• Briefly noted

    Napolitano offers Obama pragmatic take on immigration… Microsoft, ESRI to help improve DHS operations… Inbox: Brits baying for blood over ID

  • TWIC deadline for Florida -- and the U.S. -- looms

    Florida port workers have until 13 January 2009 to pay the $132 and register for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential card; entry to all U.S. ports will require the TWIC card as of 15 April 2009

  • Interpol plans facial recognition database to catch suspects

    Every year more than 800 million international travelers fail to undergo the most basic scrutiny to check whether their identity documents have been stolen, Interpol has warned; the organization plans a massive face-recognition database

  • DHS, Michigan reach agreement on enhanced driver's license

    The Michigan agreement, similar to that reached with other states, seeks to create an enhanced driver’s license — which denotes both identity and citizenship — as a compliance option to fulfill Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requirements

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  • U.S. considers waiving visa requirement for Israelis

    U.S. may add Israel to the Visa Waiver program in 2009, after Israel implements a new biometric passport for Israeli citizens

  • Hacker reveals how to compromise e-passport systems

    An anonymous technology researcher discusses the ease with which e-passports may be compromised by hackers

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  • Football fans try "clear" fast pass

    Florida-based Clear, which offers travelers to collect their biometric and background information in order to allow them a faster airport security check, makes arrangements with football teams to allow Clear card holder faster entry into football stadiums

  • Concerns over TWIC roll-out delays

    TWIC aims to provide 1.2 million U.S. port workers with forgery-proof biometric IDs; so far only 500,000 workers have been enrolled, and DHS pushed completion of enrollment from 25 September to 15 April; lawmakers are not happy

  • Lumidigm develops whole-hand sensor

    Developer of finger-print biometrics will offer a whole-hand sensor; new system designed to read multiple characteristics of the hand through the use of multispectral technology

  • New York State offers an enhanced driver's license

    New York State leads the nation in the adoption of enhanced license technology, and state residents may now apply for an enhanced driver’s license; they have an incentive to do so, because beginning 1 June 2009 U.S. citizens will have to present either a passport or an enhanced driver’s license when re-entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean

  • DHS: Progress and priorities, I

    Since its creation more than five years ago, DHS has made significant progress — uneven progress — in protecting the United States from dangerous people and goods, protecting the U.S. critical infrastructure, strengthen emergency response, and unifying department operations

  • Facial recognition trials at Manchester Airport

    Five gates at Manchester Airport will be equipped with face recognition devices; gates can only be used with people from the United Kingdom and EU who are over 18 and hold a new-style chipped passport

  • Daon rides biometric wave

    Founded in 2000, Daon initially looked at selling biometrics to the financial industry as a way for people to make secure purchases; then 9/11 happened

  • U.K. national biometric ID faces another hurdle: senior citizens

    Automatic biometric scanners would struggle to read elderly people’s prints because the ridges on the pads of their fingers are often not well defined

  • Judge imposes gag order on Boston subway hackers

    Three MIT students hacked smartcards used by the Boston subway system; they were planning to make a presentation about the hacking at this weekend Defcon event in Las Vegas — but a U.S. district judge imposed a gag rule on them