A Warning for Maryland Lawmakers: Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

NEC Promotes India Head in ‘Smart City’ Push

NEC Corporation has named NEC India’s Aalok Kumar as its new Corporate Officer, SVP, and Head of its Global Smart City Business. Kumar became President and CEO of NEC India in 2020, coming to the company from a previous position as a McKinsey & Co. SVP. In announcing his title change, NEC insisted that Kumar will continue to lead the company’s India efforts while serving in a more global management role. The company explained that India will be a focal point in its efforts to “build a robust Global Smart City vertical,” adding that Kumar’s long-term strategic role will include setting up “a global Smart City Centre of Excellence in India”.

ID R&D Tool Fights ‘Injection Attacks’

ID R&D has announced a new tool aimed at fighting “injection attacks” that aim to fool face-based biometric authentication systems. Whereas traditional “spoofing” attacks attempt to fool an authentication system by mimicking legitimate biometrics, injection attacks bypass biometric sensors altogether to hack software and/or hardware into accepting fake biometric credentials without a proper scan. In a statement, ID R&D said its “IDLive Face Plus” solution “draws upon a wealth of data and expertise in computer vision and deep neural networks” to counter the threat.

NXP Launches Matter-compliant Secure Element

NXP Semiconductors has announced a new Secure Element designed for compliance with the Matter standard for Internet of Things interoperability and communications. The EdgeLock SE051H is a single-chip, NFC solution that is Common Criteria EAL 6+ certified, and includes security functions such as a True Random Number Generator. “The single-chip EdgeLock SE051H makes it easy for developers to secure their Matter-certified smart home devices, while integrated NFC improves the end user Matter experience and allows device makers to differentiate based on that user experience,” said NXP Semiconductors SVP Philippe Dubois.

IDEX Reports Biometric Cards ‘Inflection Point’ in FY2022

IDEX Biometrics has issued its results for 2022 and the fourth quarter, framing the year as “an inflection point in the biometric payment card market”. Revenues for Q4 of 2022 came in a little over $1 million, compared to revenues of $787,000 in Q4 of 2021. Revenues for the full year amounted to $4.09 million, a 44 percent increase year-over-year. IDEX’s net loss for the year was roughly the same as 2021, at about $32.66 million, compared to $32.55 million the year before. IDEX noted that it now has notched a dozen design wins with card makers concerning its fingerprint-scanning technology.

IPificiation Comes to Cambodia

IPification has extended its presence in the Cambodian market through a partnership with Cellcard, the country’s oldest mobile network operator. The partnership will enable mobile app developers to use IPification’s mobile IP address-based authentication service to onboard end users, provided that they’re Cellcard subscribers. In a statement, Cellcard CEO Simon Perkins said his organization is “proud to have forged a partnership with a world-class authentication and identity solutions provider”. The news comes after IPification obtained ISO/IEC 27001 certification last fall.

Western Michigan University Deploys MorphoWave for Cafeteria Access

IDEMIA‘s MorphoWave contactless fingerprint scanner has been deployed at Western Michigan University, where it’s being used as another access option to get into the school’s Valley Dining Center. Students who sign up will be able to access the cafeteria – and their meal plans – with a wave of the hand over the biometric reader. Enrollment is not mandatory, so students can still use their physical “Bronco Card” to access the dining room if they prefer.

Omnigarde Establishes PIV Compliance

California-based Omnigarde has established its fingerprint recognition algorithm’s compliance with the US government’s Personal Identity Verification (PIV) standard through testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST’s Fingerprint Minutiae Interoperability Exchange (MINEX) III evaluation found Omnigarde’s solution to be the sixth-ranked fingerprint solution in template matching interoperability, and the top-ranked American-made solution in that category.

Namibia to Cut Off Unregistered Pensioners

Namibia’s Government Institutions Pension Fund is preparing to cut off pension payments to those who have not registered their biometrics. The government agency launched a biometric enrollment program last summer along with an outreach program to get eligible Namibians signed up. Those who haven’t registered will see their payments suspended next month.

CCIA Warns Maryland Lawmakers Against ‘Punitive’ Privacy Protections

The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is warning legislators in Maryland against adopting privacy legislation along the lines of Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The organization offered written comments ahead of testimony concerning bills HB 254, HB 33, and HB 807. “While CCIA supports privacy measures tailored to specific age groups and the handling of more sensitive health data, the bills legislators are considering should prioritize ways to enable responsible companies to provide effective protections rather than introducing punitive models with private rights of action that, in other states, have opened the floodgates to costly lawsuits,” said CCIA State Policy Director Khara Boender.

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February 22, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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