• Federal ID deadline draws near, but some states are not yet ready

    A federal deadline imposing security standards for states-issued driver’s licenses is drawing near, but according to New Mexico’s congressional delegation, an extension is possible for the state for complying with the law; the act currently has thirty-one requirements, but New Mexico has not met sixteen of them and eight of those are related to the driver’s license law

  • GAO: Easily obtained counterfeit IDs present real risks

    The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in which the agency demonstrates that counterfeit documents can still be used easily to obtain valid driver’s licenses and state-issued identification cards under fictitious identities; GAO recommended that DHS exert more assertive leadership in an effort to correct the problem

  • NIST releases second draft of PIV cards security standard for comment

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the second-round draft version of its updated security standard for identity credentials in the Personal Identity Verification cards (PIV cards) that all federal employees and contractors must use; NIST is requesting comments from the public on the document, which is intended to be the last draft before the final version is published

  • DHS: No extension to next January’s REAL ID deadline

    DHS tells Congress that the department “has no plans to extend” the REAL ID deadline for state compliance, set as 15 January 2013

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  • Medical tattoos – a growing trend

    Forget medical bracelets, a growing number of individuals with special medical needs have taken to tattooing their bodies to warn first responders about critical medical conditions; medical bracelets commonly list a person’s allergies, chronic diseases, and end-of-life wishes, but more and more people have started tattooing that information on their bodies

  • Global Entry program expands to four additional airports

    CBP announced the expansion of the Global Entry program to four additional airports; the expansion will make the program available at airports serving 97 percent of international travelers arriving in the United States

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  • Real ID deadlines looms

    More and more states have adapted the driver’s licenses they issue to meet the requirements of the Real ID Act; several states have not – and they have until 15 January 2013 to do so, or receive an extension from DHS; if these states do not change their driver’s license or receive an extension, their residents will need to start getting passports in order to board commercial airlines

  • Facial recognition tech helps California police nab two thieves

    With the help of facial recognition technology, police in Lancaster, California were able to apprehend two individuals thought to be behind a string of armed robberies

  • China to fingerprint all foreigners

    Chinese lawmakers are currently considering new visa rules that would require all visitors working and studying in the country to have their fingerprints scanned as they enter and exit

  • DNC seeks hi-tech credentials and tickets for convention

    For the upcoming Democratic National Convention, event organizers are currently seeking companies that can create highly-sophisticated security badges and tickets that are not easily forged or copied

  • Biometric passports rapidly becoming the norm

    A new report indicates that biometric passports will soon become ubiquitous around the world; within the next five years, 90 percent of passports will contain integrated smart card IC chips that will hold the carrier’s biometric data

  • DHS report: gap in TSA badging process poses threats

    A new government report revealed that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is unable to accurately account for its employees who have access to secure areas in airports, resulting in a significant security gap

  • Senator Schumer targets fake IDs from China

    Fake IDs have long been a problem for law enforcement agencies, but the recent discovery of counterfeit IDs from China that appear nearly identical to the real thing have lawmakers particularly concerned

  • Oklahoma woman battles against REAL ID

    An Oklahoma woman has sparked a federal controversy after she refused to renew her driver’s license; in February Beach was pulled over by law enforcement officials in Norman, Oklahoma and ticketed for driving with an expired license and she is now fighting that ticket as part of a larger campaign against REAL ID

  • U.K. airports install biometric passport readers

    Individuals with biometric passports from the United Kingdom or the European Union will now be able to use sophisticated automated e-Passport scanners at every major U.K. airport