DHS Biometrics Expert to Deliver Keynote at Homeland Security Summit

Lisa MacDonald, a biometrics expert from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will deliver a keynote speech at the 2024 Homeland Security Summit on November 13.

The event is organized by the Potomac Officers Club, an organization that hosts events and forums for senior executives from government and industry to discuss key issues and challenges in national security, defense, and related fields. Organizers will gather thought leaders from both the public and private sectors to discuss critical homeland security issues.

MacDonald, who leads the Identity Capabilities Management Division within DHS’s Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), will share her expertise on biometrics and the agency’s initiatives in this area, including its focus on modernizing systems and improving interoperability.

The OBIM’s Identity Capabilities Management Division is responsible for overseeing the strategy, privacy, policy, external affairs, acquisitions, and other activities related to the management and use of biometric technologies.

OBIM was established in 2013 as the successor to the US-VISIT program, which originally handled biometric identification for the federal government. It was created to centralize and enhance DHS’s biometric services, including fingerprint, facial recognition, iris scanning, and latent fingerprint matching for identity verification.

The ICMD was formed to manage the strategic and operational aspects of these biometric capabilities, including policy, privacy, and the integration of emerging technologies. Its mission includes ensuring that biometric systems are interoperable across DHS agencies and with other federal and international partners.

The ICMD supports various DHS initiatives aimed at improving security, identity management, and the protection of personal data, playing a key role in initiatives such as the biometric entry-exit system and partnerships with agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

MacDonald’s slot for a keynote speech reflects the growing importance of biometrics in the U.S. defense sector. As GovCon Wire notes, biometric tech also got a share of the spotlight in last year’s Homeland Security Summit, when the CBP’s Executive Director for Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation highlighted how the agency’s mandate for a biometric entry-exit system helped to catalyze a technological overhaul of its infrastructure.

Source: GovCon Wire

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September 23, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy