News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

School biometric system raises concerns over student exposure

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Hull Trinity House School in Yorkshire, UK has become the first Hull school in its area to utilize a biometric system in replacement of school lunch payment programs, according to a Yorkshire Post article.

As has been common at other schools where such a system has been implemented, the new system is raising concerns among community leaders over whether or not biometrics in schools exposes student’s personal data to hackers and other cyber criminals.


In response to such worries, however, the schools headmaster, Andy Twaits, has pointed towards the system’s use of numeric references to points on a student’s finger, rather than storing a fingerprint image, and, therefore, renders stolen data basically unusable.

Further, Twaits has reminded the nay-sayers that the system has received 99% support from the students’ parents and usage of the system is not required of students.

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Biometric Signature ID (BSI) announced positive results from a study of their software-only approach to biometric authentication for students using PCs. The new solution utilizes gesture biometrics via a user’s mouse and is envisioned to provide distance-learning students a more effective and secure means of accessing personal student files, discussion groups and other private areas of school networks.

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Somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 schools throughout the UK are using fingerprint identification systems for various school related services including class registration, checking out library books and cashless payment for meals, according to a BBC News report.

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The New Canaan Public School District in Connecticut is in planning to participate in a “technology experiment,” which would utilize RFID technology to track students, staff and school property, according to local news report.

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While new high-tech vending machines are being released with options such as touch screens, nutritional information displays, wireless coin dispensers, stock monitors and biometric payments, some feel the idea of moving forward with biometric-based payments on the devices may not work yet, according to a Retail Solutions Online article.

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Bright Way College in Jankipuram in India has implemented a system developed by biometrics developer GI Biometric Solutions in hopes of better protecting its students from being sent home with people that are not supposed to be picking up the children, such as kidnappers, according to a Times of India article.

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The Palos Heights School District 128 in Chicago is using GPS technology to track its students allowing the district to keep up with the student–when he or she first entered the school bus and when the student exited the district’s care.

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