- Email: [email protected]
Wider SmartGate roll out imminent in Australia
NEWS so that the secret can only be revealed by the person with the fingerprints. Calling on state-of-the-art cryptographic techniques, this research could lead to fundamental changes in the protection of personal data based on fingerprints. For example, it would be possible to design biometric personal data files, which could only be accessed with the explicit authorization of the owner of this private data. “This research harbours the promise of creating a disruptive technology for information system protection based on biometric technologies,” said Jean-Paul Jainsky, chairman and CEO of Sagem Sécurité. The TURBINE consortium comprises a number of major players, including Philips Research Europe, Sagem Orga, Precise Biometrics in Sweden, Cryptolog and ARTTIC in France and 3D-GAA in Greece, as well as the research labs K.U. Leuven in Belgium and Gjovik University College in Norway. Contact: Nathalie Jullien at Sagem Sécurité, Tel: +33 1 58 11 89 62, Email: [email protected]
immigration
Wider SmartGate roll out imminent in Australia
A
ustralia’s SmartGate project is set to be rolled out across Australia following numerous delays since it was first opened at Brisbane International Airport in August 2007 and Cairns International Airport in January. The Australian federal Government has reportedly given the go-ahead to the SmartGate Series 1 project meaning it will go live at Melbourne International Airport by the end of May and roll out to five more airports throughout this year and next. SmartGate uses facial recognition technology to check data contained within its citizens ePassports by matching a live image of the traveller against a digitised photo stored on the ePassport’s embedded microchip. Earlier trials of the technology only allowed the system to be used by VIPs and aircrew, but it is now being reported that SmartGate is ready to be introduced across the country for Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders aged 18 or older. In the future the system could be opened to other nationalities that have ePassports
April 2008
complying with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The system has been plagued with problems which have since been substantially ironed out. In the early pilot stages in Sydney and Melbourne false rejection rates of up to 6-8% were noted. Famously, the system also falsely accepted two Japanese men as being each other after they had swapped their ePassports during an official demonstration. According to local media, tests in Brisbane in the middle of last year reported false rejection rates had fallen to 2% and False Accept Rates were less than 1%.
APPLICATION NEWS • The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors’ identities. JFK is the tenth port of entry in the US to begin collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors.
fingerprint
US and Germany to share terrorist fingerprint data
T
he United States and Germany have signed a bilateral agreement related to sharing access to biometric data and spontaneous sharing of data about known and suspected terrorists. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff joined the German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries in signing the agreement. The agreement gives the countries mutual access to fingerprint databases for the purpose of determining if evidence in them could be helpful in criminal investigations and prosecutions. It also sets forth procedures for obtaining that evidence through lawful processes, while ensuring that personal data is appropriately protected. The agreement additionally provides a mechanism for the US and Germany to share information about known and suspected terrorists, allowing the two countries to more readily assist one another in preventing serious threats to public security, including terrorist entry into either country. “Beyond the important practical value of this agreement, it symbolizes the joint resolve of Germany and the United States to fight terrorism and transnational crime,” said Attorney General Mukasey. Under the agreement, the US and Germany can, for the purpose of advancing criminal investigations and prosecutions, query each other’s fingerprint databases with unknown prints to determine if the other party has information about the print. If a “hit” is received, the querying party will make a mutual legal assistance request for identifying data, and the use of that
• The Government of Albania has selected Sagem Securite to produce its new biometric passports and identity cards. No new ID cards have been produced for Albanians since the fall of communism in 1990 because of problems with the country’s civil registry. Biometric passports are now part of Albanian efforts to adopt the standards of the international community and the European Union, which it hopes to eventually join. The company will start production of the ID cards and new passports within the next six months. • The West Virginia State Police is to deploy Motorola’s Printrak Biometric Identification Solution (BIS). The company’s latest BIS solution features new algorithms for improved analysis of multi-modal biometric data delivering tenprint, latent, palmprint and facial images. Additionally, Motorola’s system enables the storage of mugshot images and information within an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) system. In addition to the BIS, West Virginia State Police is implementing digital booking capabilities with new 1000 PPI Motorola Printrak LiveScan Stations. • Sagem Sécurité has announced that it is to supply identification systems based on iris recognition to Oman and Jordan. The systems will be used for ID checks and will be deployed at more than 100 sites, mainly at border crossing stations and airports. Border police in both countries will have access to the system to check the identity of people entering their territories, calling on databases with previous records of people’s irises. • HP has announced that it has been selected to introduce a National Identity System (NIS) in Taiwan enabling the country to issue biometric ePassports to 23 million citizens. HP says the Taiwan ePassports will be rolled out by the second half of 2008.
Biometric Technology Today
3
immigration
Wider SmartGate roll out imminent in Australia
A
ustralia’s SmartGate project is set to be rolled out across Australia following numerous delays since it was first opened at Brisbane International Airport in August 2007 and Cairns International Airport in January. The Australian federal Government has reportedly given the go-ahead to the SmartGate Series 1 project meaning it will go live at Melbourne International Airport by the end of May and roll out to five more airports throughout this year and next. SmartGate uses facial recognition technology to check data contained within its citizens ePassports by matching a live image of the traveller against a digitised photo stored on the ePassport’s embedded microchip. Earlier trials of the technology only allowed the system to be used by VIPs and aircrew, but it is now being reported that SmartGate is ready to be introduced across the country for Australian and New Zealand ePassport holders aged 18 or older. In the future the system could be opened to other nationalities that have ePassports
April 2008
complying with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The system has been plagued with problems which have since been substantially ironed out. In the early pilot stages in Sydney and Melbourne false rejection rates of up to 6-8% were noted. Famously, the system also falsely accepted two Japanese men as being each other after they had swapped their ePassports during an official demonstration. According to local media, tests in Brisbane in the middle of last year reported false rejection rates had fallen to 2% and False Accept Rates were less than 1%.
APPLICATION NEWS • The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors’ identities. JFK is the tenth port of entry in the US to begin collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors.
fingerprint
US and Germany to share terrorist fingerprint data
T
he United States and Germany have signed a bilateral agreement related to sharing access to biometric data and spontaneous sharing of data about known and suspected terrorists. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff joined the German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries in signing the agreement. The agreement gives the countries mutual access to fingerprint databases for the purpose of determining if evidence in them could be helpful in criminal investigations and prosecutions. It also sets forth procedures for obtaining that evidence through lawful processes, while ensuring that personal data is appropriately protected. The agreement additionally provides a mechanism for the US and Germany to share information about known and suspected terrorists, allowing the two countries to more readily assist one another in preventing serious threats to public security, including terrorist entry into either country. “Beyond the important practical value of this agreement, it symbolizes the joint resolve of Germany and the United States to fight terrorism and transnational crime,” said Attorney General Mukasey. Under the agreement, the US and Germany can, for the purpose of advancing criminal investigations and prosecutions, query each other’s fingerprint databases with unknown prints to determine if the other party has information about the print. If a “hit” is received, the querying party will make a mutual legal assistance request for identifying data, and the use of that
• The Government of Albania has selected Sagem Securite to produce its new biometric passports and identity cards. No new ID cards have been produced for Albanians since the fall of communism in 1990 because of problems with the country’s civil registry. Biometric passports are now part of Albanian efforts to adopt the standards of the international community and the European Union, which it hopes to eventually join. The company will start production of the ID cards and new passports within the next six months. • The West Virginia State Police is to deploy Motorola’s Printrak Biometric Identification Solution (BIS). The company’s latest BIS solution features new algorithms for improved analysis of multi-modal biometric data delivering tenprint, latent, palmprint and facial images. Additionally, Motorola’s system enables the storage of mugshot images and information within an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) system. In addition to the BIS, West Virginia State Police is implementing digital booking capabilities with new 1000 PPI Motorola Printrak LiveScan Stations. • Sagem Sécurité has announced that it is to supply identification systems based on iris recognition to Oman and Jordan. The systems will be used for ID checks and will be deployed at more than 100 sites, mainly at border crossing stations and airports. Border police in both countries will have access to the system to check the identity of people entering their territories, calling on databases with previous records of people’s irises. • HP has announced that it has been selected to introduce a National Identity System (NIS) in Taiwan enabling the country to issue biometric ePassports to 23 million citizens. HP says the Taiwan ePassports will be rolled out by the second half of 2008.
Biometric Technology Today
3