Are You the Next Susan Boyle?

MacRumors is leaking information about a few new patents that were recently filed. Intriguing stuff.

I wrote about a patent for a biometric reader to secure Apple devices with either fingerprint or facial recognition, but it looks like Apple will eventually add command functionality from fingerprint patterns.

Want to delete an email? Simply touch your index finger to the screen. Need to compose a new email? Use that pinkie finger. Sick of a song playing in iTunes? Your ring finger can take care of that and seek to the next song. Very cool.

The other patent (related to my previous post) is a RFID reader. As MacRumors divulges:

"Finally, the last notable application covers the dual use of a touch screen as an RFID reader. RFID tags are small circuits that can be embedded in objects for identification using a special reader. Apple suggests that the an RFID antenna can be placed in the touch sensor panel itself, allowing it to also be used as a RFID reader. As RFID tags become more prevalent, this could add a very useful function to future touch screen devices."

There are also rumors of haptic feedback -- essentially, display technologies will allow for tactile feedback from touch screen displays so users can "feel" different surfaces as their finger moves across it. As MacRumors explains, "As an example, a display could include a virtual click wheel which vibrates at a different frequency as the center. Users could easily sense the difference and use the click wheel without having to look at it."

Warm up those pipes, because also in the works a karaoke-like application that provides feedback on tone, pitch and overall quality of singing ability. No need to try out for American Idol anymore -- you'll be able to use iPhone rather than audition in front of Simon Cowell to know you're no Susan Boyle.

Sitting Down with Rob Jenkins

I recently connected with Rob Jenkins, a lecturer at the University at Glasgow and leading authority of facial recognition technology in the UK, to pick his brain about different topics in facial recognition, namely airport security, the future of biometric technology and privacy/related concerns.

Rob had some very insightful, innovative answers to my questions, and I'm excited to share them with the growing IHF readership. Going forward, I'm hoping to have other thought leaders and readers contribute content and commentary to this blog, as I'd like to make this more of a forum for biometric, facial recognition and other technology discussions rather than a one-sided conversation. Feel free to make comments on any of the responses or questions, and I will be sure to address them!

Also, check out Rob's departmental Web site for selected publications on gaze perception and other facial identification topics. Very interesting stuff.

In response to Manchester Airport lowering their matching thresholds, The Telegraph quoted you saying that lowering the passport match level to 30 percent would make the system almost worthless. Another perspective is that the previous levels were causing horrendous queues and customer dissatisfaction. Is there a middle ground here?

There is certainly a middle ground in the sense that we can choose where to strike a balance between rejecting genuine matches and accepting false matches. But reducing either type of error generally increases the other, so it’s a trade-off. There is no ‘sweet spot’ where both types of error are reined in.

Despite the advanced nature of this technology, do you believe that there should still be a human element involved in security checks? If so, do you believe we will ever reach a point where this will no longer be necessary?

The main problem with referring the difficult cases to humans is that humans cannot do the task reliably either - even if we’re trained and experienced. Humans are fantastic at matching familiar faces, but our performance with unfamiliar faces is very poor. If we can somehow incorporate the benefits of familiarity into the technology, then it could be transformed.

Facial recognition technologies are popping up all over -- club entrances, bathroom faucets, online photo services, using cameras in lieu of passwords to access computers -- have they hit the tipping point? Is it only time before we use the technology to unlock our front doors and open our car trunks? What trajectory do you see it taking? Staying in security-based deployments, infiltrating everyday life or a balance between the two?

To some extent I think a tipping point is being ushered in, mostly by people who have something to sell. And it is an idea that some sectors are keen to buy into. So in that sense there is a lot of good will wishing the technology to work. I don’t find the gadget market especially troubling, provided that errors are of relatively little consequence. The real danger is in rushing to large-scale security deployments. For applications such as passport control or forensic face recognition the stakes can be much higher, and we know that the available technology is not yet up to the task.

In the same vein, has facial recognition reached a point where accuracy and reliability now line up with the media's expectations?

In my experience, identification errors tend not to go down well with the public. I often ask audiences how often they would be prepared to be the subject of a misidentification. The answers are in the order of once a decade, even when the imagined consequences are minor. That’s a tall order, given the number of identity checks that some proposals entail. It comes as something of a shock when these demands are compared against current capability. As far as media expectations are concerned, I think there has been a change in tone. Traditionally, the emphasis has been on the implications face recognition for privacy, with the unspoken assumption that it is reliable. These days there is more of an awareness that the technology simply is being phased in, whether it works or not. That changes the focus of the debate.

The "Big Brother" argument -- that citizens are losing their individual privacy rights due to increased public security efforts -- is always present in a discussion about surveillance. Is there a point at which facial recognition and biometric technology infringe on personal freedoms and the right to privacy? Is blurring faces enough? Are there places where surveillance should not be allowed?

I don’t think facial recognition and biometric technology necessarily infringe on privacy. It is certainly possible to imagine applications where privacy concerns don’t arise. However, for the security and surveillance applications that have been at the forefront of public discussion, the tension with privacy is fundamental. The whole purpose of identifying someone is to connect them with some other information, and the nature of that information is a major issue. We can think of face recognition as a key to identity. But focusing on the key tends to distract us from other questions, like What’s behind the lock? As more and more information is stored behind the lock, the reliability of the key becomes increasingly important. As does the question of who has access to the key.

The practice of blurring or pixellating faces to protect identity (as in Google Streetview) is often poorly informed. Although such manipulations can make it more difficult for observers to identify people, this is only the case when the observer is unfamiliar with the faces concerned. When the observer is familiar with the face, blurring or pixellating the image does surprisingly little to impede identification.

People have very different ideas about where surveillance should be allowed, and which places should be out of bounds. I don’t really foresee any wide agreement on the extent of coverage that is desirable or acceptable. The general trend is for rapid expansion, especially in the US and the UK, but my impression is that this trend is not driven by public demand.

The UK has over 4 million cameras -- that's one for every 14 people in the country and 200,000 in London alone. Chicago is working to improve its 'Virtual Shield' and include the entire metropolitan area in its surveillance grid to cut down crime. Yet, criminals still often get away with murder -- literally. Are expectations set too high? Are surveillance grids more of a scare tactic in preventing crime from happening rather than proactive in catching criminals in the act?

It has been known for some time that the unprecedented CCTV coverage in the UK has had little or no effect on crime rates. A recent Home Office report revealed that only 3% of crimes were solved using CCTV footage, and suggests that simple improvements to street lighting would be more effective. Part of the problem is that it is unrealistic for police to monitor CCTV footage on the scale that it is produced. But more importantly, little thought has gone into the use of CCTV evidence in court. It has only recently become clear how poor humans are at matching unfamiliar faces, even when the images are far higher quality than could be obtained from CCTV. We’ve already looked at machine performance in this context. Establishing a match that will stand up in court is very difficult indeed.

The deterrent argument is interesting because the figures imply little or no deterrent value in CCTV. The standard explanation for this is that people assume the cameras are not working, which is a reasonable inference to make if they are not reducing crime. However, I wonder if there is also a paradoxical effect of increasing coverage. After all, the more cameras there are, the less likely it is that any particular camera is being monitored.

Daily Headers: May 22, 2009

Report: CCTV Schemes in City and Town Centers Have Little Effect on Crime
The Guardian
Alan Travis

• The use of closed-circuit television in cities, town centers and public housing estates does not have a significant effect on crime, according to Home Office-funded research to be distributed to all police forces in England and Wales this summer.
  
• The review of 44 research studies on CCTV schemes by the Campbell Collaboration found that they do have a modest impact on crime overall, but are at their most effective in cutting vehicle crime in car parks, especially when used alongside improved lighting and the introduction of security guards.
  
• The Campbell Collaboration report says that CCTV is now the single most heavily-funded crime prevention measure operating outside the criminal justice system and its rapid growth has come with a huge price tag. It adds that £170m was spent on CCTV schemes in town and city centerse, car parks and residential areas between 1999 and 2001 alone. "Over the last decade, CCTV accounted for more than three-quarters of total spending on crime prevention by the British Home Office," the report says.
  
• Am going to look into this one a bit further. Definitely some additional factors involved in the effectiveness of CCTV grids, including camera placement and image quality. Interested to dig a bit deeper and read the actual report. I'll report back.

Swiss Narrowly Accept Biometric Passport
Associated Press
Eliane Engeler

• By a narrow margin, Swiss voters accepted an overhaul of the country's passport system to include travel documents equipped with biometric data -- a change needed for Switzerland to stay on the United States' visa waiver program.
  
• The biometric passport was approved by 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent margin, reflecting widespread concern over government intrusion into people's privacy in a country that does not belong to the European Union and has long valued its independence.
  
• Switzerland joined Europe's control-free travel zone last year, which requires countries to register citizens' facial and fingerprint images on an electronic chip in the passport.
  
• Most of the 27 European Union members have issued biometric passports since 2006. But Switzerland has until March 2010 to put in place the new travel document, according to European law.
  
• Great to see this widespread deployment continue. DHS recently announced initiatives to improve current passport technology -- it looks like it's taking off worldwide.
  

Some People Really 'Never Forget A Face'
California Science & Technology News

• A new study suggests that skill in facial recognition might vary widely among humans. Previous research has identified as much as 2 percent of the population as having "face-blindness," or prosopagnosia, a condition characterized by great difficulty in recognizing faces. For the first time, this new research shows that others excel in face recognition, indicating that the trait could be on a spectrum, with prosopagnosics on the low end and super-recognizers at the high end.
  
• The research involved administering standardized facial recognition tests. The super-recognizers scored far above average on these tests—higher than any of the normal control subjects.
  
• One woman in the study said she had identified another woman on the street who served as her as a waitress five years earlier in a different city. Critically, she was able to confirm that the other woman had in fact been a waitress in the different city. Often, super-recognizers are able to recognize another person despite significant changes in appearance, such as aging or a different hair color.
  
• The human mind never fails to amaze me -- and disappoint at the same time.

IHF Roundup: Retail Crime Rates Continue to Climb, Robotic Animals End Poaching Dreams & Other Top Headlines This Week

At their conference in Orlando earlier this week, RILA announced the continuing trend of crime in retail institutions at least partially blamed on the dismal economic conditions we've been experiencing. The survey included some of America's largest retailers in all market segments and inquired about measured or perceived changes in retail crimes over the last four months (on the heels of the December 2008 Crime Trends Survey). Here's a quick rundown of the statistics. Looks like we've still got a ways to go to turn this ship around:

• 61% of retailers surveyed report having experienced an increase in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting in the last 4 months.
• 55% have experienced an increase in financial fraud.
• 72% of respondents report that they continue to see an increase in organized retail crime (ORC).
• No retailers reported a decrease at all in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting since last surveyed.
  

Not exactly encouraging numbers, but they definitely show room for improvement and a growing market for surveillance deployments in the retail sector.

While some are resorting to stealing merchandise to make ends meet, others are betting on Lady Luck for a few extra bucks in this recession. Many casinos have seen increased gambling tendencies -- that is, of already-problematic gamblers -- in the past few months. Should security systems be preventing such detrimental habits? A Toronto Sun writer seems to think so.

With an estimated one-third of gambling revenue coming from problem gamblers in casinos, she puts forth the valid argument as to why they aren't stopped before hitting the tables. As she notes in the article, "In Holland, for instance, all casino visitors have to show their national ID card or a passport and are entered into a computer database that tracks their gambling behavior."

So, why aren't other countries monitoring such negative behavior? Should there be some sort of biometric database in gambling facilities? Good question. Although, if you think about it, isn't that almost like employing biometrics at a fast-food joint and prohibiting those with high blood pressure from ordering certain fatty foods? Definitely something to be considered.

Biometrics (or the lack thereof) aren't only in hot water in casinos -- that's hardly the case.

In England, the Home Office announced plans for organizations (including the Post Office and National Pharmacy Association) to collect and transmit biometric information for ID card enrollment. That would mean fingerprints and facial photographs would be stored on ID cards and in a central database.

However, the big question remains the security of the data itself. With such a massive high-street database, there must be a maximum security standard for the implementation to be viable. Additionally, who would be liable for a breach in the system?

That's an awfully high level of risk with the value this type of highly-sensitive information presents to identity thieves and the like. Still lots of kinks to be worked out here. Plus, really not sure how I'd feel about needing to give a set of prints to receive my prescription either.

Biometrics scans are popping up all over -- even in journalism. Fingerprints and retina scans are now required for all journalists covering the war in Afghanistan before being accredited to travel with NATO units or visit military bases. It's drawing some red flags from legal experts who have called the new produced "strange and offensive" and I'm not surprised. According to the article, "The data, including fingerprints and a retina scan, are used to verify identity and are apparently checked against an archive of known terrorists." I've heard journalists called bad things, but being checked against terrorist images -- not quite. At least yet.

Wrote about this quickly earlier in the week -- robotics out to save Mother Nature. Well, something like that. Researchers have designed robotic animals to catch animal poachers. Turkeys, swimming moose, white-tailed deer, black bears -- you name it, there's a robot that resembles it. These robots are saving species one at a time -- literally. With prices ranging from $500 for turkey to $5,500 for a grizzly bear, these decoys do not come cheap and with special reflective eyes glow at night, I'm not sure I'd want to be out in the wild with either species.

Also, don't forget to check out John Honovich's post about our 3VR Korea study on IPVideoMarket.info (along with the commentary from our CEO Al Shipp and myself) here. Gets into the nitty-gritty of the what the study results really mean. Definitely an interesting read.

Do New Biometric Restrictions Make Video Surveillance Illegal?

This past October, the State of Illinois passed the Biometrics Information Privacy Act, which joins similar laws previously enacted in Texas and Virginia in imposing restrictions on the use of certain biometric data. Essentially, companies can no longer collect customer “biometric identifiers” without first receiving written consent. A "biometric identifier" is defined as "a retina or iris scan, fingerprint, voiceprint, or scan of hand or face geometry."

Wait a minute! Doesn’t every video surveillance system essentially “scan” people’s faces?

Well, they certainly do record pictures of people’s faces -- lots and lots of pictures, in fact. So, how exactly is a series of pictures any different from a scan? Did Texas, Virginia and Illinois just outlaw all facial video surveillance?

As you might expect, upon closer inspection it turns out that the new legislation DOES NOT outlaw traditional surveillance. Some laws specifically exempt video surveillance, and others protect it by definition. A picture of someone, it turns out, is not a “biometric identifier,” which is strictly defined to be an actual biometric measurement tied to an actual identity.

Because surveillance video captures “images” of people and places, and not individualized measurements, and because those images are not each individually identified, they are not technically biometric identifiers.

So what about Minority Report stuff?

Can businesses install retinal scanners and toss ads at you based on who you are? This would seem to be outlawed, unless permission is obtained from the individuals being scanned. And large retailers that serve millions of customers each year aren’t likely to ask each person that passes through their doors to sign a consent form authorizing a biometric scan. So, I think Minority Report stuff may be officially off the table.

Is 3VR video search and facial surveillance affected by these laws?

No. In fact, 3VR’s technology might be the only system built to survive harsh biometric prohibitions like what we’ve seen in Texas, Vermont and Illinois; its unique approach and privacy protections give it the same exempted status afforded traditional video surveillance recording under the law.

Unlike prohibited technologies like hand, iris or fingerprint scanners, 3VR exclusively records and processes only what is permitted under the law -- standard surveillance imagery of scenes and people. When a 3VR SmartRecorder does a search or performs a facial matching analysis, what the system is really doing is comparing actual images to each other using a mathematical language that has nothing to do with any underlying identity or physical measurement derived from the image.

The distinction might seem subtle at first, but 3VR’s approach offers several important privacy protections, most notably the fact that none of the data that 3VR uses to catalog surveillance video contains any information about who a person is or what they actually look like.

More importantly, a 3VR’s searchable surveillance index relates recorded content only to itself and compares only images collected by the system to each other. This is very different from a biometric scanner that seeks to relate every one of its scans back to a specific identity. A 3VR only relates surveillance to identities under very limited circumstances, such as when a watchlist match has been triggered or during an actual investigation. Thankfully, in both cases, bad guys are afforded much less protection under the law than the general public.

What’s next?

In the future, expect privacy and security law to conflict more and legislation to become increasingly complex. There will no doubt be more laws, like the “Know Your Customer” provision of the Patriot Act demanding more aggressive data collection and customer identification, and there will also be many more laws like those recently passed in Texas, Illinois and Vermont protecting consumer privacy. Ultimately, we need both kinds of laws, but to navigate them, we’ll need new technologies and approaches specifically designed to ensure security without sacrificing our privacy. You can look for that here.

IHF Roundup: Facial Recognition Infiltrates Household Items, Facial Scanners Find the Bar Scene & Other Top Headlines This Week

Been a busy week of travel for me -- great chance to get caught up on the news of the world. Seems that every week, new ideas are being brought to the table in terms of where surveillance systems are being deployed and for what reasons -- Korea's most recent biometric initiative, for example. Take a look at other stories from around the world!

Facial recognition technologies are continuing to take online photo programs by storm. Announced this week, Flickr users can now import their photos to Polar Rose. This Swedish start-up identifies individual faces and names show up next to faces in the photos once the user has identified the faces based on the matching of 3D models. Yes, Google Picasa and Apple's iPhoto already do something similar to this, but Flickr's version of this technique demonstrates the depth of the technology's infiltration into popular culture and its growing momentum. Plus, these new improvements will save hours of time individually marking faces to names. I'm thrilled that Facebook might be next to jump onboard with Faces.com (still in alpha)!

Facial recognition isn't only on your computer, but also in your bathroom. Introduced this week, the SmartFaucet is capable of facial recognition to enable tempered water to avoid scalding hot temperatures -- and even enable users to access email, see weather predictions and update calendar events -- all while washing your hands! Although, I'm not quite sure wet skin and electronics mix?

And from faucet to front row at your favorite club, a Melbourne nightclub recently hit headlines with its new facial recognition deployment, the world's first nightclub installation. With Chasers nightclub already equipped with metal detectors, this new software is meant to fight violence common at the venue and keep out troublemakers. According to the article, "patrons' faces are scanned by a camera and the image and driver's license details are stored on a computer for 28 days." Also, police have access to the biometric data should an incident occur -- interesting collaboration between public and private institutions to keep the drinks flowing and glass un-shattered. I like it.

As I wrote yesterday, airports are well on their way to creating a common security system across the entire US aviation community -- and Singaporean IT is jumping onboard as well. While currently operating five individuals databases, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be creating the 'Bio-Hub' to integrate all facial and fingerprint images for Singaporeans, permanent residents and foreigners. Plans are also in the works, "to introduce a non-intrusive facial capture system at checkpoints, to deter imposters from finding their way into the country." Interesting initiative. Be interested to see if any other countries lobby for similar projects.

US Airports Looking Toward Standardization

Whether it's for tracking baggage, boarding the planes themselves or eliminating homeland security hiccups, researchers continue to develop innovative techniques to eliminate inefficiencies and increase reliability at airports.

However, in installing such complex (and often costly) equipment, many airports are running into difficulties -- often budgetary limitations, political snags or just the hesitation to upgrade from traditional systems -- and the need for a standard only continues to grow.

While some sort of security standard across all national airports can be expected down the road, with the economy as it is and a new administration at the reigns, it remains to be seen how far off this is.

The TSA is currently in the process of creating and requiring standards for a unified airport access control system (involving biometrics and smart card personnel credentials) that could be read at airports nationwide. However, this initiative to issue credentials to more than 1.5 million airport workers and hundreds of thousands of airline employees has received mixed reviews. The infrastructure to exchange such biometric data and allow common identity vetting through the aviation community is nonexistent, and the nature of airport design is not conducive to such a communal system.

Many are quick to note the unique nature of individual airports and that the 'one-size-fits-all' mentality does not apply. In addition, other airport executives fear they'll have to start from scratch and tear out existing assets if a standard is put in place. I liked the quote from Mark Crosby, chief of public safety and security at the Portland International Airport and the Port of Portland who said: “Each airport is different and needs something that works...if you’ve seen one airport, you’ve seen one airport.”

Despite the difficulties, some airports are deploying individual systems aligned with their specific needs and budgetary concerns, such as the fingerprint and iris access control systems in cargo areas (and also operate vehicles) tested by the Port Authority of New York (and even our own 3VR system installed at Evansville Regional Airport). On the other hand, some are holding off in anticipation of government-prescribed standards being announced. Should we be holding our breath?

Jeanne Olivier, general manager of aviation security and technology at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, seems to think so:

“We’re about 80% of the way there for biometrics as a security solutions for airports,” Olivier said. But it’s probably still a couple of years before wide scale deployments begin. “We’re very close and there will be significant advances in the next two years.”

She's much more optimistic than others who note three to five years before a widespread deployment make their public debut.

While I don't know how quick the battle will be won -- we very well may be a few years off from concrete results -- the wheels are in motion to allow standardization in airport security, at least on the personnel level -- and that's progress in itself.

With these strides behind the scenes, as well as new technologies for passenger security (such as new surveillance mats that measure gait and may do away with frisking episodes), I'm impressed with the progress being made. Baby steps are just fine as long as we're going in the right direction.

IHF Roundup: Airports Ponder Universal Access Control, Researchers Design 'Wearable' Robots & Other Top Headlines This Week

Here's a quick rundown of the headlines that caught my eye this week (click on the links to check out the articles in full):

Airport credentials: What's going to happen?
SecureIDNews
Zack Martin

• How airports identify employees has been a concern since 9/11 and other incidents have shown that there are potential security vulnerabilities. The Transportation Security Administration is working on a specification for airport access control systems that would use biometrics and smart cards. The specification calls for an interoperable credential that could be read at airports throughout the country.
• The incident pointed to most often when it comes to better securing credentials at airports is an incident at O’Hare International Airport in 2007. In that case, 23 employees from a staff-outsourcing firm were using ID cards from employees who had quit.
  
• There are already a number of different projects running -- The TSA has the Airport Credential Interoperability Specification (ACIS) and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) created the Biometric Airport Security Identification Consortium (BASIC). The AAAE is working with the TSA on its efforts. Too many acronyms if you ask me.

Wearable bot said to make you stronger
CNET (Crave Blog)
Leslie Katz

• Through a sensor attached to the skin, "HAL" (Hybrid Assistive Limb) captures faint biosignals on the skin's surface that result from messages sent from the brain to muscles when a person attempts to move. A computer analyzes how much power the wearer intends to generate, then calculates the amount of torque needed to put limbs into action.
• Especially noteworthy here is that the suit responds to intended motion, rather than actual motion.
• "HAL" is currently being used by people in Japan with weakened muscles and disabilities related to strokes and/or spinal cord injuries. It's also expected to report for heavy-labor duty support at factories, as well as rescue support at disaster sites.
• Do they come in different colors and/or patterns?

Noise from our ears a basis for biometrics
ZDNet
Chris Jablonski

• The concept is based on otoacoustic emissions (OAE), which are sounds emitted by the mammalian inner ear in response to an audio stimulation.
• According to the researchers, OAEs offer some unique opportunities when applied as a biometric system. For one, it can be embodied as a telephone handset or headphones, which is something everyone is familiar with. And secondly, it can be employed in a challenge-response dialogue.
• However, watch out for waxy build-up and BAC level after a night out on the town -- with both, emissions are deadened. Also, different drugs alter the amplitude of OAEs.
  

How Kiva Robots Help Zappos and Walgreens
BusinessWeek
Jessie Scanlon

• Robots have been around a long time, but what's interesting about Kiva, which has four patents, with another 14 pending, is the way in which Kiva Founder and CEO Mick Mountz's team has integrated three technologies: WiFi, digital cameras, and low-cost servers capable of parallel processing.
  
• The servers work in real-time, receiving orders, immediately dispatching robots to bring the required pods to the worker fulfilling the order, and then returning the pods to their storage locations. The robots receive their orders wirelessly, while using cameras to read navigational barcode stickers on the warehouse floor.
• Roughly 20% of the 8,000 commercial U.S. warehouses are automated, including Walgreens and Zappos, meaning that after workers pull goods off of the shelves, they are put on conveyer belts, carousels, and/or other automatic sorting systems that move the products through the warehouse more efficiently.

Alaska introduces bill protecting citizens’ biometric data
ThirdFactor

• Alaskan state senator, Bill Wielechowski, has introduced a bill to the state congress that intends to protect Alaskan citizens from having their biometric information collected or used without their knowing and consent.
• The congressman’s hope is that the bill will assuage fears over the misuse of biometric information such as potential employers using DNA samples to determine one’s tendency towards certain ailments or the tracking of citizens via facial recognition and video surveillance.

Cameras, sensors spark government surveillance debate
Democrat & Chronicle
Brian Sharp

• The Rochester (NY) Police Department's reliance on data-crunching computers and license-plate reading scanners triggered a backlash this week from a citizens group called Activists Against Racism Movement.
• In a statement to the media, the group labeled the targeted enforcement a "dragnet" and "absolutely racist in nature," predicting that it will predominately snare minorities for minor offenses.
• Doubt remains about whether the technology actually prevents crime, or just relocates it. People do tend to feel safer, experts say. Witnesses are more likely to cooperate with police if they think a camera also caught the action, and so property crime declines, but research has yet to document a corresponding drop in violent crime.

Plus, don't forget to scroll down and check out 3VR's anouncement around our technology's performance in recent South Korea NPA/SK Networks facial recognition technology testing. More details coming soon.

IHF Roundup: Robots Hitting the Crop Fields, Airport Facial Scanners Slowing Security Lines & Other Top Headlines This Week

Phewf! Finally catching my breath after the whirlwind of ISC West and sitting down to read all the headlines that hit this week.

Lots in the research fields -- literally, fields -- in the news this week. I actually wrote about this robotic work a few weeks back, but the AP reported more on MIT's work with robots that can water, harvest and pollinate cherry tomato plants. According to the article, each plant is connected to both a robot and computer network to enable sensors that know when it is time to water the plant, pick the ripe fruit, or need fertilizer. This is the first big initiative I've heard about using robots for agricultural purposes, and while its currently exclusive to tomatoes, I'm curious if the technology will be adapted to other fruits and vegetables moving forward.

Biologists are hitting the books and looking at old laws of flying to further understand how birds, insects and other winged-animals keep themselves in flight in order to apply to future biomimeric-flying robots. Using high-speed video to see the asymmetrical flapping that hummingbirds and others are capable of to make turns mid-air, they hope to apply these locomotive maneuvers to future robotic developments.

And from wildlife and agriculture to babies -- Japanese scientists have created a child robot with Biomimetic Body (CB2 for short) capable of developing social skills from continuous human interaction. The robot can watch and record facial expressions using embedded eye-cameras and match them to corresponding physical movements to understand emotion, mirroring a developing mother-baby relationship. Wow.

In the surveillance realm, some feathers being ruffled this week, particularly in the UK.

According to a leaked memo, Manchester Airport allegedly re-calibrated its facial scanner machines from alerting security personnel if the passenger had less than a 80% likeness to their passport photograph to only calling out matches at less than 30% due to an overwhelmingly high number of "false positives" and particularly long queues at checkpoints. However, the UK Border Agency responded, saying that "neither the software nor the machines have been recalibrated or changed since the trial began in August 2008." Either way, lines are apparently out the door and there are rumors that 30% thresholds aren't high enough to tell Winona Ryder from Osama Bin Laden. If that's the case, I'll have no problem getting through as Colin Firth (if I had his passport, that is).

As noted by Leischen Stelter of Security Director News, biometric technologies, like facial scanners, address challenges airports face in providing the utmost security to its passengers, and more and more airports are adopting various technologies to do so. Whether its access control, iris and fingerprint readers or facial scanners, biometrics are enabling greater confidence in airport security efforts. In fact, the Biometric Airport Security Identification Consortium (BASIC) was initiated last year to test many different biometric technologies at airports nationwide and has grown from six initial participants to 32 airports. BASIC will move this one step further and present its findings to the TSA, which has promised to provide an approved vendor lists going forward. Exciting stuff.

Standardization in video surveillance has been an ongoing issue, but camera regulation is another rising matter, particularly down under. The Victorian Law Reform Commission in Australia proposed that an independent regulator oversee all public surveillance to ensure no footage is recorded without authorization. With tens of thousands of surveillance devices across the state, it is vital that no video falls through the cracks and into the wrong hands. Great to see.

So many headlines to summarize every week that it's almost getting overwhelming! I'm going to aim to summarize important headers a few times next week and moving forward -- hopefully this will keep everything timely and ensure I don't miss anything. Wouldn't want to let the readers down.

Manchester Airport Downgrades Matching Threshold on Facial Scanners

Those customer complaints about excessive wait times and congestion going through security in the UK must be piling up these days -- in a leaked memo, Manchester Airport allegedly re-calibrated its facial scanner machines from alerting security personnel if the passenger had less than a 80% likeness to their passport photograph to only calling out matches at less than 30%.

Deemed an "unacceptable" security risk by some, this change was prompted by an increased number of "false positives" not recognizing law-abiding passengers as the person pictured in their passport.

There has been no official explanation as to why the change occurred, and some facial recognition experts are up in arms, claiming that using a 30% match threshold is essentially useless. A memo noted, "[The fact that] the machines do not operate at 100% is unacceptable. In addition it would be interesting to know why the acceptance level has been allowed to decrease."

As another article also describes, with such low calibration levels, Kevin Spacey and Winona Ryder would easily pass through holding Osama Bin Laden's passport. With these odds, I bet could pass through security as Colin Firth, no problem.

I'll be interested to see if an official response to this "leaked memo" is released that explains the drastic drop in standards and their reason for the large number of false-positives. It could be the result of their technology choice, or just the result of poor, old, and varied photos common to passports. Likely both.

IHF Roundup: Robots Invading the Job Site, Surveillance Cameras Busting Fuzz and Other Top Headlines This Week

Robots were all over the place this week -- construction sites, ORs and warzone terrain. Engineers at Virginia Tech have designed 'Hydras' robots capable of rolling up and down poles and columns with the goal of deploying them at construction sites in the near future. Going forward, they hope to outfit these robots with ultrasound scanners and cameras to inspect bridges and buildings for flaws, tasks that kill over 1,000 workers each year. Brings new meaning to the term, 'pole dancing', don't you think?

In the Japanese healthcare sector, researchers plan to implement new safety rules for robo-nurses, which they expect to be a long-term solution to the lack of caregivers for the growing elderly demographic in the country. And from hospitals to front lines in Afghanistan, BigDog robots -- four-legged robotic creations capable of navigating the rocky terrain -- are being tested as potential danger alert monitors in battle zones. They can walk, lie down, have a great sense of smell and can even climb inclines. Grab them a collar and teach them to 'play dead' and they could make a great pet. Although probably not quite the friendliest or furriest companion I've come across.

As Geoff Kohl of SecurityInfoWatch.com wrote earlier today, biometrics may have reached the tipping point. When something becomes as mainstream as an iPhone, you know it's infiltrating popular culture -- and biometrics are doing just that. The Apple Insider blog reported today that Apple filed for a patent for a biometric reader to install in either an iPhone or Apple computer to secure the devices with either fingerprint or facial recognition. No passcodes required. Still a ways off, but I'm excited to think that instead of typing in a four-number passcode to make a phone call, my iPhone might someday be able to recognize the shape of my ear or authenticate my fingerprint on the screen instead.

Also, a fascinating look at how surveillance footage isn't just busting criminals, but also being used as evidence against cops lying on the witness stand in the New York Times. Instead of implicating suspected criminals, footage has established cases against the police officers committing perjury about their actions instead. The camera never lies.

Taking off for ISC West this weekend. Shoot @TheSteveRussell a direct message on Twitter if you want to meet up or just stop by the 3VR booth (#12081) -- hope to see you there!

IHF Roundup: Female Robot Struts Her Stuff, Robotic Fish Invades Foreign Waters and Other Top Headlines This Week

Some ongoing trends I've been seeing for a few months are all relating back to technological innovation in industries traditionally uninterested in the stuff. Whether it's biometric systems, robotic deployments or surveillance initiatives, they're popping up everywhere. In particular, a couple robotics headlines caught my eye this week as they have been making their way into unfamiliar waters -- and runways.

British scientists are developing robotic fish to detect pollution. Coming in around $29,000 apiece, these wireless robots, five feet in length, are enabled with sensors to smell out hazardous chemicals leaking from marine vessels and underwater pipelines. They're being tested in the northern Spanish port of Gijon, and if successful, could potentially be used worldwide. Price point might need to drop a bit to ensure large-scale deployment, but very exciting potential here to sniff out and eliminate leaks polluting our waters.

Almost on the other end of the robotics spectrum, Japanese robotics teams have created a female robot that walk and talks -- down fashion runways, that is. Making her debut at a Tokyo fashion show next week, the five-foot two-inch black-haired HRP-4C robot will ultimately be used to "perform simulations of human movement" in amusement parks, exercise clubs and other such crowded environments. Perhaps, a long lost relative of this robotic performer...

Happy to say that Frost & Sullivan released validation for the growth in biometrics technologies this week. According to Matia Grossi, Frost & Sullivan's industry analyst, "The market for biometrics products is going to almost triple by 2012 from its 2008 value." Exciting stuff, but not entirely surprising considering check and retail fraud rates are skyrocketing and security breaches are causing chaos everywhere. Obviously, the demand for appropriate security initiatives is there and technologies will increase accordingly.

While traditional biometrics have primarily rooted themselves in government agencies, financial institutions and airports, educational outlets, hospitals and even airlines themselves are now implementing these systems. While the current statistics show governments to occupy 44.5% of the market, it's evident from headlines this week growing initiatives in other sectors may soon shift that majority elsewhere.

We've seen biometric security systems implemented all over airports, from the security checkpoints to customs. But biometrics to board planes? That's new.

Air France announced this week the beginning of trials of its new fingerprint-based boarding system -- "smartboarding" -- on the Paris-Amsterdam route. With this new procedure, passengers book their flights online normally and check in at airport kiosks where they receive their thermal-inked boarding pass. Once at the gate, their fingerprints are scanned prior to boarding the airplane. If it saves me from taking my driver's license in and out of my wallet five times before sitting down in my seat, I'm all for it.

Continuing this biometrics growth, schools nationwide, specifically Wyoming and Florida, are installing biometrics keypads in cafeterias to improve accounting systems and provide speedier service. One article even states lunch sales at one school improved 17 percent after using the devices. If not only to get kids into their seats more quickly, bringing in more revenues from those lunches can't hurt struggling schools. Gives new meaning to the term 'fast food.'

Mark of the Penguins

They say no two adult African penguins have the same pattern of black spots on their chests. Until recently, however, scientists and researchers had yet to leverage this natural biometric phenomenon and long struggled with error-prone methods of tracking colonies with metal flipper bands.

With recent developments in the surveillance technologies used in wildlife tracking, researchers are now able to identify these unique marks and monitor individual birds in real-time over long periods.

First deployed on Robben Island in South Africa, a habitat for more than 20,000 birds, the software has not only been trained to recognize if there are any penguins in the camera's direct field of vision, but also to determine unique spot patterns to identify penguins and record the the bird's ID, in addition to the date, time and location of the sighting.

Researchers say the technology is adaptable to species other than penguins, too -- including cheetahs and sharks.

Bristol University Professor Barham, who developed the Penguin Recognition System, said, "For any species with patterned plumage, cheetahs or whale sharks for example, then the same technology could use the patterns as individual identifiers.

Exciting example of how biometric technology can be adapted to alternative habitats to eliminate the traditional manpower required and improve tracking accuracy, all the while drastically lowering costs. Think of it as facial recognition technology for the animal kingdom.

Look forward to seeing this technology adopted into other extreme environments, particularly species close to extinction. Maybe we go one step further past simple numbers tracking to learning more about daily habits and why some species are thriving and others dwindling (before they go extinct).

IHF Roundup: Body Odor as the New Lie Detector, Biometrics Invade Classrooms and Hospitals, and Other Top Headlines This Week

I've written a bunch about how facial recognition and fingerprinting are changing the face of biometric technologies on this blog -- but body odor as a new biometric identifier? Hadn't quite thought of that one. This week, DHS announced plans to study how body odor can be used to identity individuals (just like fingerprints). Looking forward to seeing how this innovation plays out...

The world of biometrics is receiving attention outside of law enforcement and in classrooms and hospitals, too. Earlier this week, I wrote a couple of posts on the use of facial recognition technology to take attendance in UK classrooms as well as biometric technologies popping up in hospitals nationwide. Who knows where they'll pop up next. I've got a feeling that I do.

Not only are biometrics taking shape in areas typically unaccustomed to these technologies, but the robotics world is expanding to other areas -- including Japanese classrooms and tomato farms. Saya, a robotic teacher, can express six different emotions, call roll and even smile at students. While developers say she's no replacement for human instructors, they hope it to be a solution for the growing labor shortage.

MIT, on the other hand, is developing robots not for the classroom, but rather for the greenhouse. The robots are part of a larger plant monitoring system and are able to water the tomato plants and dispense food when needed. Not only do these gardeners offer more exact feeding habits, but also a more economic gardening solution for massive farming grounds. As this CNET article reports, the researchers envision a fully automatic greenhouse going forward with robots running the operations entirely. They bring a new meaning to the term "green thumb".

Video surveillance standards have also been in the spotlight this week -- SecurityInfoWatch's Geoff Kohl hosted a roundtable on the push for standardization not only in the US, but worldwide and what that will mean for end-users, integrators and product manufacturers. The Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF), in particular, kicked off in Germany earlier this year and this week announced 18 new member companies that have joined the group. Exciting to see these finally taking shape and thrilled to see what comes out on the other end.

Finally, great post from @ShawnF on the growing use of Twitter in the security industry. Check out the post here -- or even better, follow me @TheSteveRussell on Twitter!

Biometrics: Coming Soon to A Hospital Near You

With biometric technologies rapidly improving and prices dropping, more and more industries and sectors are looking to improve security and data management with these capabilities. Amusement parks, graduate school tests and even community colleges are already taking the plunge, and healthcare centers nationwide are next with smart cards, fingerprint, vascular and iris biometrics making appearances in select hospitals.

Healthcare IT consultant Mike Wisz points out in this article that healthcare centers are hotbeds for misidentification, privacy breaches, transcription errors and insurance fraud -- it was only a matter of time before these technologies made their way into ORs and hospital wings to improve the accuracy and integrity of medical care. In a service industry with drastic consequences, utilizing biometrics to automate authentication procedures has long been in the works. However, kinks still need to be worked out to ensure the technology's long-term viability in the industry.

Implementing fingerprinting in hospitals, in particular, poses some interesting challenges. The typical procedure involves users manually entering a user ID, then pressing their exposed index finger over the reading device. Read: prints require skin contact with the device, and therefore are susceptible to germs and bacteria spreading. In a hospital? I don't think so. A few more hurdles for that one...

Vascular and iris biometrics, on the other hand, are up and coming and do not require skin contact; however, they do come with much larger pricetags and untested patient waters.

Urban Health Plan in Bronx, N.Y. is one of the first health centers in the country to utilize iris identification technology to perform instantaneous iris pattern scans in order to effectively authenticate individuals. Vascular biometrics, on the other hand, circumvent contact issues between readers and people by scanning underneath the skin via passive infrared technology to illuminate veins and record images associated uniquely to individuals. Both remain largely unfamiliar to patients, and in such a serious environment as a hospital offers, that obstacle will be hard to bypass.

However, the payoffs are pretty significant -- like in other industries such as retail, we can predict that the investment in upgraded biometrics equipment for hospitals will be most quickly apparent in reduced insurance and fraud cases, while also continuing to address ongoing issues surrounding the misidentification of patients. Seems simple enough, but mistakes still do happen.

I don't know about you, but if given the option, I'd rather have my irises scanned or fingerprints taken that having to stare down all those mountains of paperwork. But even better than both might be good old facial recognition. No touching, no staring, and no scanning. Hospitals have enough of that already.

What's That Smell?

DHS is looking into further studies around the viability of utilizing human body odor as the next biometric identifier.

The goal of the research is twofold. Firstly, DHS hopes to determine if odors can serve as an "indicator of deception" and secondly, to show support for the theory that each individual's scent is completely one-of-a-kind.

According to this Washington Times article, "Scientific research shows that so-called volatile organic compounds present in human sweat, saliva and urine can be analyzed using a technique known as gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry." Research has even shown that unique compound combinations in sweat -- a natural secretion for all human beings -- might differentiate one individual from another!

However, with such an erratic substance, challenges are inevitable:

"The reason for the variation in distinctiveness is unclear," Royal Society in London researchers said. More importantly, the odors of some people changed during the course of the study: "Not all subjects had consistent marker compounds over time, which might be due to physiological, dietary, or other changes."

Additionally, researchers still haven't determined the effects of "exogenous chemical contaminants" -- soaps, perfumes, colognes, cigarette smoke and other environmental elements that may alter or shield a person's natural odor. Obviously, there are many kinks to be worked out before real-world tests occur, and I have got stong feeling that "odor recognition" won't be an simple technology to get right. In any case, I am not holding my breath...wait, let me rethink that.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

According to the United Kingdom Biometrics Institute, biometrics are taking schools by storm -- the group estimates about one million children have had fingerprints taken to borrow library books, pay for school dinners or other rudimentary activities, and some UK community colleges are taking these technologies to the next level.

St. Neots Community College in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and the City of Ely Community College are taking part in a pilot program to monitor students' presence on campus. As this article indicates, the process is quite streamlined and student check-in only takes about two seconds each time.

"When students check in or out of school, they enter a pin on to the keypad and look at the camera. The measurements from the photograph are matched against the student’s biometric identifier, and the time of arrival (or departure) is stored in the unit’s internal computer."

Not only reliable in recording attendance data (and with the added capability of providing accurate print-outs of students on campus in case of an emergency), the technology has turned out to be quite the shortcut in taking attendance compared to traditional methods. According to sources, the system saves staff members about ninety minutes each day in recording attendance data.

City of Ely Community College Principal Richard Barker said: "With this new registration technology, we are hoping to free up our teachers' time and allow them to spend it on what they are meant to be doing, which is teaching."

Ninety minutes of extra class time per day? That's a worthy investment in itself.

IHF Roundup: No More Lost Luggage in Lisbon and Milan, Biometric System Deployments Abound and Other Top Headlines This Week

Looks like customer complaints over lost baggage have sparked change -- at least in Europe. Both the Lisbon Airport and Milan’s Malpensa Airport have switched to RFID-enabled baggage tracking systems, eliminating unreliable bar-coded tagging from transfer baggage procedures. Many Americans will be thrilled at the thought of this initiative making its way overseas, particularly this guy.

Robots may be next on the scene to rescue injured soldiers -- or protect the coast and waters from pirates! Researchers hope that the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital will be replaced by a robotic "Trauma Pod" within ten years -- think M*A*S*H but with robotic surgeons and nurses instead. In due time, the robots will be able to insert intravenous lines and even deliver drugs to patients. Wow.

The Pentagon is also looking to utilize robotics in another field of Homeland Security to prevent piracy and terrorism in waterways. Unmanned "bot boats" can be deployed from the shores, helicopter and parachutes, can chase and ram vessels, and even utilize weapons like water cannons and sound-blast devices to scare off predatory ships. From the looks of other robotics technology on the rise, seeing robots on the water might not be so strange -- particularly if they're feeding you at the dinner table or performing surgery at the hospital. Great pictorial feature from the Boston Globe to check out here.

With the International Biometrics Group reporting expected growth of the global biometrics market to jump from $3.4 billion to $9.4 billion between 2009 and 2014, it's no surprise that fingerprint authentication, iris scans and facial recognition systems have started to pop up in areas like hospitals and even schools (more around this to come next week). While airports have long utilized biometrics in customs and security checkpoints, biometric-enabled access control is another feature on the rise, and standards for the technology's deployment are finally starting to be put in place.

Looks like South Korea is itching to get a jumpstart in that growing market. As a pioneering country in the security systems and equipment industry with a rich history as a technological innovator, it hopes that this experience will propel it into the manufacturing of the four key biometric authentication technologies: fingerprint, iris, face and vein recognition.

Sooner or later, biometric and surveillance technologies, previously isolated to law enforcement and government agencies, will find themselves in every mundane aspect of life. You might even find evidence of them in your own body -- or a friend's.

One Step Closer to Minority Report-Style Iris Scanning

AOptix and competitors including Retica Systems and Sarnoff Corporation (and its new Iris on the Move product), have long touted their ability to scan a human iris from a distance and even while the person is moving.

The technology is designed to blend the accuracy of iris recognition with the passive interaction of a surveillance camera and now AOptix is claiming to provide this ability at up to 2.5 meters! Here is an excerpt from from their latest press release:

"By using adaptive optics the company is able to correct for a subject’s motion and gain better focus, Phil Tusa [the company’s vice president of biometric programs] says. The system is also able to capture both iris images from a distance of 1.5 to 2.5 meters."

Iris-at-a-distance and iris-on-the-move are emerging sectors in the biometric market; however, Tusa argues that Aoptix has a unique approach to managing operations.

“Our concept is to ask the subject for two seconds to look at the device and open their eyes,” he says. “This will greatly improve matching accuracy results and we’re not going to have bad images.”

Here is an interview with Tusa:

Let me tell you, their stuff works. Over a year ago, I had the opportunity to see this product while it was still in the lab. Technicians then were able to capture and identify my iris at over 2.5 meters. Pretty impressive stuff -- and that was over a year ago!

IHF Roundup: Chicago Bolsters Virtual Shield, Biometrics Invade Hospitals and Other Top Stories This Week

We're almost into March, officially "Fraud Prevention Month" in Canada and the US, and lots of security initiatives seem to be popping up in the headlines.

Chicago's Virtual Shield project received a $6 million grant from the DHS to link the public surveillance grid to its 911 system. Definitely a step in the right direction in integrating surveillance and emergency resources.

The FBI is putting money to good use, too, with its Next Generation Identification system (NGI). A $1 billion investment over ten years, the NGI combines iris scans, facial imaging, palm prints and fingerprint identification technologies in one, multi-dimensional system. Very cool stuff.

The Korean National Police Agency (NPA) is exploring options around installing facial recognition technologies in ATMs, as part of a comprehensive public security plan to reduce crimes in the country. Should be more focused on face finding and searching technologies in order to help track down and identify suspects, but the initiative does look promising.

An expert group in Westminster pondered the installation of biometrics in the workplace this week. Airports, ATMs, hospitals, DMVs -- why not in your cubicle -- or at the cash register, for that matter? Forget about that PIN or picking up a pen at the grocery store or shopping center -- your fingerprint may be the signature of the future. Much tougher to fake a print than an illegible scribble.

On that note, this weekend, why not head out to the theaters and and see Paul Blart Mall Cop -- might not have received rave reviews, but you'll learn a thing or two about retail security.

Biometrics: The New Timecard Verifier?

Will biometrics soon find be finding its way into office cubicles? That's the question biometrics experts, privacy advocates and academic researchers discussed in Westminster, England this week while discussing the future of biometric technology in the workplace.

In addition to augmenting security controls in private companies, experts realize that utilizing biometrics could have an economic benefit as well. Hugh Carr Archer, chief executive of biometric firm Aurora stated that a customer company utilizing facial biometrics to ensure employees were working when they claimed to be saved six per cent of its wage bill by defeating the typical strategy of employees clocking in and out for each other.

“Fred, for example, clocks on work [for Bill] when the foreman’s not looking, while Bill’s at home putting his feet up. The foreman creates three ghost workers because he can then get their pay packets," Archer said.

Particularly in this economic climate, ensuring the efficiency of your staff is crucial. As a result, with facial recognition and other biometrics solutions finding its way into airports, schools, ATMs and even DMVs, the workplace may be the next spot on the horizon.

However, being cognizant of privacy implications here is important. While infringements aren't an immediate concern to many watchdogs, going forward, some are worried they could play a role. "They are a lighting rod to privacy issues," Toby Stevens, director of the Enterprise Privacy Group, said. "This is because of personal sensitivities – my face, my fingers, my eyes, my voice – and they may carry information to you that I may not wish to convey.”

Some people worry about revealing passport and social security numbers when starting a new position -- not sure how they'll feel about having their irises scanned prior to entering the office or surveillance cameras looking over their shoulder while they're on the clock. Definitely still some particulars to work out, but should be interesting to watch.

Dating with Biometrics

Thanks to my friend Pamela for forwarding this comic from the Abtruse Goose!

Ouch.

A Billion Dollars for Biometrics

The FBI Biometric Center of Excellence is currently working on a Next Generation Identification (NGI) system that will combine iris scans, facial imaging, palm prints and fingerprint identification technologies in one, multi-dimensional system. The platform is intended to succeed the outdated Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) put in place in 1999.

The cost on this ten-year investment? A small price tag of $1 billion dollars.

Plans for NGI include increased fingerprint storage capacity and accelerated fingerprint processing times for high priority criminals, as well as the creation of a special database of names, which will include sexual offenders, wanted persons and terrorists.

"NGI will give us bigger, better, faster capabilities and lead us into the future. We have added additional capabilities to our current system, and are working with the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, and the International law enforcement community in making our communities safer," said Thomas E. Bush, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.

Of course, privacy concerns abound in relation to the amount of personal data stored and collected on average American citizens. The FBI Web site proactively addresses these concerns and notes that the NGI system refuses to expand the categories of people from whom they collect data already, but will rather collect additional data on criminals and terrorists. As Bush said, "The privacy and security of the system is extremely important and we have to ensure the relationship with privacy advocacy groups, and make sure it's not accessible to unauthorized persons."

Eternal viligance.

Army Upgrades Biometric Gear

From Defense News:

The U.S. Army and Marines are upgrading more than 4,000 Polaroid camera-sized biometric detection devices that scan, track and identify potential terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, service and industry officials said. The Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) scans fingerprints or irises, then matches them with those stored in a remote database. […] "With identification technology, you will know that if a farmer in southern Iraq shows up running around in northern Iraq as a taxi driver, you have reason to be suspicious."

India Bank Gets ATM Biometrics

From Rupee Times:

SBI Chief General Manager of Gujarat H C Pattnaik said, "The orders for biometric ATM's have been placed and we expect to install 150 such machines initially in important districts and talukas of the state by March end this year."

With identity theft and other forms of financial fraud on the rise, I expect to be seeing announcements like this more and more. Finger print verification is one way to go. Another is to use facial recognition to do the same thing. That approach has the benefit of being generally viewed as less intrusive from a privacy standpoint, and since it also requires banks to invest in the quality of their ATM cameras, it would also enhance a banks general surveillance capabilities.

Fool Me Once, Shame on You...

As reported last month, a South Korean woman fooled a fingerprint scanner at a Japanese airport to gain entry into the country. How did she do it? No need for an elaborate scheme -- instead, she used a special kind of tape purchased from a broker to easily bypass the state-of-the-art biometric system.

The 51-year-old woman used "special tape" to alter her fingerprints to trick the technology, which in November 2007 was installed at 30 airports around the country at a cost of around $45 million dollars. Designed to prevent entry by "international terrorists and other undesirables," reports say it is possible that a large number of South Koreans may have illegally entered the country using similar methods.

While the woman was eventually arrested in South Korea after attempting to purchase a fake passport, this incident raises a red flag about how effective border security really is and if expensive installments are worth the cost. In fact, last month, the DHS announced an update to its biometric technology in the US-VISIT program, which records biographic information to conduct security checks and verify the identities of international visitors to the United States.

However, why spend millions of tax dollars deploying systems that don't perform?

While biometric systems certainly complicate methods traditionally used by criminals to bypass the law, these tools will always exist -- ultimately, what customs and airport security checkpoints need is the deployment of an all-encompassing solution to stop those "special tape" users and repeat offenders in their tracks.

Integrating access control and facial recognition systems are two critical deployments needed to transform border security infrastructure and ensure a comprehensive solution to deter criminal acts. Designed to improve access control, passenger screening and liability protection, our deployments in airports (including Evansville Regional) monitor for criminal suspects and support both passenger and general airport visitor screening procedures with facial recognition technology, which stores profile pictures regardless of angle, shadow or lighting.

What does that mean in terms of catching criminals? We'll let's just say that no amount of "special tape" will get a person past an access control gate that requires an ID varified using facial recognition.

As the age-old proverb goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Multiple levels of security technology ensure the validity of this saying, and are ultimately crucial components of a successful surveillance program in the public places that need it most.