Solutions

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 […]

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 […]

OzVision And Schneider Electric Sign Strategic Marketing & Distribution Agreement

OzVision and Schneider Electric have signed a strategic marketing and distribution agreement to provide businesses throughout the United States with comprehensive Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) solutions. The agreement was signed in January 2012. The OzVision platform leverages the OzVision Continuous Offsite Video Recording (COVR)™ core technology to securely transmit and store video off-site, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

Is There A List Of Qualified IP Video Surveillance Integrators and Installers?

After listening in on a recent webinar, I noticed a few people had asked for a list of qualified IP video surveillance integrators and Installers. You can find a few lists for surveillance installers and IP video integrators. However, when it comes to finding a matrix of qualified professional installers, camera hangers, and technology systems […]

Minuteman Gets $7M Mobile Video Surveillance Project

Within a year, hundreds of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) buses will be equipped with what Minuteman CEO Joseph Lynch calls “one of the most advanced multiband wireless IP video systems ever installed in mass transit.” The first group of buses will start transporting passengers the second week in November. “The contract is for the […]

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. […]

Nirvanix To Close Doors

Cloud service provider Nirvanix may have inadvertently validated customers’ fears centered around cloud storage. It was reported last week by U.K.-based website Information Age that Nirvanix has told its customers they have two weeks to find another home for their terabytes of data because the company was closing its doors and shutting down its service. […]

New Speco NVR With Built-in POE Simplifies IP Install

Speco Technologies, the leading manufacturer of video surveillance solutions that deter crime, announced immediate availability of the NSP NVR with built-in PoE and Digital Deterrent?. A major break though for those who are migrating from analog to IP, the NSP provides the ease of an IP setup with the simplicity of an analog system. For […]

How Rapid Is Your Rapid Deployment Camera?

I have read with interest several articles about the concept of rapidly deployable CCTV. I have been researching this area on and off for quite some time now. For many years, I have been involved in the proactive and reactive protection of critical national infrastructure from higher and lower levels of criminal proficiency. This effort […]

QNAP Security Enhances Storage Expansion Solution And Adds Edge Recording Function

QNAP Security Enhances Storage Expansion Solution and Adds Edge Recording Function for VioStor NVR Firmware v4.1.1   NewswireToday – /newswire/ – Taipei, Taiwan, 2013/09/17 – QNAP® Security, a professional Linux-based stand-alone NVR provider, today updated their VioStor NVR firmware v4.1.1 with an enhanced storage expansion solution – QNAPSecurity.com .       Rank or share this free Newswire Press Release Distribution content. Join the network! Learn How! Your Banner Ad Here instead – Showing along with ALL Articles covering Audio/Video Equip./Surveillance Announcements   The new firmware also supports a range of AXIS IP cameras for edge recording and two-way audio functions.

Brickcom Panoramic Dome Cameras Integrated With AxxonSoft VMS – PSIM

Source: AxxonSoft | Date: 09/17/2013 Related tags: AxxonSoft , BRICKCOM , Dome cameras AxxonSoft enthusiastically announces integration support for 360P IP cameras from Brickcom, a world-leading manufacturer of IP surveillance hardware. The companies have a long history of partnership: the first Brickcom camera was integrated with AxxonSoft software in 2011, with the list of integrated devices continuing to grow since then. Integration support now includes five additional cameras: three of them are compact domes ( MD-500Ap-360 , MD-300Ap-360 , and MD-300Np-360 ) and two sport-enhanced anti-vandal protections (VD-500Af-360 and VD-300Af-360).All cameras are equipped with ImmerVision panomorph lenses, which provide a 360-degree field of view and high resolution for peripheral objects. As claimed by ImmerVision, panomorph lenses have overall resolution that is six times better than that of standard fisheye lenses. In 2012, AxxonSoft’s innovative Axxon Next video management software (VMS) was certified for compatibility with panomorph lenses (receiving a ImmerVision Enables 360 certificate), enabling users of integrated solutions to enjoy panoramic fields of view with unsurpassed quality. All integrated Brickcom cameras are built with a vandal-resistant shell and special protection from precipitation and extreme temperatures. In addition, the MD-500Ap-360 ,  MD-300Ap-360 , and MD-300Np-360 models are compliant with the EN50155 standard for vibration protection, which makes them invaluable tools for security systems on vehicles and public transport.This integration offers a number of opportunities, since all AxxonSoft software includes special support for fisheye and panomorph lenses. Support in the Axxon Next VMS and Axxon Intellect Enterprise PSIM allows correcting distorted […]

IPVideo Introduces Global Fusion Center And License-Free Cameras At 2013 ASIS

Bay Shore, NY/Chicago, IL — September 16, 2013 – IPVideo Corporation, an Advance Convergence Group company and a pioneer in the development and implementation of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solutions, Fusion Center Solutions and Video Management Systems (VMS), will demonstrate to the national market its new state-of-the art Global Fusion Center and other security technology. Telepresance remote robot guided tours will be given of this high-tech security center which uses proprietary technology and software to offer fully integrated video and security solutions for schools and school districts, government facilities, health care facilities, energy providers and corporations. The Global Fusion Center brings to a new level the service and security support the company can provide to clients around the globe. At the 2013 ASIS International Trade Show taking place at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, IPVideo Corporation (Booth 3711) will also demonstrate new products including “license free” HD video security cameras and its Mobile Command Center. A Global Fusion Center capabilities presentation and robot guided tour will be given at the ASIS press room (Room S101B) at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, September 24, 2013. The Global Fusion Center offers manned, 24/7 real time surveillance and security verification. Technology for the center, developed over the past 15 years, allows for the rapid integration of disparate security data into one easy-to-monitor interface. This first of its kind center brings a much needed comprehensive secure and affordable cloud based security solution to organizations. Professionals can easily monitor large networks of cameras, access […]

3VR Launches 1000, 3000 And 4000-Series Of Hybrid NVRs

Published on 18 Sep, 2013 3VR, the video intelligence company, announced recently the launch of the 1000, 3000 and 4000-series of hybrid and network video recorders (NVRs), adding three models to the company’s new line of video security hardware. The security video recorders are scalable enterprise solutions, with live video viewing, forensic search, case management on a single system, including the ability to easily add integrated analytics. Each model offers performance and price points to suit every need: 1000-series: Economical hybrid analogue and IP camera solution with support for up to 16 cameras. 3000-series: Cost-effective desktop solution with support for up to 16 channels of analogue or 48 IP cameras, with plenty of power to run 3VR’s award-winning analytics. 4000-series: With support for RAID and JBOD configurations, and up to 32 analogue and 48 IP cameras, this rackmount workhorse is designed for medium-sized installations. “The technology has changed greatly over the past couple years, allowing us to offer more powerful hardware solutions at lower price points,” said Al Shipp, CEO of 3VR. “The new lineup introduces a wider range of hybrid NVRs that can interconnect and communicate on the same enterprise network, with higher camera counts and more storage.” In addition to the 1000, 3000 and 4000-series, 3VR released the high-performance 5000-series in July 2013. The 5000/5500-series supports up to 48 analogue and 128 IP cameras, RAID and JBOD configurations, and up to 16TB internal storage in a highly reliable rackmount solution. The new line of 3VR security video […]

AVer Announces The E5016 NVR Innovative Monitoring Hub

Next generation standalone embedded NVR designed around VMS interface and performance. Supports 16 Full HD channels in realtime preview, recording and playback Supporting up to 16 IP cameras per NVR server, at up to 5MP per channel – Advanced AVer camera configuration includes region of interest, smart stream, motion detection and privacy zones – Plug […]

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 […]