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Tag Archives: biometrics

The New MorphoTrust USA: The Same Great Products from Bioscrypt

June 20, 2012
Biometric History, Global Biometrics
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By: Biometric BarneySafran Group: MorphoTrust USA (formerly Bioscrypt)

Bioscrypt’s recent acquisition by the Safran Group apparently is having no effect on their current product line, their offerings or their branding. Bioscrypt’s name is still a staple in the biometric access control industry and they’re still manufacturing top notch quality products, as was made evident by their newest product offerings, the 4G Lite Series Readers. These 4G Lite Readers, which offer V-Station Lite, V-Flex Lite and CR-Pass models (the CR-Pass is a credential only reader, meant to be used in tandem with the V-Station Lite and V-Flex Lite on any doors that opt for credential only access control as opposed to full biometrics), join the already robust line of V-Station, V-Flex and FingerVein Readers in a wide variety of models including weather resistant models for extreme and slightly adverse weather conditions as well as a large smattering of different product options for each of those different product lines. To help alleviate some of the confusion of ordering Bioscrypt Biometric Fingerprint Readers, we’ve assembled an easy to use “How to Order Guide” to help guide potential purchasers who are looking to Buy Bioscrypt Fingerprint Readers. We’ve gone into great detail about the core products, as well as the accessories that help augment functionality of existing Bioscrypt devices. You can find this easy to use ordering guide using the link below:

Bioscrypt - Biometric Reader Ordering Guide

TSA / Gov Uses Biometrics To Ease International Travel

February 10, 2012
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After over ten years of heightened security at American airports, it seems there may be a few ways for qualified travelers to relax.

As announced earlier this month, the TSA has created a new program called Global Check, which allows authorized travelers who travel internationally to apply for an expedited checkpoint clearance for “pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival into the United States”. With the scan of your passport and a four-finger biometric fingerprint scan, you may receive expedited treatment at security checkpoints around the airport. However, this does not come as a guarantee, as the TSA has still vowed to proceed with random checks around the airport to maintain a high level of security.

As reported by Joe Sharkey of the New York Times earlier this month, certain travelers are also passing through airport security without having to disrobe, dismantle and with their dignity intact.

The Transportation Security Administration has also launched a second program known as PreCheck, allowing another small number of qualified travelers the ability to speed through security checkpoints without the usual routine of removing jackets and shoes as well as displaying laptops from bags, and carrying liquids and gels in see-through containers. This program was designed more for the domestic flyer, as Global Entry is an international option.

As the majority of passengers, do not have access to this PreCheck program (it is a program cultivated from the ideal that frequent travelers who spend the most money are also the easiest to track because their travel patterns are understandable and familiar), it is still not a complete solution to airport delays, extended wait times and inconvenient hassles for every day travelers.

The TSA has also specified that members who are accepted into Global Entry could potentially receive expedited treatment at PreCheck equipped airports as well and vice versa.

BioScrypt and FingerTec: The Spectrum of Biometric Devices

January 10, 2012
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We often get quite a few inquiries from our readers on a daily basis about what we would recommend as far as Biometrics hardware, a topic we haven’t really discussed as of yet. It’s really because there are only two clear cut leaders in the biometric fingerprint access control field that could be considered clear contenders and they go after two somewhat different market segments. Those two brands in question are BioScrypt and FingerTec.

For the most part, BioScrypt has been a mainstay in the enterprise level biometric community for a while, offering amazing performance for all variety of fingerprinting requirements. About a year or two ago, BioScrypt was acquired by L-1 Identity Solutions, however their product line remained BioScrypt, so not as many people know about it as you would think. Primarily, it is because BioScrypt is such a well-known name due to the high quality of devices they manufacture. In addition to their merger, they also released their 4G Series of fingerprint readers, which have quickly become a mainstay in the biometric access control field, as well as many other biometric market segments. The Bioscrypt 4G Series of readers cover a wide variety of applications, with the 4G V-Station capable of operating as a stand-alone reader or intergrating it into a controller system. Not to mention, BioScrypt’s line of readers are compatible with many different varieties of popular credential types, such as HID Proximity Cards, MIFare/DESFire credentials and iClass Smart Credentials, some of the most popular credentials in the Enterprise Level industry. With all of these benefits, plus the new 4G Lite series of readers, which can provide very similar performance to their full-size counterparts, it’s easy to see why BioScrypt is the Commercial Enterprise Access Solution, with it’s applications ranging from large scale corporate installations to federal government installations.

On the converse, however, most end users who are looking for biometrics don’t have the financial means to buy readers costing upwards in the thousands. That’s where FingerTec Biometric Readers come in. FingerTec has only been around for a little over a decade, which is a remarkable thing when examining how explosive it’s growth has been. They undertook the task of making what was usually a very commercial, extremely high-end technology in fingerprint biometrics and brought it to mid-level consumers and small businesses that require reliable biometrics for their installations, such as jewelry stores, warehouses and other places where high-risk inventory needs to be protected. FingerTec also tapped another market that has been growing rapidly in the past few years; Fingerprint Biometrics used for Time and Attendance. A large portion of their devices, such as the Fingertec TA102, were designed to address the needs of the modern-day workplace, where time theft is most likely to occur. By using fingerprint biometrics in workplace attendance situations, FingerTec effectively elminated issues such as buddy punching and attendance fraud. Not to mention, FingerTec’s products help save companies thousands of dollars on human resources that were originally used to verify time sheets and process payroll.

Regardless of what kind of solution you’re looking for, there is an option for your intended installation, whether you’re looking for a high-end professional grade biometric fingerprint reader from BioScrypt or an economical-level fingerprint system from FingerTec.

Afghanistan’s Airport Security: Biometrics

November 29, 2011
Airport Biometrics, Biometric History, Global Biometrics
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As reported last week by Rod Nordland of the New York Times, Afghanistan has begun integrating biometric identification methods at its Kabul Airport, as well as at eight of its American controlled border crossings; a program funded and supported by the American Department of Homeland Security.

Ultimately, the goal is to have every Afghanistan citizen on record with a full biometric profile of an iris scan, facial photos and all ten fingerprints. The goal is to ultimately be able to identify Watch List insurgents and handle them accordingly, dealing them a crippling blow by removing what Capt. Kevin Aandahl of the U.S. Navy called “the mask of anonymity”.

This program has been met with much criticism from Afghanistan’s occupying countries, however, as all arriving and departing travelers at the Kabul airport must biometrically enrolled, creating hours of delays and confusion as the process can take three to fifteen minutes per passenger, creating hours of delays.

As the Afghan government moves forward with their plans to launch a national biometric database, one that Homeland Security and no doubt other involved nations would have access to, the only question is whether this will truly help with the fight against terrorist insurgency.

The Next Development in Biometrics

October 10, 2011
Facial Recognition Biometrics
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For many years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s main source of biometric identification has been to use fingerprints as a unique attribute to identify their suspects. The evolution of this use has gone from the old ink pad to the modern day scanners and readers that will record a person’s fingerprints digitally. However, by mid-January of 2012, this will all begin to change. Nextgov.com reported on October 7th, 2011 that the FBI will begin to incorporate a facial recognition service in several states, including Michigan, Washington, Florida, and North Carolina, which allow the local authorities to identify unknown person of interests in photos.

This is the beginning of the transition from using the FBI’s existing fingerprint database to using a new biometric marker to identify suspects in a quicker but still accurate fashion. The reason behind this evolution in biometrics is because more often than not, the local police has a picture of the suspect or the person of interest, but are unable to identify who this individual is. With this new information from the FBI, the local police can identify who the person in the photo is by comparing that photo to a list of mug shots ranked in order of similarity to the features of the subject’s photo. Currently, the agent who have to already have a person’s name before they are able to run it through a scanner or reader in order to retrieve a photo of this person. It is important to note however, that this biometric service only provides a list of candidates and not a direct match. While this is an innovative approach to the use of biometrics, it is not without its own controversy.

Because this scanner does not provide an exact match, this is where the controversy lies in this

"The FBI will begin to incorporate a facial recognition service in several states... which allow the local authorities to identify unknown person of interests in photos."

project. Immigrant rights groups are concerned that this new biometric device maybe used by the Homeland Security Department as a way to intrusively filter out immigrants who are in this country illegally. Currently, the DHS is running a fingerprint program that takes fingerprint scans from booked offenders and send it to the department’s IDENT biometric database to check on their legality status.  The concerns of the immigration rights groups is that this new program may lead to a slippery slope of using the photo biometrics as a scanner that oversees all immigrants, not just the ones who were detained for committing illegal acts. Much like the “The Cure” from X-Men 3, where the cure was eventually used as a weapon against the mutants, these immigrant rights groups are worried about the potential abuse and misuse of the reader and program.

However, government officials have moved to alleviate these worries by employing an elaborate system of checks and balances to guard against abuse and misuse of this biometric tool. The point of the project, in their point-a-view, is to provide scanners and readers that will help in the pursuit in the capture of highly dangerous criminals, and not to collect a bunch of surveillance film. However, isn’t having a biometric tool and collection of data a form of surveillance after all?

Biometric Access Control in Education

September 20, 2011
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This post will show how biometric access control systems and fingerprint readers and scanners can be extremely beneficial in many educational settings.  A major priority for high Schools, colleges, and universities around the globe, is trying to keep teachers, students, and guests safe and secure.  While security is a top priority, the schools would like to disrupt the daily activities of its members as little as possible.  Technology is making our lives easier and easier every day; Schools have been using technological breakthroughs for many years to increase security and accessibility. Campus security systems have evolved simultaneously with technology, and we do not expect the evolution to stop any time soon.  Campus ID Cards are a necessity and a given, in this day and age.  Campus IDs are usually linked to the student/staff member’s meal plan and can be used for many different applications.  The ID cards are used for laundry services, textbook buying, library borrowing, meal plans, vending machines, and as security access to many different zones, buildings, and rooms.

"Keeping these unwanted unauthorized people from accessing the areas which are designated only to certain people is where biometrics comes into play."

Biometrics is becoming more and more used in the education field as a form of access control and identification.  Many laws are being passed to regulate and force educators to take fingerprints of their employees too.  In order to stay on track with technological advancements, schools are using different forms of biometrics (fingerprint, vein, facial, etc.) to increase security.

There are many benefits of biometrics.  Students do not need to remember to carry a card or remember a password. This is extremely beneficial for college students who are constantly juggling tons of things.  Every student would rather not have to remember something, and have one less thing to worry about.  Also, biometrics cannot be “gamed” nearly as easily as more traditional ID cards.   A password or PIN can easily be told to someone, or a threatening individual can creep up behind someone who is entering a PIN and see what PIN they enter.  An ID card is necessary in order to access many different areas throughout a campus.  The gymnasium is a great example of an area where an ID card is needed in order to gain entry.  The problem is that nobody is efficiently monitoring the people who are entering, and an ID card can easily be given to a friend, or even stolen.  Libraries are another reason why schools should start incorporating biometrics.  A schools library is supposed to be for authorized staff and students only – not for public use.  But for an outsider wishing to gain access, all it takes is having a friend who is authorized to lend you their ID card.  These types of instances are rampant throughout universities, and most students will consider these actions to be normal, fine, and accepted.  The colleges themselves on the other hand do not agree with this and need to step up to the task of ensuring that it is much more difficult to keep unauthorized people out of desired areas.

Keeping these unwanted unauthorized people from accessing the areas which are designated only to certain people is where biometrics comes into play.  Biometrics use physical traits (such as fingerprint, vein, facial, retina, etc.) to identify a person, rather than a something a person knows or carriers.  This is what makes it more secure.  Biometrics are not replacing ID cards, rather they are a compliment to them.  Schools can require using biometrics solo, biometrics with an ID cards, or with ID cards and passwords.

With biometrics, students and staff don’t need to have an ID on them in order to get into every building and room.  They could hypothetically gain entry to the gymnasium by scanner the fingerprint reader.  Having the option to require a biometric form of ID is beneficial during times in which campuses choose to heighten security for whatever reason.  Biometric access control devices are vital in making campuses more secure and more convenient.

Airport Biometrics Part II

September 15, 2011
Airport Biometrics
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Airport guards check credentials at an aiport

"When choosing the proper biometric device for your airport you should.... choose a solution with the right mix of security, handiness, and accessibility."

Our last post, Airport Biometrics, discussed all of the advantages for airports to choose biometric systems and technologies as their access control systems.  While we definitely agree that it’s a no brainer for airports to go biometric, there are still many different criteria involved in selecting which line of biometric readers to go with. We will concentrate on what airports’ needs are (with regards to selecting the proper hardware) in this post.  The following criteria are of top priority for airports when selecting their biometric access control system:  Smoothness of workflow, wireless abilities, numerous methods of identification, offline tasks, design quality, accuracy.

Smoothness of Workflow:

As we were touching upon in our last post, one of the most important qualities of any access control system for airports is the ability to maintain smoothness of workflow.  Access control systems should never retard the daily activities of employees; rather it should speed up the daily processes.  HR managers need to be sure that whatever biometric access control system they use will be reliable to work consistently, without wasting valuable time.

Wireless Abilities:

While biometric access control systems can be set up with a cable, which may be appropriate for offices and buildings, it is not the most practical method of communication in an airport.  First of all because airports are so large, and one zone can be miles and miles away from another zone, it would be a waste of money to connect the zones with cables. Also, considering the security threats at hand, airports do not want to give terrorists and other threatening people the ability to take down the whole system with a cut cable.  Because of these reasons it is a necessity for airports to choose a biometric product with incorporated wireless capabilities.

Numerous Methods of Identification:

The biometric identification station should be able to handle all the different means of identification and authentication.  The station should be able to read a badge or ID card, confirm biometric identification, verify passwords, etc.  It is always more useful to have the option to require more forms of identification than less.  As different situations come along, airports will be able to configure the authentication requirements of different zones as deemed necessary.

Offline tasks:

Whether it is from a blackout, network error, or other malfunction, there will be times throughout the life of an airport that the airport’s network goes offline.  These are not pleasant for anybody but they are a normal part of life.  Airports must prepare for these situations by choosing the biometric device that best handles offline use.  While a network is down, workflow continues as best as possible, and workers still need to be authorized properly to enter certain zones.  Devices must be able to identify and communicate with other zones even when the network is offline.  This is usually only made possible if the credentials can be stored on each and every device.  This allows workflow to go on as smoothly as possible.

Design Quality:

Every manufacturer will tell you that their devices are designed and built with the highest quality and standards.  We all know that it would be impossible for all of the different biometric devices on the market to be of the same superior design quality.  How do we weed out the cream of the crop?  WE must examine every single part of the device: The sensor, case, the quality of electronics, wireless networking abilities, standards compliance and more. Because airports are outside, they experience a diverse selection of weather conditions. Will the device function properly in extreme climate conditions?  How cold, hot, snowy, wet, etc., can the device be expected to function properly in?  Some devices will prosper in these extreme conditions, while others will fail the instant the temperature reaches freezing (or boiling).  Besides for the devices resistance to extreme weather conditions, is the device made to withstand the heavy usage that can be expected at airports all day every day?  Airports need to make sure they are getting the best quality devices available to the market based on their excruciating needs.

Accuracy:

While many devices will pass the design quality tests explained in the last paragraph, many of them will work with significantly less accuracy in these conditions. Many devices will fail to operate effectively and accurately when they get wet, cold, etc. This is an extremely important criterion because airports need to make sure the devices are working accurately at all times.

When choosing the proper biometric device for your airport you should consider all of the above criteria.  You should choose a solution with the right mix of security, handiness, and accessibility.  Airports should use the highest standards when selecting the proper biometric access control system.  Airports that use the steps provided in this article and implement a biometric system will benefit right away.

Airport Biometrics

September 15, 2011
Airport Biometrics
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Millions and millions of passengers travel in and out of Airports around the globe every single day.  It has become extremely clear over the last few years that airports are a main target for terrorists and others interested in causing harm to society.  Airport security is a major priority for governments and airlines worldwide.  Securing an airport is not anything like securing anywhere else.  The stakes are much higher in airports; everybody is extra cautious and vigilant for suspicious behaviors.   With new technologies coming out rapidly, airports have no excuse in not providing a cutting edge access control system in order to protect passengers.

Does your airport employ the latest biometric readers or biometric security measures?
Biometric fingerprint readers and scanners allow airports to monitor zones much more effectively and efficiently.

Airports are constantly testing and implementing many different options in order to make sure that passengers are traveling safely and securely.  The efforts made to secure these areas have included increased manpower (police and security), increased searching and interrogating, and increased surveillance systems.  Entry to certain areas must be very closely and meticulously guarded and monitored. A common tactic of terrorists is identity theft.  They will steal an airport employee’s uniform, badge, and access card to gain entry to the areas of choice.   Biometric fingerprint readers and scanners allow airports to monitor zones much more effectively and efficiently.  Airports can use biometric fingerprint readers to better identify employees as they go into and out of certain areas of the airport.  Fingerprint scanners and readers can be placed at the entrances and exits of security checkpoints, in order to identify employees as they pass through secure areas.

Besides for assisting with the extremely important security issue at hand in airports, fingerprint readers and scanners can be configured to tie into the airports time and attendance system, to help manage the airport employees’ hours and payrolls.  This helps prevent employees from lying about their hours, and/or having a co-worker sign them in at the wrong time.  This saves the airports a lot of time and money.

These days it would be extremely irresponsible for airports to not deploy biometric readers and scanners in order to prevent security breaches.   When designing or revamping an airport’s infrastructure, managers should be educated in the different biometric fingerprint technologies and solutions.  Airports having biometric fingerprint reader infrastructure in place will provide the airport, its shareholders, and, most importantly, the passengers, with peace of mind.

Since airports have many different security levels varying  from passenger entrances, security checkpoints, TSA only zones, worker only zones, etc., airports must be very careful in selecting what type of access control system to use.  The access control system must be extremely secure and appropriate for the challenging airport use.  It must at the same time allow workers, passengers, and personnel, the ability to move along with their activities as smoothly as possible.

Continue reading Airport Biometrics Part II: What to look for when selecting a biometric solution for your airport.