U.K. companies join forces to offer an all-in-one biometric site access system for construction sites; the solution uses hand geometry or iris scanning technology to record access to a construction site
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U.K. universities chafe under burden of monitoring foreign students, academics
As of 31 March 2009, all U.K. universities have been required to monitor foreign students and academics; for instance, university staff must check international student attendance, and if a student fails to attend 10 "expected interactions" (seminars, lectures, tutor meetings, etc.), the professor is obliged to report them to the U.K. Border Agency; professor say this is too much
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New facial authentication system installed at Israel Discount Bank
A bank installs an advanced facial recognition system to verify the identity of employees and customers who want to go into the vault; the system can identify people in difficult conditions such as dim light; changes, such as sunglasses, beards, moustaches, different hairdos, or a hat do not affect its ability
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TSA's proposal for tougher general-aviation security to be scaled back
TSA wanted to apply tougher security rules to the 15,000 or so private planes -- aka "general aviation" -- but operators and owners of such planes, and also DHS IG, said the risk such planes posed to U.S. security was not great; TSA is now planning to scale down general aviation security measures
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E-Verify urged for Baltimore County
Federal program aims to keep illegal immigrants off job sites; a coalition of labor unions wants Baltimore County Council members to adopt a new requirement that contractors working for the county verify the immigration status of their employees or risk losing county business; the hourly pay rate of members of the Ironworkers Union – a pay which includes health and retirement benefits -- is about $40; workers in the United States illegally often get $12 an hour with no benefits
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Polish priest installs fingerprint reader to check for mass attendance
A Polish priest installs a biometric fingerprint reader at his church to monitor schoolchildren’s attendance at mass; the pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years, and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation
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Japanese biometric border fooled by tape
Two South Korean women have managed to fool Japan’s expensive biometric border-control system by using special tapes on their fingers; the invisible tape carries the finger prints of another person, and the South Korean broker who supplied the tape also provided false passports to go with it; this is the third known case of South Korean women using the fingerprint-altering tape to enter Japan; in all three cases, the women managed to fool the biometric screening, but were later caught because they over-stayed their visas
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E-passports vulnerable to traceability attacks, allowing real-time tracking of passport holders
The electronic passports issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and some fifty other countries are vulnerable to “traceability attacks”: hackers can remotely track an e-passport holder in real time without first knowing the cryptographic keys that protect the personal information embedded in the e-passport
More Headlines
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Biometrics technology, helpful in determing a person is who they say they are, is at the center of a debate in the New Zealand parliament. The government is planning to use biometric information to prevent identity fraud to prevent illegal border crossings. However, there is concern that this effort may extend beyond the realm of immigration control
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The Long View
TrendConsumer-driven face recognition changes public debate
New photo programs from Apple and Google include revolutionary face-spotting technology; trouble is, Google's Picasa would allow tagged photos from all its Picasa users to create a global database matching photos to e-mail addresses
TrendIndia to see a large, broad growth in expenditures on domestic security
A series of terrorist attacks, culminating in the coordinated attack in Mumbai last month, convinced both government and industry in India that more security -- much more security -- is required to cope with mounting threats to domestic peace; business opportunities abound for companies in IT security, biometric, surveillance, detection, situational awareness, and more
Not yet ready for prime time: RFID technology
RFID technology is incorporated into more and more documents (e-passports, enhanced driver's licenses); trouble is, the technology still suffers from privacy and security vulnerabilities
Five myths about two-factor authentication
Too many organizations allow themselves to be vulnerable to cybercrime because of prevailing myths about the cost, inconvenience, and efficacy of two-factor authentication; close examination reveals these myths to be just that -- myths
