Security industry fingered over biometric zeal

The IT industry has invested so much in biometrics as the solution for authenticating identity that it is refusing to acknowledge its failings, claimed a security professional, reports PC Pro.

Adam Laurie, director of secure hosting data centre The Bunker and independent security researcher, gave evidence recently to the House of Lords' Security Science and Technology Committee in an investigation into personal Internet security.

He said the trend to silo personal information into a single database and then rely on biometric authentication to secure it is a risky strategy.

Personal identity could be made safer thanks to Canadian scientists, reports Nonowerk News.

Eugenia Kumacheva from University of Toronto and colleagues have developed a nanostructured polymer material that can be used to record biometric features, such as fingerprints, photos and signatures.

They claim this technology could help prevent counterfeiting and identity fraud. Advances in laser and computer technologies have made forgery of documents such as ID cards easier. New, more complex materials are needed.

Northrop Grumman, the defence contractor, has won three new biometrics and identity management contracts focused primarily on the intelligence and counterintelligence aspects of biometric technologies in asymmetrical, or non-traditional, warfare.

The contracts, valued at over $20 million, were awarded to Northrop's Mission Systems sector by the US Army, The National Ground Intelligence Centre and Harding Security Associates.

The wins cover the full spectrum of US Department of Defence biometric technologies.

Fifteen biometric ATM machines were installed earlier this week in five districts in southern India, reports SecureIDNews.

The scanner kiosks are forecasted to service over 100 000 people who will scan their fingerprints rather than swipe a card and input a PIN number.

According to Financial Software and Systems, the country is scheduled to increase the number of ATMs from 35 000 to 100 000 in the next three years, which is forcing security companies to keep a watchful eye on these experimental runs.