Major concerns amongst members of the EU that biometric data can be shared easily and without the knowledge of the target has prompted an outcry from privacy advocates and those wanting transparency in government and and corporate realms.
An article at Wired.co.uk talked about the depth of concern within the community and issues of abuse of power.
As companies continue to develop better and more powerful identifying tools, in the U.S., attention is turning more to preventing loss both of intellectual and physical property as companies strive to protect their server cabinets and to provide data center security.
While security is vital to companies’ bottom line, Congress has been urged to write and pass biometric exit legislation like other nations to build integrity and off-set troublesome traffic across the nation’s borders.
The Secure Identity & Biometrics Association (SIBA) indicates there’s no reason not to implement this security measure. SIBA CEO and former 9/11 commission member, Janice Kephart said, “This key 9/11 Commission recommendation need wait no longer for full implementation at air and sea ports. The science is there, and proof is in the 16 nations that have fully implemented best-in-class biometrics that speed travel and virtually eliminate fraud, most of them in the past couple of years.”
So how do companies and providers use new technology to protect their assets?
While congress ruminates about borders and national security, state-side businesses continue to try to solidify their operations in the face of fraud and theft. Fingerprint and retinal security options exist and David Orischak, founder of Digitus Biometrics of Georgia, says the fingerprint technology is really cutting edge. “Current physical security methods don’t mesh well with actual data center security needs – designed to slow intruders from the outside. Most attacks come from inside, so trusted vendors and employees present the largest risks.” Fingerprint security eliminates the chance of altering access mechanisms and Orischak’s product is now compatible with pass cards designed by the Symmetry company so their clients are utilizing cutting-edge technology to cut down on server cabinet access and physical thefts and damage around their facilities.
Fingerprint scanners are programmed to recognize each employees individual print and that alone is an attribute of the system that cannot be duplicated.How does one duplicate each individual set of fingerprints ? It just can’t happen. Although factors like cold and chemical introduction to the skin can skew the results of the fingerprint scan, the fact remains that once an employee is identified by his or her prints it is impossible for an intruder to replicate that and access is denied once the scan is completed. An article published by Biometric Security Devices explains how the process works and why it so beneficial to businesses wanting to enhance their security operation.
While there are many critics of the process, including those mentioned earlier in the EU, governing bodies in the U.S. are taking their time to come up with security compliance guidelines and, compared to the EU, the biometrics security scene in the U.S. is still a largely un-legislated arena.
For more information about maintaining regulatory compliance, click here