DSI Announces Biometrics-focused Identity Management Symposium

The Defense Strategies Institute (DSI) has announced that it will be hosting its annual Identity Management Symposium at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The Symposium (now in its seventh year) will run from November 4-5, with the theme of “Advancing Biometric Capabilities and Identity Solutions for the Future of National Security.”

The Symposium will take place in-person despite the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. As it stands, most 2020 events have either been cancelled or migrated to a virtual format to eliminate the health risks associated with a live event during a pandemic. Space at the Symposium will be limited, although the DSI indicated that its small number of slots is intended to facilitate discussion. The organization did not address COVID-19 in its announcement, nor did it detail the precautions (if any) that it is taking to ensure the safety of its guests.

The Identity Management Symposium is described as a “town-hall type forum” that will give attendees the opportunity to discuss the latest identity and access control technologies. The programming is specifically geared towards public organizations like the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement.

The lineup of confirmed speakers includes Shonnie Lyon, Patricia Janssen, and Michael Hardin. Lyon is the Director of DHS’ Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), while Janssen is the Director of Cybersecurity Architecture & Capability Oversight for the DoD and Hardin is the Director of Policy and Planning at the US Customs & Border Protection Entry/Exit Transformation Office. Two representatives from the NIST will also be speaking at the event.

The program will place a strong focus on biometric technology. Topics of conversation will include the use of facial recognition in border programs and for mass surveillance, and the ways in which biometric identity intelligence can streamline FBI investigations. 

The Symposium is closed to the press, and is free for active members of the military and government employees.

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August 19, 2020 – by Eric Weiss