News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Smart Card Alliance releases report on immigration, citizen ID

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Smart Card Alliance released a white paper entitled, “Securing Identity and Enabling Employment Verification: How Do Immigration Reform and Citizen Identification Align?”

The report looks at the various legislation enacted over the past 30 years and how it’s impacted identification. “A robust system of identification and secure identification documents is a key requirement that needs to be addressed in the immigration reform debate,” the paper states. “This white paper provides considerations for stakeholders in the debate on how the use of smart card and biometric technology can provide a high level of confidence in the identity of the document holder and help to validate status and entitlement.”


The proposed biometric Social Security card is also discussed. “An upgraded Social Security card incorporating biometric identity credentials enables a true authentication process that will benefit workers, employers, and government,” the report states. “Biometric identifiers link identity to the physical person, providing ‘something you are’ as part of the identification process.”

The full report can be downloaded here[end] 

Mobile and network security provider AuthenTec has released the AuthenTec AE2750, a fingerprint sensor designed for use in mobile commerce applications.

The AE2750 contains many features found in smart sensor designs, such as a 192 pixel by 8 pixel fingerprint sensor array. It also offers hybrid fingerprint matching on a sensor match and host match, AES, RSA and SHA encryption block and One Time Password generation. The device can mount on smart phones, tablest and touchscreen-enabled mobile devices.

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In an effort to streamline passenger security, Jakarta, Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has opened the country’s first biometric immigration gate.

Fingerprint biometric identification provider BIO-key International, Inc. and Oakwell Engineering Limited partnered to create the new gate, designed for use by passengers with electronic passports. Passengers submit their e-passports and authenticate with a fingerprint.

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The Smart Card Alliance Identity Council and Access Control Council have released educational resources to help individuals and organizations learn more about PIV, PIV-I and CIV credentials.

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The South African Ministry of Home Affairs announced the expansion of its smart ID card pilot program, reports IT Web.

According to Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni, the smart ID card program is part of an effort by the national government to shed its racist past and create one identification card for all citizens. It will replace the current civic and immigration identity systems and capture demographic and biometric data of all South Africans and foreign nationals.

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Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) plans to implement a mobile biometric screening device system to help its inland enforcement operations combat illegal immigrants.

As reported in the Straits Times and Today Online, the ICA is investing in MAVIS, the Mobile Automated Verification and Identification System. The handheld system can perform ID and fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics screening without having to bring a suspect into an office.

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A journalist for the Mingpao Daily has managed to spoof a biometric self-service kiosk used for immigration clearance at the Hong Kong-China border, according to a PC Advisor article.

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