Stay Ahead With Linux Security News

security technologybiometric technologydata integration

Integration Of Microchip And Biometric ID Systems For Enhanced Security

A growing number of people will carry their identifying data on microchips in passports, employment ID cards or drivers' licenses in 2004, analysts say. But the data is useless unless the technologies and public records are integrated, a job that has become a fast-growing business for data processing giants like I.B.M., Unisys and Siemens. "The technology is advancing rapidly," said Ed Schaffner, director of positive ID and access control solutions at Unisys, who said that the first government agencies to adopt the technology would put their systems in place in 2004. "The big growth will be in 2005 and 2006," he said.. . .. A growing number of people will carry their identifying data on microchips in passports, employment ID cards or drivers' licenses in 2004, analysts say. But the data is useless unless the technologies and public records are integrated, a job that has become a fast-growing business for data processing giants like I.B.M., Unisys and Siemens. "The technology is advancing rapidly," said Ed Schaffner, director of positive ID and access control solutions at Unisys, who said that the first government agencies to adopt the technology would put their systems in place in 2004. "The big growth will be in 2005 and 2006," he said. The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks ignited interest in more precise ways to identify people, particularly in the field of biometrics, which makes use of distinctive body features. Among the biometric techniques that have been explored are scanning eyes for individualized features of the retina or iris, using cameras and computers to map the distances between parts of the face, and studying the patterns of voice or gait. But as governments complete initial testing and begin putting into place new security systems at border crossings and at sites like airports and embassies, there is a clear winner among the competing biometric technologies: the old-fashioned fingerprint. "They are looking for proven technology that's stable and familiar," said Dr. Joseph J. Atick,president and chief executive of Identix, a leading supplier of biometric technology. "It's not about technology. It's about lowering your deployment risk." The link for this article located at NYTimes is no longer available. . A growing number of people will carry their identifying data on microchips in passports, employment . growing, number, people, carry, their, identifying, microchips, passports, employment. . Anthony Pell

Dec 29, 2003 • Anthony Pell Government