ROC Appoints Former DoD Biometrics Expert Sam Cava as Strategic Advisor

ROC has announced the appointment of Sam Cava as Strategic Advisor, bringing over three decades of experience in biometric enterprise initiatives for federal agencies. Cava, a former U.S. Air Force officer, previously served as the architect of the Department of Defense (DoD) ABIS, the military’s authoritative biometric repository for enemy combatants, which recently completed its migration to cloud infrastructure and added voice recognition capabilities.

Throughout his career, Cava developed the Biometric Identification System for Access (BISA) to secure U.S. military personnel and facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. This system played a crucial role in the DoD’s broader biometric enterprise architecture, which has evolved to support both tactical and strategic military operations. He also designed and deployed biometric systems for special agents, warfighters, and intelligence operatives, while negotiating biometric data exchanges with U.S. allies and partners.

Before joining ROC, Cava held positions as Director of the DoD Biometrics Fusion Center and Unit Chief of the FBI’s Multimedia Exploitation Unit. As system owner of the Digital Content Analysis Platform (DCAP), the FBI’s largest cloud-based digital evidence environment, he supported investigations in several high-profile cases, including the Las Vegas mass shooting, January 6 investigation, Uvalde school shooting, and Pittsburgh synagogue attack.

ROC, which processes over 200 million identity proofing transactions annually, specializes in multimodal biometrics including face recognition, fingerprint recognition, and iris recognition. The company’s expansion into multimodal solutions reflects an industry-wide trend, with recent research showing a six percent growth in multimodal biometric implementations in 2024. ROC also provides AI video analytics, threat detection, and vehicle and license plate recognition capabilities. The company maintains operations in Morgantown, WV, and is expanding into Federal, State, and Local security programs while developing classified services and expanded ABIS capabilities.

B. Scott Swann, ROC’s CEO and former developer of the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI), asserted that “Cava’s experience and leadership in the federal biometrics field is unparalleled,” and highlighted the company’s plans to roll out ROC ABIS with new capabilities including “the world’s fastest latent fingerprint matcher.”

In accepting the position, Cava noted ROC’s “culture of innovative thinking, ethics, and scientific rigor” and its readiness to “offer transformative capabilities to government agencies around the world in support of their most critical national security missions.” This appointment follows ROC’s recent strategic expansion into international markets, including India and Southeast Asia.

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December 12, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith