December 22, 2013 – by Peter B. Counter
This week interoperability took center stage yet again. With the increasing availability of biometric authentication options being made available to relying parties and consumers alike, each one offering less friction and stronger security than password based solutions, it is similarly important that there be as few obstacles as possible standing between administrators and implementation of their chosen modality.
Imageware Systems and Fujitsu are keeping an agnostic attitude towards biometric modality for just this reason, together developing a cloud based biometric platform that is interoperable with face, fingerprint, voice and iris recognition solutions. Using Fujitsu’s cloud technology and Imageware’s biometric engine, the partners are pushing for strong authentication that can enables BYOD through a subscription service method.
Of course, there will always be industries that favor the use of one modality over another, and thanks to the contactless and quick nature of facial recognition, border control solutions sometimes lean towards face biometrics for eGate systems. Cognitec is further encouraging this industry adoption through the announcement that its FaceVACS-Entry border control solution is now ready for integration.
Promising quick matching speeds, easy use and liveness detection that can instantly weed out presentation spoofs, FaceVACS-Entry will be included in Cognitec’s German airport deployments that are a part of the contract they were awarded earlier this year by the German Border Police as part of Europe’s EasyPASS project.
Easy access airport security is surely on the minds of many as the holiday season hits its peak this week and an increased number of travellers flock to airports to fly to families or jet set away from uncomfortable December weather. Another bit of seasonal worry running through many brains this week has to do with holiday savings. A major US mobile operator will be retroactively saving this season having reached an agreement with Precise Biometrics to receive a retroactive price reduction on Tactivo units purchased in March, prior to a price drop that occurred this past Summer.
Finally, this week MorphoTrust used some good news to turn our attention to an often overlooked detail when it comes to biometric security. Having become the first company to be awarded with the highest security certification available from NASPO, the Safran company highlighted the importance of securing the facilities that create credentials. The demand is rising for providers of drivers licenses and ID cards to have the most top of the line security available, and now that MorphoTrust has announced that one of its facilities (the location of which is being withheld) has been awarded with this high distinction, we can be sure that the physical security of document manufacturing will be prominent on the minds of customers looking for biometric IDs.
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