Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
Two-Year Air Force Study to Assess Smartwatch Biometric Fitness Tracking
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has commissioned a two-year study to assess the effectiveness of fitness-tracking smartwatches in comparison to annual physical assessments. The study will entail US Space Force “Guardians” – the term for personnel of the US military branch established in 2019 – and will exempt participants from US Air Force physicals. Garmin says that over two-thirds of the 8,400-member Force have signed up, and that 6,000 Garmin smartwatches have been issued to track cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity.
Proposed Bill Would Require Federal Contractors to Disclose Security Vulnerabilities
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill that would require federal contractors to adopt policies for the disclosure of security vulnerabilities. The “Federal Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act” would do so via the Office of Management and Budget, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which would be mandated to draft recommendations for updating the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council’s contract requirements. It would also require the Department of Defense to mandate standardized security vulnerability disclosures for all contractors within six months.
Facial Recognition Helps Finns Nab Russian Neo-Nazi
Facial recognition technology has helped Finnish border officials to apprehend a suspected Russian terrorist. The individual, ultimately identified as Jan Petrovskiy, had been traveling under an alias. He was reportedly the leader of Rusich, a Russian paramilitary group that the Council of Europe has deemed a neo-Nazi organization. It is not yet clear what Petrovskiy was doing in Finland, but he was apprehended when trying to board a flight to Nice, France, using an assumed identity.
UK Policing Body Urges Police to Leverage Resources to Solve Crimes
The United Kingdom’s national body for policing standards has issued a formal guidance instructing police to pursue all “reasonable lines of enquiry” to solve crimes, including the use of evidence collected from CCTV cameras and home doorbells, and the use of sophisticated technologies such as biometrics. Policing minister Chris Philp added that police in the country have a record level of resources, from staff to funding. “Along with camera images, combined with facial recognition, this will mean many more offenders can be brought to justice,” he said.
Researchers Announce Age-Changing Deepfake System
Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have developed an AI system designed to make individuals appear to be of different ages while retaining their unique face biometrics. The researchers trained their AI model on images of celebrities, as photographed at different ages. They’ve published a paper on their work on the pre-print server arXiv, and said they would present their findings at the IEEE International Joint Conference on Biometrics (IJCB), which ends today.
Verizon Brings Face-Based Access to Tennessee NFL Field
Verizon has launched a biometric stadium access system in partnership with the Tennessee Titans football team. Deployed at the Nissan Stadium, the “Accelerated Access” system allows interested fans to register their face biometrics and to then enjoy expedited access the stadium. It is part of a broader partnership focused on 5G technology, with the organizations framing it as a means of enhancing the fan experience. The news comes after Major League Baseball launched a face-based ticketing system in Philadelphia earlier this month.
Worldline Passwordless Solutin Gets FIDO Certification
Worldline’s “Trusted Authentication” solution has received certification from the FIDO Alliance. Trusted Authentication is a passwordless authentication solution aimed at businesses, with Worldline pitching it as customizable and easy-to-deploy tool to secure payments and other sensitive transactions. In announcing the FIDO certification, Worldline Financial Services’ Head of Digital Services, Tanguy Epale, said it “guarantees that our authentication solution is adaptable with other certified devices and services, providing a consistent user experience,” adding that it also speaks to the company’s “commitment to rigorous security standards”.
Riyadh-Based Creative Solutions Launches Attendance Tracking App
Creative Solutions, an IT firm based in Saudi Arabia, has announced a new time and attendance tracking app called “CreativeTime”. The solution uses geofencing technology to set up boundaries in which employees must clock in, and also supports the use of fingerprint-based employee authentication. It can be deployed in a cloud-based manner, on on-premise.
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August 28, 2023 – by Alex Perala
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