Biometrics
SmartMetric Biometric Activated ATM & Credit Card To Fight $8.6 Billion A Year In USA Card Fraud
SmartMetric, Inc. SmartMetric Biometric Card Solution Targets Fraudsters and Has Potential to Save Card Industry Billions per Year BAY HARBOR, FL–(Marketwired – Oct 25, 2013) – SmartMetric, Inc. ( OTCQB : SMME ) – Speaking today from the companies offices in Bay Harbor, SmartMetric™ Inc. President & CEO Chaya Hendrick said credit card industry figures show Card fraud costs the U.S. card payments industry an estimated US$8.6 billion per year*. Fraud comprises 0.4% of the US$2.1 trillion in total yearly U.S. card volume*. Using a person’s fingerprint to activate the “EMV” ATM or Credit Card will protect both financial institutions and card holders against significant fraud. SmartMetric has developed a fingerprint reader that sits inside a person’s ATM or Credit Card. It is self powered allowing it to perform a fingerprint match while a person is standing at a retail checkout or on the street at an ATM. A person simply swipes their finger across the SmartMetric sensor on the surface of the card and the card’s internal computer processor performs a match with the person’s fingerprint that is pre-stored in the memory of the card itself. For added security a person’s fingerprint is always stored and encrypted inside the card and IS NOT stored on a bank’s computer. When a match occurs, the card’s EMV surface mounted chip is then turned on allowing a transaction at the millions of ATM and retail card machines around the world. Banks don’t have to retrofit existing retail ATM’s or POS retail card readers […]
Source www.marketwired.com
Biocryptology: Biometric System ‘To End Identity Fraud’ Launched
Biocryptology Primary fingerprint scanner Biocryptology, a biometric authentication service that claims to make identity theft “virtually impossible”, had its British launch today at London’s Science Museum. The system gives the user a portable fingerprint scanner which generates a random number from biometrics, which can be verified by a central service operated by the firm behind the technology, Primary-Net. When taking a fingerprint, the system uses a patented “life detection system” which reads parameters including blood flow, skin and finger temperature to ensure the target is alive. This should prevent attacks using copies of finger prints, as seen on bypasses of the authentication system on Apple’s latest iPhone . Biocryptology has been piloted, over the last two years, in a range of terminals designed for banks, military systems and immigration. One comercial US pilot was carried out by Nexus USA in Rapid City, with the Biocryptology system provided by a company called Hanscan, which appears to be a predecessor to Primary-Net. Primary-Net has invested $30 million in the technology, which sees over 8,000 keys generated on a ‘Primary’ device at the sender end. The identity of the user is validated at one of Biocryptology’s three global data centres. The primary device is individual to the user, and carried by them, to be plugged in by USB, wherever identification is required. For the US trial, the firm developed another device, the Nexus SmartPay, which sits at the sales terminal, has its own fingerprint scanner and can identify multiple people. Klaas Zwart, […]
Source www.techweekeurope.co.uk
Frost & Sullivan: Global Commercial Biometrics Market to Grow Considerably as Awareness Increases – IT Industry Today
EIN Presswire — Fingerprint technology continues to be the most used, even as face and iris recognition gain prominence LONDON , Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Increasing awareness of biometrics across industries will spur the global commercial biometrics market. While historically the adoption of biometrics has been concentrated in the government sector, recent years have witnessed considerable demand for applications such as ATMs, retail points of sale, and finance. Iris and face recognition algorithms have undergone substantial advancements and are gaining prominence, while fingerprint technologies remain the most popular. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan ( http://www.autoid.frost.com ), Analysis of the Global Commercial Biometrics Market , finds that the market earned revenues of $1.48 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach $6.15 billion in 2019. In addition to fingerprint, facial and iris biometrics, the study covers hand geometry, voice, and signature technologies. “Better end-user recognition of the unique capabilities of biometric technologies, including enhanced security as well as physical and logical access control in applications, has helped vendors win a number of projects and contracts,” said Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Ram Ravi . “Focus on building robust, error-free and efficient solutions will create added revenue-generating opportunities for biometric vendors.” Although improvements in technology augur well for the market, any large-scale biometric project in enterprises takes long to implement and cover every employee. Since many businesses work within a restricted budget for a limited time span, the high cost and extended duration of deploying biometrics restricts installation […]
Source it.einnews.com
Sony Spinoff Goes Global With Biometric ID Gadget
Turkey is working on a nationwide project to install biometric authentication systems in hospitals and pharmacies nationwide. A biometric authentication system is a way to confirm identification with fingerprints, a vein on a finger or in another part of a human body. The system has a higher security threshold than password authentication, as it makes it more difficult for people to pretend they are someone else. By introducing the system, the Turkish government aims to confirm a patient’s identification. Recently, five firms have been selected to supply biometric systems for the project. Four of the five are Japanese, and three — Fujitsu Ltd., Hitachi Ltd. and NEC Corp. — have already established themselves internationally in the field of biometric authentication. The fourth Japanese company is Mofiria Ltd., based in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, which spun off from Sony Corp. in 2010. Sony began developing original technology on vein authentication systems around 2000. Mofiria’s technology used in the vein authentication system is relatively simple and thus the size of the device is small. Someone merely places a finger on the authentication device and it scans the concentration of veins found on the finger’s first and second joints. Then a near-infrared light emitting diode (LED) is projected onto the joints to make a clear image of veins, and a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) censor takes a photo of the vein to confirm authentication. Mofiria President Satoshi Amagai was appointed to head the vein authentication business section at Sony in 2007. Then-President Ryoji […]
Source www.japantimes.co.jp
EU-Funded Project Takes Biometric Security Systems To Next Level
European Commission MEMO Brussels , 22 October 2013 EU-funded project to take biometric security systems to the next level In recent years we’ve seen face, voice and fingerprint identification software move from Sci-Fi films into real life affordable devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The TABULA RASA consortium, which is supported by EU research and innovation investment, has set out to identify just how well this new software works, in particular against the growing phenomenon of “spoofing ” i.e. using everyday materials such as make-up, photographs and voice recordings to subvert or directly attack biometric systems. Biometric systems have proven to be one of the most efficient security solutions available today. However, some biometric sensor vulnerabilities still exist, including some which have been well publicised in the International media. The TABULA RASA consortium comprises 12 different organisations across seven countries that have worked together over a period of three years to research as many vulnerabilities as possible, to develop countermeasures accordingly and ultimately a new breed of safer biometric systems. In the course of its research, TABULA RASA hosted a “Spoofing Challenge,” which invited researchers from around the world to develop attack plans and to attempt to deceive various biometric systems. Participants showed that there are many different and creative ways to attack the systems. The most innovative attack proposed during this challenge used make-up to spoof a 2D face recognition system and succeeded in being recognised as the victim. Other contestants used well-known attacks such as photographs, masks […]
Source europa.eu
Analysts Applaud Synaptics? Acquisition Of Biometric Fingerprint Firm
By Teresa Rivas Synaptics ( SYNA ) was up 6.5% at the close, as investors cheered the company’s acquisition of privately held Validity Sensors , a California-based developer of biometric fingerprint authentication systems. According to the deal, Synapics will pay about $92.5 million in stock and cash for the firm, plus potential performance payments over a multi-year period that could bring the cost up to $255 million. Needham & Co. analyst Rajvindra Gill was upbeat about the acquisition in a note out today, reiterating a Buy rating and $54 price target. “We believe this acquisition is crucial for several reasons: 1) it places SYNA at the forefront of a leading-edge technology in the handset market; i.e., fingerprint sensors; 2) it effectively doubles the addressable market as SYNA can sell an additional sensor per unit; 3) it further solidifies our thesis that SYNA has the leading and the broadest technology platform in the capacitive touch market; and 4) it expands SYNA’s entry into mobile payments, cloud-based services and enterprise mobile device security.” Gill noted that Validity Systems’ high-frequency RF imaging technology is similar to that used in Apple’s ( AAPL ) new iPhone 5s, and that there is increasing interest from handset OEMs for this technology. Pacific Crest’s John Vinh was optimistic as well. He made a similar point as he reiterated his Outperform rating and $58 price target in a note out today: The deal “provides an opportunity for Synaptics to expand its content opportunity with key smartphone, tablet […]
Source blogs.barrons.com
MasterCard Joins FIDO Alliance March To Standardize Biometric Authorization And Other Alternatives
Danielle Walker, Reporter October 09, 2013 Plans include an open standard that would shrink users’ dependency on passwords. Plans include an open standard that would shrink users’ dependency on passwords. MasterCard has joined forces with an organization that aims to eliminate consumers’ dependency on passwords and PINs for authentication. Last Wednesday, USA Today broke the news that the global payment processor planned to become a member of the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, which was formed in 2012 by online transaction giant PayPal and a number of other companies to embrace innovative solutions for verifying users’ identities. By early 2014, the FIDO Alliance plans to introduce specifications for an open protocol standard for two-factor and multifactor authentication . The specifications would support biometric technologies, such as fingerprint scanners, voice and facial recognition, and other authentication measures, including one-time passwords (OTP) and near-field communication (NFC), a wireless technology that establishes communication between mobile devices through physical contact. In April, Google joined the FIDO Alliance. Now with the addition of MasterCard, the organization gains another power player in the industry that could give weight to its mission. On Tuesday, Brennen Byrne, CEO of Clef, an Oakland, Calif.-based mobile authentication startup, told SCMagazine.com that MasterCard’s participation in FIDO was a positive step. “The industry in general is looking for new ways to improve [methods] of authenticating,” Byrne said. “So it’s not surprising to me that MasterCard is joining on and taking the FIDO Alliance seriously,” he continued, adding later that “it’s good […]
Source www.scmagazine.com
PayPal Study Finds Consumers Okay With Biometrics
Visitors walk past an eBay and PayPal banner at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in this Feb. 28, 2012, file photo. Apple’s newest iPhone may have spurred some debate over whether it’s a good idea to unlock your phone with your fingerprint, but a new study from PayPal finds that a majority of Americans are comfortable with the idea of using their biometric information instead of the pesky passwords that are currently the norm. The survey, sponsored by PayPal and the National Cyber Security Alliance, found that 53 percent of those surveyed are “comfortable” replacing passwords with fingerprints, 45 percent would opt for a retinal scan, and 41 percent are comfortable with photo identification. This survey was conducted using an opt-in online panel, and its results cannot be projected to the overall U.S. public. Responses to the survey sketch a picture that suggests we’re more reliant than ever on our smartphones but still very unsure about the proper security measure we should be taking on our mobile devices. Two-thirds of those polled said that they keep their smartphones no farther than one room away — and 10 percent said they have their smartphones in hand at all times when not showering or sleeping. But nearly as many people, 63 percent, said that they don’t know or are unsure about what kind of financial information they store on their phones. Follow The Post’s new tech blog, The Switch , where technology and policy connect.
Source www.washingtonpost.com
UINT & Mereal Biometrics Launches Biometric Smart Card With Embedded FPC Fingerprint Touch Sensor
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, October 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The biometric smart card launched by UINT & Mereal Biometrics is a multi-application smart card using Fingerprint Cards’ (FPC) embedded fingerprint touch sensor and processor. It enables biometric fingerprint authentication in a top secure environment with local matching providing privacy of holders as biometric data never leave the card. First applications of the card are physical and logical access control for French Casino Operator Partouche. The smart card is now finalist in the award Discovery category at the upcoming show Cartes in Paris (19-21 Nov, 2013) and will be displayed by Mereal Biometrics in Booth 4N 087 [http://www.cartes.com/Catalogue/EXHIBITOR-LIST/Exhibitor-list/MEREAL-BIOMETRICS/ (search_field)/mereal+biometrics/(sort_by)/az/(limitation)/20 ] . “A new generation of Smart Card is born; for the first time a smart card is having its own embedded biometric fingerprint reader, performs the verification on board and can be used in multiple applications. Introducing biometrics into the smart card market means meeting the toughest industry requirements available when it comes to low power consumption, optimized form factor and robust sensor design. FPC’s fingerprint sensors meet these requirements and we are really excited to now introduce this biometric smart card to the market,” says Philippe BLOT, Chief Executive Officer of UINT ( http://www.uint.fr ). Johan Carlstrom, President and CEO of FPC, comments: “This launch of a biometric smart card is a market break-through and marks a milestone for integrating biometrics into smart cards. Security and protection of privacy has always been top priority in smart cards and the use of […]
Source www.darkreading.com
Biometric Exit Improvement Act: Wrong Solution To Broken Visa And Immigration System
Email Print PDF Several Members of Congress recently released the Biometric Exit Improvement Act in an effort to enhance the U.S.’s security and immigration system. However, the law triples down on a costly policy that adds little real security. Instead of feel-good but ineffective strategies, Congress should reconsider the biometric exit requirement and push the Administration to faithfully execute the U.S.’s existing immigration laws. Biometric Exit Has Consistently Not Been Implemented The requirement for an integrated entry-exit system has been in place since the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. In the following years, several other bills were passed that called for an entry-exit system, with increasing requirements for biometric technology, leading to the creation in 2003 of US-VISIT, a program focused on developing a biometric entry-exit system. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 explicitly required and called for the acceleration of US-VISIT’s efforts to create an automated biometric entry and exit data system. While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made progress on the entry portion of US-VISIT, the exit system largely went nowhere. Congress repeated its demand for a biometric exit system in 2007, setting a deadline of 2009. That deadline came and went with only two small pilot programs. Since then, DHS has continued its slow move to meet this requirement in what the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called “a long-standing challenge for DHS.” [1] The Biometric Exit Improvement Act would be at least the third law to call […]
Source www.heritage.org
Public Needs Education About Biometrics
Darren Gamage welcomes biometric security and its commercial applications, but there are concerns about data integrity that must be overcome first. How ironic: I found myself sat in a hospital ward thinking about the impending piece that I now write, contemplating how the world of biometrics has become an increasingly prominent part of our lives. […]
US Navy Deploys Mobile Biometric Solution Provided by Aware
A multi-year project initiated as a SBIR yields a ground-breaking software application powering a DoD “Program of Record” for a mobile biometric solution Aware, Inc. (NASDAQ: AWRE), a leading global provider of biometrics software and services, today announced that the US Navy has deployed a mobile biometric solution supplied by Aware as part of the […]