- Email: [email protected]
High-tech crime prevention for the 21st century
News to prove their entitlement to a passport. Their fingerprint template is then sent to the central site and checked against a stop list of up to 3,000 people. The passport is printed using De La Rue’s MultiLayer Infilling System (MLIS) and before it is issued a one-to-one biometric check is performed to make sure it is given to the right person. At present there is no ID document except for the passport in Mexico and there are only six million passport holders out of 90 million citizens. These passports also tend to expire very quickly, typically within one or two years. The biometric functionality of the new system will give the authorities confidence when reissuing passports in the future. They will know for sure whether the person is really who they say they are. Normally up to five supporting documents are needed. The system has been designed with future applications in mind. In particular, the Mexican government has tentative plans to use the fingerprint template for immigration purposes, although this is a reportedly a number of years away. Contact: Heath Thomas at De La Rue Identity Systems, Tel: +44 1256 329122, Fax: +44 1256 605299, email: [email protected]
launch their products while licensing the UBUY brand name for marketing purposes. According to Winter the UBUY card will be the first global credit card to be issued in the European currency, the Euro. Price information of the card is a closely guarded secret. Winter commented: “The card will be expensive, but depending on the number of units sold its price could come right down.” E-Pawn claims to have the backing of a major multi-national financial institution – also unnamed. The advantage of such a card would be clear. A separate fingerprint reader would become unnecessary and the user would still not need to remember any PIN information. A number of companies have been working toward producing such a card, but have come up against problems, such as structural integrity and physical size limitations. If the UBUY card proves to have solved these problems then this could be a significant development for securing financial transactions using biometric technology. Contact: Raymond Winter at LCL, Tel: +44 279 655599, email: [email protected]
Government Financial/fingerprint
Euro-based credit card contains in-card sensor A global internet credit card with an in-card fingerprint sensor is to be launched by on-line auction company E-Pawn and Loyalty Card Holdings (LCH). Exact details of the card are still unknown but Btt has discovered the card supplier will be an Israeli company. According to chairman of LCL and director at E-Pawn Raymond Winter: “Verification will take place on a chip via an in-card sensor. The chip will be big enough for fingerprint matching and yet it will meet ISO standards detailing standard credit card dimensions.” The card will be labelled the UBUY Smart Card and will be used as a credit card, phone card and ATM card. The card will be marketed under the brand name www.ubuynetwork.com. The UBUY network is an umbrella company that allows small to medium-sized companies to
4 • Btt May 2000
High-tech crime prevention for the 21st century Biometrics have been flagged as one possible technology to help fight crime in the 21st century in a consulatation document published by the UK’s Foresight Crime Prevention Panel. The report, which forecasts over the next 20 years, says that anonymity is crucial for criminals, therefore technology that helps prove identity will become increasingly important. Biometrics such as fingerprint, retina and vein recognition are mentioned as possible technologies to achieve this, as are kinetic biometrics, such as dynamic signature recognition, shape, pulse or even gait. Other technologies highlighted include smart cards, odour identifiers and DNA matching, possibly as part of a biometric system. The consulation runs until 14 July. The panel, which is funded by the UK Government’s (Btt Dec ‘99/Jan ’00, p6) Crime Reduction Programme, expects to publish its final report in November this year. It will detail recommendations for future
News Keyware buys Riverland Keyware Technologies has snapped up Riverland Next Generation as it continues on its aggressive acquisition trail. Riverland is an internet and ecommerce service provider and will help Keyware perfect the use of biometric technology on the world wide web. The resulting business unit will be called Keyware B2B. Contact: Elizabeth Marshall at Keyware Technologies, Tel: +1 781 933 1311, email: [email protected]
action based on its assessment of the problem. This includes highlighting suitable areas for research and development. Contact: Richard Davis at the Foresight Directorate, Tel: +44 20 7215 6738, Fax: +44 20 7215 6715, email: [email protected]
Telecoms
Hands-free phone protected with voice verification Voice verification software from Keyware Technologies (Btt April ’00, p2) is to be used in a hands-free car cellphone kit that replaces keypads and displays with a voice interface. Keyware teamed up with ST Microelectronics (Btt March ’00, p8), Lernout & Hauspie (Btt March ’00, p8) and Altec Lansing to produce the kit, which will be used by consumers before the end of the year. The technology has already been selected by Telit Mobile Terminals, a European provider of mobile phone network infrastructure. Keyware’s technology will be used to protect the system from unauthorised access, using the driver’s voice as the password. According to the suppliers, this secure personal authentication method enables the driver to access text messages, names and phone numbers in a private database of contacts, while concentrating on the traffic. Altec Lansing contributes noise suppression and echo cancelling software to the solution to increase the clarity of communication, while Lernout & Hauspie will supply the voice recognition package. ST will integrate the hardware and software elements into a single package and market the complete solution to manufacturers of cellphones and other electronic equipment, such as telematics boxes. Contact: Keyware Technologies, Tel: +32 2 714 54 97, Fax: +32 2 721 69 49
Lehman forecasts biometric growth Lehman Brothers has forecast greater than 100% growth over the next several years for biometric hardware and software suites serving the information technology industry. In particular it said the elimination of passwords and protection of enterprise systems and wireless devices would drive demand. Contact: Lehman Brothers, Tel: +1 212 526 7000, email: [email protected]
Military/fingerprint
Stratcom installs biometric system for network security The US Stategic Command (Stratcom) has entered the final phase in its installation of a biometric security solution at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, USA. Stratcom is the unified command responsible for the planning, targeting and wartime employment of strategic forces, with staff from all four services
– the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines. Its mission is to deter attack on the US and its allies. Stratcom is to use SAFtyLock technology from Saflink (Btt April ’00, p4), a biometric software provider. SAFtyLock is a multi-user fingerprint verification and control solution designed to improve access and audit for sensitive network environments. In this application it will work with Sun Solaris UNIX workstations and servers. Saflink won the order through World Wide Technology, an integrator specialising in government and commercial applications. Contact: Walter Hamilton at Saflink, Tel: +1 425 881 6766, email: [email protected]
Computer security
Identix mobile PC card introduced to UK market Identix (Btt April ’00, p6) has introduced its fingerprint authentication PC card for mobile computers, BioTouch, to the UK market. The launch is particularly timely considering the recent theft of an MI5 agent’s laptop at Paddington train station in London. According to Identix, the solution renders both the PC and its data inaccessible in case of theft as only pre-registered fingerprints are permitted access. BioTouch incorporates Identix’s optical fingerprint reader, the DFR300, which was jointly developed by Motorola (Btt April ’00, p9) and Identix. The card is inserted in a portable PC’s type II PC (PCMCIA) slot. The secured interfacing technology for the PCMCIA was developed by SCM Microsystems (Btt March ’00, p6). The solution also uses Identix’s BioLogon security software to restrict access to enterprise and internet applications. The price tag of the BioTouch device is expected to come in at £120 (US$190). Meanwhile in the USA, Identix’s wholly-owned subsidiary ANADAC (Btt April ’00, p6) has appeared before the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology to give demonstrations of BioTouch and BioCard technology at a hearing addressing computer security in the federal government. BioCard combines biometrics authentication with a smart card to allow multi-factor security. Contact: Bill Spence at Identix, Tel: +1 408 731 2017, Fax: +1 408 739 0178, email: [email protected]
Btt May 2000 • 5
launch their products while licensing the UBUY brand name for marketing purposes. According to Winter the UBUY card will be the first global credit card to be issued in the European currency, the Euro. Price information of the card is a closely guarded secret. Winter commented: “The card will be expensive, but depending on the number of units sold its price could come right down.” E-Pawn claims to have the backing of a major multi-national financial institution – also unnamed. The advantage of such a card would be clear. A separate fingerprint reader would become unnecessary and the user would still not need to remember any PIN information. A number of companies have been working toward producing such a card, but have come up against problems, such as structural integrity and physical size limitations. If the UBUY card proves to have solved these problems then this could be a significant development for securing financial transactions using biometric technology. Contact: Raymond Winter at LCL, Tel: +44 279 655599, email: [email protected]
Government Financial/fingerprint
Euro-based credit card contains in-card sensor A global internet credit card with an in-card fingerprint sensor is to be launched by on-line auction company E-Pawn and Loyalty Card Holdings (LCH). Exact details of the card are still unknown but Btt has discovered the card supplier will be an Israeli company. According to chairman of LCL and director at E-Pawn Raymond Winter: “Verification will take place on a chip via an in-card sensor. The chip will be big enough for fingerprint matching and yet it will meet ISO standards detailing standard credit card dimensions.” The card will be labelled the UBUY Smart Card and will be used as a credit card, phone card and ATM card. The card will be marketed under the brand name www.ubuynetwork.com. The UBUY network is an umbrella company that allows small to medium-sized companies to
4 • Btt May 2000
High-tech crime prevention for the 21st century Biometrics have been flagged as one possible technology to help fight crime in the 21st century in a consulatation document published by the UK’s Foresight Crime Prevention Panel. The report, which forecasts over the next 20 years, says that anonymity is crucial for criminals, therefore technology that helps prove identity will become increasingly important. Biometrics such as fingerprint, retina and vein recognition are mentioned as possible technologies to achieve this, as are kinetic biometrics, such as dynamic signature recognition, shape, pulse or even gait. Other technologies highlighted include smart cards, odour identifiers and DNA matching, possibly as part of a biometric system. The consulation runs until 14 July. The panel, which is funded by the UK Government’s (Btt Dec ‘99/Jan ’00, p6) Crime Reduction Programme, expects to publish its final report in November this year. It will detail recommendations for future
News Keyware buys Riverland Keyware Technologies has snapped up Riverland Next Generation as it continues on its aggressive acquisition trail. Riverland is an internet and ecommerce service provider and will help Keyware perfect the use of biometric technology on the world wide web. The resulting business unit will be called Keyware B2B. Contact: Elizabeth Marshall at Keyware Technologies, Tel: +1 781 933 1311, email: [email protected]
action based on its assessment of the problem. This includes highlighting suitable areas for research and development. Contact: Richard Davis at the Foresight Directorate, Tel: +44 20 7215 6738, Fax: +44 20 7215 6715, email: [email protected]
Telecoms
Hands-free phone protected with voice verification Voice verification software from Keyware Technologies (Btt April ’00, p2) is to be used in a hands-free car cellphone kit that replaces keypads and displays with a voice interface. Keyware teamed up with ST Microelectronics (Btt March ’00, p8), Lernout & Hauspie (Btt March ’00, p8) and Altec Lansing to produce the kit, which will be used by consumers before the end of the year. The technology has already been selected by Telit Mobile Terminals, a European provider of mobile phone network infrastructure. Keyware’s technology will be used to protect the system from unauthorised access, using the driver’s voice as the password. According to the suppliers, this secure personal authentication method enables the driver to access text messages, names and phone numbers in a private database of contacts, while concentrating on the traffic. Altec Lansing contributes noise suppression and echo cancelling software to the solution to increase the clarity of communication, while Lernout & Hauspie will supply the voice recognition package. ST will integrate the hardware and software elements into a single package and market the complete solution to manufacturers of cellphones and other electronic equipment, such as telematics boxes. Contact: Keyware Technologies, Tel: +32 2 714 54 97, Fax: +32 2 721 69 49
Lehman forecasts biometric growth Lehman Brothers has forecast greater than 100% growth over the next several years for biometric hardware and software suites serving the information technology industry. In particular it said the elimination of passwords and protection of enterprise systems and wireless devices would drive demand. Contact: Lehman Brothers, Tel: +1 212 526 7000, email: [email protected]
Military/fingerprint
Stratcom installs biometric system for network security The US Stategic Command (Stratcom) has entered the final phase in its installation of a biometric security solution at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, USA. Stratcom is the unified command responsible for the planning, targeting and wartime employment of strategic forces, with staff from all four services
– the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines. Its mission is to deter attack on the US and its allies. Stratcom is to use SAFtyLock technology from Saflink (Btt April ’00, p4), a biometric software provider. SAFtyLock is a multi-user fingerprint verification and control solution designed to improve access and audit for sensitive network environments. In this application it will work with Sun Solaris UNIX workstations and servers. Saflink won the order through World Wide Technology, an integrator specialising in government and commercial applications. Contact: Walter Hamilton at Saflink, Tel: +1 425 881 6766, email: [email protected]
Computer security
Identix mobile PC card introduced to UK market Identix (Btt April ’00, p6) has introduced its fingerprint authentication PC card for mobile computers, BioTouch, to the UK market. The launch is particularly timely considering the recent theft of an MI5 agent’s laptop at Paddington train station in London. According to Identix, the solution renders both the PC and its data inaccessible in case of theft as only pre-registered fingerprints are permitted access. BioTouch incorporates Identix’s optical fingerprint reader, the DFR300, which was jointly developed by Motorola (Btt April ’00, p9) and Identix. The card is inserted in a portable PC’s type II PC (PCMCIA) slot. The secured interfacing technology for the PCMCIA was developed by SCM Microsystems (Btt March ’00, p6). The solution also uses Identix’s BioLogon security software to restrict access to enterprise and internet applications. The price tag of the BioTouch device is expected to come in at £120 (US$190). Meanwhile in the USA, Identix’s wholly-owned subsidiary ANADAC (Btt April ’00, p6) has appeared before the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology to give demonstrations of BioTouch and BioCard technology at a hearing addressing computer security in the federal government. BioCard combines biometrics authentication with a smart card to allow multi-factor security. Contact: Bill Spence at Identix, Tel: +1 408 731 2017, Fax: +1 408 739 0178, email: [email protected]
Btt May 2000 • 5