Smartcard Biometrics
by Nigel Ward
Digimarc ID Systems intention is to maximise the growth in combining the dynamics of smart-card technology with biometrics, thus delivering the ultimate in affordable personal identity protection.
The development of durable smart card and biometrics technologies for major government ID programmes around the world is increasing dramatically as is the IT infrastructure to support it. The combination is now a commercially viable option. The main biometrics components are a compact and affordable priced finger image scanner, a sound and secure database architecture, linked to durable card and antenna construction to deliver a reliable and effective combined smart card biometrics ID package.
There are extreme benefits in combining watermarking, hologram, biometrics and smart card technologies to further broaden the application of contact and contact-less cards, be it in transit projects, large government programmes i.e. national ID, drivers licences and vehicle registration or to critical high security for major commercial organisations.
More than 50 years combined experience of Polaroid and Digimarc has resulted in extensive research and development to enable a superior durability in card structure with multiple security features. Couple this to the biometrics and new antenna technologies now available for integration and cards have a life expectancy of up to 10-years.
A range of turn-key ID solutions can be applied to varying needs for governments, to card management solutions for multi-national businesses, educational and high security research establishments, law enforcement bodies and public utilities. The importance of bespoke programmes cannot be under estimated in todays climate of global terrorism, fraud and crime.
Biometric and smart card solutions built on ID leadership offer next generation smart ID options to a wider customer base than ever before.
In the United States, over 280 million fingerprints have been enrolled since 1991. Fingerprints can be stored in digital format alongside encrypted certificates for precise authentication of the holder.
Crucial to a successful ID solution is the ability to support card issue with a full card management service through a range of high speed data and image collection from central or regionalised locations, easy-to-use and interface-able capture workstations and no-gap card production, including smart card-encoding commercial printers and finger print scanners.
It is important to validate a security providers credentials. Quality, value and project management skills to rigid deadlines and budgets are an important valuation in employing a company. Not forgetting the scale and magnitude of previous successful programmes. Proven abilities in turn-key projects distinguish the amateurs from the professionals.
In 1992, Polaroid installed the largest biometrically secure ID card system in the world for the Mexican Voters Card. To date, more than 80 million cards have been issued to eligible Mexican voters, and Digimarc continues to develop the programme.
Biometrics has fast become a viable ID option. Just look at Georgia drivers licence application. It is one of the largest civil biometric systems in place worldwide, with more than 5 million drivers carrying licences, protected with finger print verification.
Capturing biometric data with speed and accuracy requires revolutionary new portrait capture systems. A sub-system including a state-of-the-art digital camera and software that automatically locates the face of any person being photographed for an ID card. The camera system and software automatically crops the image and produces a standard-sized photo, speeding the time to take the picture as well as reducing operator intervention in the photo capture process.
The advances, demand and applications for biometrics and combined technologies is fast becoming common-place, in Europe and internationally, making biometric and contact and contact-less smart card solutions for a readily available ID option to a wide range of customers, with a multitude of security issues to overcome.