Police Biometrics, a Data Breach, and Card-focused Partnerships – Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

Florida Police Seek Funding for Biometric System Upgrade

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is asking the state government for about $20 million in funding to replace its aging Biometric Information System, which at the age of 13 is no longer upgradeable. It’s seeking an upgraded Multi-Biometric Identification System from IDEMIA, which is expected to cost about $8.16 million this year, $11.7 million in fiscal 2024-25, and $10 million for each following year due to maintenance. The government already approved $3.9 million for the upgrade last year, reports Florida Politics.

Biometric Data Included in Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Breach

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has disclosed a data breach from a ransomware attack against the organizations, reporting that an unauthorized party has gained access to a range of data including biographic information, financial account information, and biometric data. The LSSI’s formal disclosure to the Maine Attorney General comes about a year after its initial discovery of the ransomware attack.

Nigerian Authorities Seek Biometric Leverage in Hunt for Escaped Convicts

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, is reaching out to the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in an effort to track down escaped convicts using biometric identification. In a press conference, Aregbesola explained that the ministry has been registering the biometrics of all inmates, and he’s now seeking help from other government agencies that already use biometric systems in case they can help in the identification process. At least 60 inmates escaped from the Kuje Medium Correctional Facility during a terrorist attack last summer.

Liberia Begins Testing Biometric Voter System

Liberia’s National Elections Commission has begun trialing the biometric voter registration systems to be used in upcoming elections. The Commission invited reporters to observe the tests at a public school in Margibi County, a bid at transparency that signals that the country really will move forward with the implementation of biometric voter registration after a scandal-plagued tendering process that seemed to imperil the entire project.

CardLab, WiBioCard Team Up to Combine Solutions

Denmark-based CardLab and Italy’s WiBioCard have entered into a collaborative partnership, soon after the latter established an agreement to license CardLab’s biometric card technology, which revolves around fingerprint recognition. In a statement, the companies explained that the partnership will see the companies’ engineers work together “to combine their respective solutions into a fully integrated card and backend authentication solution.”

Infineon to Power Sentry’s Identity Tech

Sentry Enterprises will use Infineon’s SLC37x Secure Element chip family in its biometric platforms, the companies have announced. Sentry is known for its SentryCard fingerprint-scanning card solution for logical and physical access, but it’s also developing a cold storage crypto wallet on the same model, and the company says it is nearing completion of a “universal identity platform” that includes biometric hardware, a card operating system, and mobile apps. “Collaborating with Infineon to integrate the SCL37x Secure Element into the SentryCard and Sentinel biometric platforms provide the perfect balance between performance, power and uncompromising security,” explained Sentry Enterprises CEO Mark Bennett.

Google Rolls Out Biometric Security for Incognito Browsing

Android users can now lock their incognito tabs on the Chrome browser behind biometric authentication. The feature means that a user resuming a browsing session will need to perform a fingerprint or face scan in order to see the locked tabs, helping to protect their privacy and avoid any embarrassing revelations if someone else gets ahold of their device. The development comes after Google started quietly testing the feature with select users last year.

FaceTec’s Best Privacy Practices Lead to BIPA Dismissal

Earlier this year, 3D face biometric company FaceTec was ensnared in a class action lawsuit under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). FaceTec has since responded to the complaint, providing proof that its data practices preclude it from BIPA’s jurisdiction. The plaintiff’s counsel reviewed the new information and dismissed the case. “FaceTec never receives or processes any PII or biometric data from its customer’s users,” a FaceTec representative told FindBiometrics. “BIPA does not apply to FaceTec.”

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January 27, 2023 – by Alex Perala & Peter Counter

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