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UK government rejects iris despite expert biometric advice
NEWS / COMMENT ...continued from page 5 efficiencies and benefits to the financial institutions concerned.” From an end-user perspective, the system is easy to use, Ogden claims. Consumers are asked to create an anonymous voice signature, which uses a biometric that they then use to “sign” for payments and many other financial transactions. It seamlessly links to VoicePay, the consumer-facing voice-payments system that was announced in May 2007 by Voice Commerce Group. Voice Commerce Group has chosen Nuance to enable the biometric element of Voice Transact. The two companies have formed a strategic alliance to support the global roll-out of Voice Transact.
voting
Bangladesh voting project nears completion
F
ingerprint identification technology company BIO-key International and Tiger IT BD, a provider of customized software solutions, have announced that their deployment of a biometricbased credentialing solution for the Bangladesh Voter Registration Project is scheduled to conclude imminently. This exclusive contract was won in 2007, in order to prepare voter lists and issue national ID cards, in preparation for Bangladesh’s general elections to be held in December 2008. To date, the solution has successfully registered and issued national ID cards for more than 75 million people and was the basis for the creation of local voter lists for the upcoming election. The registration process takes no more than six minutes and incorporates scheduled appointment times to enrol each citizen’s biometric information. The enrolment data includes four fingerprints, captured with BIO-key’s fingerprint ID software and FBI-certified fingerprint readers. BIO-key’s WEB-key development platform was used to detect duplicate registrations. Additionally, the solution employed 500 ID management servers developed by Tiger IT and over 8000 laptop computers equipped with Tiger IT enrolment software. The biometric enrolment process has generated more than 300 million ISO fingerprint templates, which makes it the largest biometric deployment ever recorded, the companies claim. Beyond establishing more accurate voter lists to help ensure a full and fair election, the ability to verify one’s identity provides significant 12
Biometric Technology Today
benefits in the course of each citizen’s daily life. For example, the national ID card is used by citizens to access up to 22 different services managed or offered by the government. The national ID card also includes a standard barcode encoded with ISO fingerprint templates and PKI digital hash that can be used to quickly verify the identity of the cardholder while ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the ID card.
government
UK government rejects iris despite expert biometric advice
T
he UK’s Biometric Assurance Group (BAG) has published its annual report, setting out the group´s examination of the UK government´s work on biometrics during 2007, focusing particularly on the work under way to deliver the National Identity Scheme. BAG made numerous recommendations, most of which the government has accepted, except BAG´s advice that iris recognition should be tested further. BAG recommended that iris should be included in future testing initiatives in order that the
technology can mature and become more useful. It could also be a useful fall-back for those unable to enrol fingerprint biometrics. IPS accepted that iris biometric technology has potential but is not inclined to mandate its testing during the current ID card procurement, as it is unlikely to be used for the Scheme launch or immediately thereafter. On a positive note, BAG reports that the UK’s Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is at the forefront of the application of these new methods of identification. In addition to the proposed National Identity Scheme which will record people’s biometrics before issuing them with identity cards, IPS also plans to record fingerprint biometrics as part of the passport application process, building on the introduction of e-Passports in 2006 and enhancing security. The government is also using biometrics in other applications: • The UK Border Agency operates the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) at some UK airports which provides a fast, secure and convenient way for foreign and returning UK travellers to enter the UK. • The fingerprints of asylum seekers are recorded when they register for an Application Registration Card (ARC). • UK visas record visa applicants’ fingerprints, to help check whether they have been refused a visa in the past or have previously applied under a different name, or whether they have previously applied for asylum.
COMMENT There have been some great developments this month, such as the tender for the new UK biometric passport, the roll-out of possibly the largest biometric project in the world in Bangladesh, and news of bio-hackers going shopping in Dutch supermarkets. But, at journalism school, we are always taught that cute, cuddly animals will be a runaway winner when it comes to grabbing a reader’s attention. Sadly we don’t have much opportunity for this in the world of biometrics. But this month is our big chance, and animals don’t get cuddlier than the African penguin. No, we haven’t gone crazy. It appears that scientists from Bristol University in the UK have developed new technology that can identify large numbers of penguins from their unique chest spot patterns. Specifically, the researchers are developing hardware and software to permit remote monitoring and identification of large populations
using techniques that originated in computer vision and human biometrics. Currently, a permanent monitoring system is being built on Robben Island for an entire penguin colony of nearly 20 000 individuals. Ah! Slightly less cuddly is the news this month that Anil Jain, a well-known Michigan State University researcher, has created an automatic system which will allow law enforcement agencies to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims. Jain says he is taking biometric recognition to the next level, and that 20% of the population has at least one tattoo. Currently the only way to identify someone from his or her tattoo is to look through books the size of a phone book and try to visually match tattoos based on some keywords. “This takes a lot of time, and the process is often inaccurate,” Jain said. Only one serious question springs to mind. “Why ever did I leave university?” Mark Lockie
July/August 2008
voting
Bangladesh voting project nears completion
F
ingerprint identification technology company BIO-key International and Tiger IT BD, a provider of customized software solutions, have announced that their deployment of a biometricbased credentialing solution for the Bangladesh Voter Registration Project is scheduled to conclude imminently. This exclusive contract was won in 2007, in order to prepare voter lists and issue national ID cards, in preparation for Bangladesh’s general elections to be held in December 2008. To date, the solution has successfully registered and issued national ID cards for more than 75 million people and was the basis for the creation of local voter lists for the upcoming election. The registration process takes no more than six minutes and incorporates scheduled appointment times to enrol each citizen’s biometric information. The enrolment data includes four fingerprints, captured with BIO-key’s fingerprint ID software and FBI-certified fingerprint readers. BIO-key’s WEB-key development platform was used to detect duplicate registrations. Additionally, the solution employed 500 ID management servers developed by Tiger IT and over 8000 laptop computers equipped with Tiger IT enrolment software. The biometric enrolment process has generated more than 300 million ISO fingerprint templates, which makes it the largest biometric deployment ever recorded, the companies claim. Beyond establishing more accurate voter lists to help ensure a full and fair election, the ability to verify one’s identity provides significant 12
Biometric Technology Today
benefits in the course of each citizen’s daily life. For example, the national ID card is used by citizens to access up to 22 different services managed or offered by the government. The national ID card also includes a standard barcode encoded with ISO fingerprint templates and PKI digital hash that can be used to quickly verify the identity of the cardholder while ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the ID card.
government
UK government rejects iris despite expert biometric advice
T
he UK’s Biometric Assurance Group (BAG) has published its annual report, setting out the group´s examination of the UK government´s work on biometrics during 2007, focusing particularly on the work under way to deliver the National Identity Scheme. BAG made numerous recommendations, most of which the government has accepted, except BAG´s advice that iris recognition should be tested further. BAG recommended that iris should be included in future testing initiatives in order that the
technology can mature and become more useful. It could also be a useful fall-back for those unable to enrol fingerprint biometrics. IPS accepted that iris biometric technology has potential but is not inclined to mandate its testing during the current ID card procurement, as it is unlikely to be used for the Scheme launch or immediately thereafter. On a positive note, BAG reports that the UK’s Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is at the forefront of the application of these new methods of identification. In addition to the proposed National Identity Scheme which will record people’s biometrics before issuing them with identity cards, IPS also plans to record fingerprint biometrics as part of the passport application process, building on the introduction of e-Passports in 2006 and enhancing security. The government is also using biometrics in other applications: • The UK Border Agency operates the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) at some UK airports which provides a fast, secure and convenient way for foreign and returning UK travellers to enter the UK. • The fingerprints of asylum seekers are recorded when they register for an Application Registration Card (ARC). • UK visas record visa applicants’ fingerprints, to help check whether they have been refused a visa in the past or have previously applied under a different name, or whether they have previously applied for asylum.
COMMENT There have been some great developments this month, such as the tender for the new UK biometric passport, the roll-out of possibly the largest biometric project in the world in Bangladesh, and news of bio-hackers going shopping in Dutch supermarkets. But, at journalism school, we are always taught that cute, cuddly animals will be a runaway winner when it comes to grabbing a reader’s attention. Sadly we don’t have much opportunity for this in the world of biometrics. But this month is our big chance, and animals don’t get cuddlier than the African penguin. No, we haven’t gone crazy. It appears that scientists from Bristol University in the UK have developed new technology that can identify large numbers of penguins from their unique chest spot patterns. Specifically, the researchers are developing hardware and software to permit remote monitoring and identification of large populations
using techniques that originated in computer vision and human biometrics. Currently, a permanent monitoring system is being built on Robben Island for an entire penguin colony of nearly 20 000 individuals. Ah! Slightly less cuddly is the news this month that Anil Jain, a well-known Michigan State University researcher, has created an automatic system which will allow law enforcement agencies to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims. Jain says he is taking biometric recognition to the next level, and that 20% of the population has at least one tattoo. Currently the only way to identify someone from his or her tattoo is to look through books the size of a phone book and try to visually match tattoos based on some keywords. “This takes a lot of time, and the process is often inaccurate,” Jain said. Only one serious question springs to mind. “Why ever did I leave university?” Mark Lockie
July/August 2008