Biometrics is the science and technology of measuring and analysing biological data.

In information technology, biometrics refers to technologies that measure and analyze human body characteristics, such as fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements, for authentication purposes.

Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics and point of sale (POS) applications. In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience. Biometric devices, consist of:

• A reader or scanning device.
• Software that converts the scanned information into digital form and compares match points.
• A database that stores the biometric data for comparison.

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A SMALL north Northumberland nursery has installed the latest hi-tech biometric security to ensure the safety of children and staff.

Lucker Nature Kindergarten, at Lucker, near Belford, has installed a biometric 'fingerprint entry' access system.

Manager Hollie Walker said that while the biometric locks improved security at the nursery, the system also made access easier for carers and parents.

The new system, supplied by Newcastle-based UKB International Ltd, allows nursery personnel to register parents' fingerprints in seconds.

Parents then simply press their fingerprint on a sensor pad at the door to gain fast, easy entry to the nursery.

They can leave or collect their children without fuss while unregistered visitors must ring a bell and wait for a member of staff.

The new system also means a member of staff is not needed to answer the door, but can concentrate on supervising the children, maintaining staff-child room ratios.

The biometric scanner identifies key points on the user's fingerprint. No actual fingerprint is stored since the scan is converted into data which is then encrypted and retained for future comparison. The encrypted data is only held by the nursery making it fully data compliant.

Mrs Walker said: "Our new biometric access system means greater security for children and staff, which is a paramount concern to us.

"Fingerprint entry means only registered parents and staff can access the nursery and they can do so easily without having to wait for a staff member to answer the door.

"If we had installed a swipe card security system, people could easily forget or lose their cards, and we would be concerned the cards could fall into the wrong hands.

"Now we can be certain that only people registered on our biometric system can gain entry to the nursery"

Lucker Nature Kindergarten holds a 'Good' Ofsted report in all areas of their childcare and education. Another Ofsted report praised the biometric entry system as 'protecting children from harm'.

Located in the original old village school, Lucker Nature Kindergarten provides child care for 15 children between the ages of 12 months and five years.

In addition to a secure, homely atmosphere, Lucker Nature Kindergarten offers a unique 'magic woods' natural learning environment.

The nursery also offers a holiday club for children up to eight.

It was established in 1998, by Lorraine Pattison whose daughter Hollie manages the nursery. Hollie's sister, Katie, is deputy manager.

Both are qualified nursery nurses, while Hollie holds an additional qualification in playwork, and is working towards her Early Years Professional Status and Katie has additional qualifications in health and social care and special educational needs.

UKB International, regional support manager, Craig White, said: "Security is of paramount concern at Lucker Nature Kindergarten and the management has specified the only key which cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – the human fingerprint.

"Now staff, management and parents are comforted knowing only authorised persons can gain access."

UKB Chief Technical Officer Jon Telford will talk about ‘Developments In New Technology’ at the Construction Security Excellence Event held in Durham City on Wednesday 12th November. Jon will be joined by Gary Parkinson, Project Manager for the £50 million steam autoclave facility at Derwenthaugh Eco-Park under construction by the Clugston Group. The pair will profile the robust, ‘spoof-proof’ Integrated Biometric Turnstile (IBT) developed specifically for the construction industry.

Contruction Site Security

Finger recognition technology has been introduced into some care homes to monitor how many hours nurses are working. Nurses place their finger on a scanner when starting and finishing shifts to record how long they have worked. The scanner recognises tiny points on the finger and converts them into storable data. Helen McArdle Care has introduced the ‘biometric attendance system’ into its five care homes. Managers argues that it will ‘prevent overpayment for time not worked’, and guarantee that the correct skills mix is in place. RCN senior employment relations adviser Keren Didovic said the system could be useful if it ensures nurses are paid for overtime.

Lumidigm Inc. and Methode Electronics Inc. have signed an agreement to adapt Lumidigm’s fingerprint technology for vehicles.

Albuquerque’s Lumidigm offers a light-based scanner that creates three-dimensional fingerprints.

Illinois-based Methode (NYSE: MEI) is an automotive supplier that focuses on high-tech, application-specific components and subsystem devices.

Methode will demonstrate a prototype of the new automotive-grade biometric technology the two companies are developing on Oct. 20-22 at Methode’s Mobile Technology and Design Center at Convergence in Detroit, said Matthew Ennis, Lumidigm’s vice president of business development, in a news release.

“Methode knows what it takes to integrate new technologies in the specialized environments of transportation,” Ennis said. “The agreement allows Lumidigm to enter an important market. We believe our biometric technology, with Methode’s steady guidance, will transform the automotive industry’s relationship with identity, ownership, and personalization.”

In an interview on the future of biometrics for Infosecurity magazine, UKB International Operations Director Shaun Oakes said:

"2012 seems to be a key date in most analysts predictions with the market set to be worth $7.1 billion worldwide by that date. Maxine Most of Acuity Market Intelligence predicts “Commercial deployment revenues will begin to supersede Public Sector revenues in 2012 and will represent more than 52% of the total global market for biometrics core technology by 2015. And commercial deployment today is the key to the future".

Joining UKB International Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Jon Telford to discuss “The future of biometrics – Tomorrow’s technology” are Jean-Christophe Fondeur, CTO, Sagem Sécurité, France; Dr Sri Hartati Kurniawan, CTO, RCG Holdings Limited, Hong Kong and Erik J. Bowman, Principal Engineer, Northrop Grumman Information Technology, USA.

http://www.biometrics2008.com/
http://www.eubiometricsforum.com/
http://www2.biometrieforum.nl/

Matthew Ennis, Vice President, Business Development, Lumidigm, USA, (UKB International technology partner) will examine ‘Biometrics: A novel solution for your company’s bottom line’.

The parallel Biometrics 2008 Exhibition is free to enter. Visitors should pre-register online for their chance to win an iPoD Nano..

The design of the UK's new identity card - to be issued from November, initially to foreign nationals - was revealed by the home secretary yesterday.

More than 50,000 cards are expected to be handed out to foreign nationals from outside Europe between November and March as they extend their visas and register marriages or civil partnerships.

From next year ID cards will be given first to those in security-sensitive roles and by 2010 the aim will be to encourage young people to enrol. They will not be compulsory for the general population.

The size of a credit card, each ID card bears a digital image of the holder, their name, the place and date of the card's issue, a signature and a unique identity number. For foreign nationals there is also a "type of permit" section showing the person's visa category as well as a "valid until" date showing how long the holder has permission to stay in the UK.

On the reverse, the card carries an electronic chip recording biometric details including fingerprints. The holder's gender, date and place of birth and nationality are recorded above a section entitled Remarks that lists entitlements.

Helen McArdle Care operates five residential care homes for the elderly and a further five homes are scheduled to open in 2009. Helen McArdle Care provides twenty four hour, year round care and needed to be assured that this care was in place at all times and that the correct balance of qualified staff were on duty at all locations.

Senior management at Helen McArdle Care required a simple to operate time and attendance system which would allow them to see at a glance who had worked at which care home, where and for exactly how long.

Following discussions with Helen McArdle Care management team UKB International recommended the FP3000 system, networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office. The FP3000 is a fast, reliable scanner suitable for high volume applications.

The networked PC provides accurate up to the minute reports of staff clocking on and off, with irrefutable evidence of attendance which eliminates potential disputes. These reports provide the basis for payroll calculations. Pay-per-minute payroll calculations provide an incentive for good timekeeping and prevent over payment for time not worked, thus demonstrating a return on investment.

Helen McArdle Care Finance Director Nigel Dawson says: “The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs. With many managers and staff at five locations it is essential we can manage time and attendance both to ensure we provide a high level of suitably qualified care, and to ensure accuracy of the payroll. The management reports generated by the FP3000 provide snapshot data with the ability to quickly drill down for detail. In the residential care home business an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability”.

Quick and complete capture of multiple whole hand characteristics now possible with a single sensor

UKB International Ltd business partner Lumidigm Inc will roll out new technology to take full hand prints at the Biometrics Consortium Technology Expo in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 23-25.

Because the technology is a direct imaging process, all areas of the hand are imaged, easily and quickly, with no special preparation or configuration of the hand. This characteristic permits the operator to easily and quickly capture all of the available biometric data.

A further advantage of Lumidigm's whole hand technology is that it is capable of capturing the thumbprint, four fingerprints and a palmprint all with a single placement of the user's hand on a single sensor. These prints may then be compared to data contained in a variety of standard biometric databases for a wide range of military and forensic applications. The same multispectral technology can also be implemented as a physical access device that can perform multibiometric matching to provide an extremely high level of accuracy and performance, enabling true single-factor 1:N security applications.

The broader print can provide much greater accuracy for a range of military and commercial applications, said Lumidigm Chief Technology Officer Rob Rowe. It also can be used for highly accurate screening to provide physical access to secure installations.

Lumidigm developed the new device in response to a U.S. Army request for a multi-modal biometrics system. A portable form factor is planned for deployment in the field by government and commercial partners and could be available in early 2010.

“Our robust multispectral imaging technology is a natural fit for whole-hand biometrics,” Rowe said. “The ability of our technology to perform under conditions where other technologies fail is precisely what makes a multispectral whole hand sensor of significant interest to the Army.”

UKB International Sales Director Steve Barnard said “This is an exciting advance in biometric technology and once again sets an industry benchmark. We will work closely with Lumidigm over the coming months to identify commercial opportunities for the system”.

Newly appointed telesales supervisor Andy Fuller, telesales operators Kevin Hagin, Yvonne Mason, Andrew Brown and Kathleen Lambrou. Yvonne Mason had been looking for a challenging job that would fit around her need to care for five year old son Dylan.

Yvonne says:

“I used to work in fashion retail but unsociable hours meant I was missing out on time with Dylan. Now I can work the hours that suit me and have the best of both worlds. This is a new challenge for me but UKB International has provided training and I am working with a fantastic team who have supported me all the way”.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced £25m of further spending in this area in policing plans released in July. However, the tender published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27th August 08 estimates the contract value at between £30m and £40m.

The four-year Midas (Mobile Identification at Scene) framework contract will involve up to 10 participants and may be extended for a further two years, allowing it to end at the same time as the Ident1 contract for the national, automated fingerprint system. The contract will apply to police forces throughout the UK.

"The agencies have a requirement for the provision of capabilities for the mobile biometric identification of persons, in real- or near real-time, at scene through biometric and associated information held by or accessed by the agencies," states the notice, adding that bidders should include, but may not be limited to, fingerprint-identification capability.

The agency said it plans to enter into a master framework agreement or agreements, then deliver packages of work through mini-competitions. However, the agency reserves the right to go outside the agreement to procure some elements of the scheme.

A condition of the contract is that information-management services to provide biometric search, storage and response capabilities must reside entirely within the UK.

UKB International Ltd has appointed Andy Fuller to the post of telesales supervisor to lead a team of seven telesales operators. Andy, from North Shields, Tyne & Wear brings over ten years sales and marketing experience to his new position. In his spare time Andy plays guitar with local rock band Random Play as well as being a keen footballer and mountain bike competitor.

What is biometric technology, how can it help secure the City of London today, and what does the future hold?

Author – UKB International Ltd Operations Director Shaun Oakes is responsible for product development and logistics. A security systems expert and published author on biometric security, Shaun has addressed international security seminars and is a regular contributor to UK and international security industry publications.

What is biometrics?

The word biometrics derives from the Greek bios, meaning "life" and metron, to "measure". It is the study of automated methods for recognising people based upon physical traits. Biometric recognition systems can be divided in two main classes;

Behavioral biometrics is related to the behavior of a person. The first and still most widely used characteristic is the signature. Research is currently underway into keystroke and voice recognition systems. Physiological biometrics is related to the shape of the body. The oldest system is that used by police for over 100 years to uniquely identify an individual by recording their fingerprints. Other examples are face recognition, hand geometry and iris recognition.

The most common and commercially viable biometric systems use the human fingerprint as the unique characteristic for recognition. The uniqueness of a fingerprint can be determined by the pattern of ridges and furrows as well as the minutiae points. Since the fingerprint is not stored in its entirety, concerns over personal data are easily overcome. Nobody can reconstruct a fingerprint from the data held on a modern biometric system.

The science of biometrics today

Although biometrics has been around for centuries in the form of signatures and fingerprint identification it was the advent of electronics which transformed the industry. With scanning equipment, fingerprints could be rendered into electronic data then the data encrypted and stored for future comparison. Initially the technology was expensive so typically it was the Military and Government who pioneered biometric access and identity verification.

Around ten years ago biometric equipment began to be mass produced in response to perceived market opportunities. The hardware, scanners, enclosures and processors were produced primarily in the Far East and the USA. These early devices would effectively operate as an on-off switch, verifying identity or denying it. Early technology relied upon a prefect scan of a fingerprint to verify the person presenting was the person registered. But a biometric access system is a security system, so if the system was in any doubt, it would reject the transaction and refuse to open the door or switch.

The cause of this rejection could be as simple as water, grease or paint on the fingerprint, a cut finger or abrasion on the fingertip. As a result, unacceptably high ‘error readings’ were common, that is, the right person was presenting but the system did not recognise them.

Today we have moved into ‘second generation’ biometrics with the advent of high definition, ‘sub dermal’ biometric readers.

This technology has allowed for the development of robust biometric readers with virtually zero error rates. Multispectral imaging technology simultaneously reads the surface and subsurface of fingerprints to capture clear, clean images every time, even when surface features are absent or hard to distinguish.

Today, readers are so robust they will operate in any weather conditions, can be power-hosed and even operate underwater. Readers are available that can scan one million stored data sets in one second, thus making them suitable for use in high volume, high security applications.

Biometric technology is moving so fast that myths abound even among security experts. A principal myth is that biometric systems store fingerprints and thus are open to ID theft. Modern systems store encrypted data which, even if decrypted would not allow for the reconstruction of a fingerprint.

Another myth involves the question “What if someone cuts off my finger?” In the event of this grisly scenario, a modern biometric reader would recognise that no blood was pumping through the veins and so, deny access. Similarly claims recently made by German hacker group Chaos Computer Club that they had obtained the fingerprints of Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble and would use them to produce a latex ‘spoof’ fingerprint are simply a publicity stunt. One multispectral biometric reader on the market has been tested with over 20,000 spoof attempts, ranging from the crude to the highly sophisticated. To date, none have succeeded.

Biometric identification – Absolute security.

Any security system is only as robust as its weakest link, and all too often the weakest link is the key used to access a door or switch. Swipe cards, keys, proximity fobs or PINs can be lost, stolen, copied, hacked or ‘Buddied’, that is, passed to an unauthorised person. Only biometric security offers the certainty that the person accessing a lock or switch is the person registered to do so. Further, a biometric system provides an exact forensic trace of who has accessed a door, and when. For this reason a number of UK police forces are trialling biometric locks on custody suites and evidence rooms.

In terms of disaster planning and Health & Safety, biometric security saves time, money and potentially lives. If a biometric system says there were 200 people in a building, and 197 are counted at the muster point, emergency services can be sure there are three people unaccounted for. If 200 people are counted, the services can be sure nobody is left in the building.

‘Anti Passback’ requires individuals to scan in, and out of a building. This prevents an unauthorised person ‘tailgating’, or following an authorised person through an open door. Anybody who has not scanned into a building cannot scan out, and security is alerted when they try.

Security is not the only application for biometrics in the commercial environment. Biometric Time & Attendance systems are claimed by their users to save tens of thousands of pounds a year by preventing fraud and providing for a ‘Pay Per Minute’ system which automatically feeds into payroll systems.

Biometrics in the future

Biometric technology is advancing at an exponential pace. Every major security exhibition in the world will host the launch of a technological advance, or a new application for existing technology. From super yachts to city banks, biometrics is providing management and security bosses with the tools needed to achieve maximum security.

And the industry shows no sign of slowing down with millions of pounds poured into R&D worldwide. One of the most exciting avenues of research is in Face and Gait recognition which looks set to emerge as the first non-interventionist biometric technology.

Currently a subject must present a fingerprint, iris or signature to access a biometric system. Face and Gait compares minute points on the face such as position of ears, nose, eyes and mouth, and physical characteristics such as height and position of shoulders to hands. These measurements are then added to the subjects style of walking to provide an accurate assessment of the individuals identity. As the subject gets closer to the camera the system automatically reassesses its conclusion, so that by the time the subject is within five metres of the camera, the system is 100% certain that the subject should be allowed access, or not. This multiple recognition of many biometric features means the wearing of a hat, bulky clothes or a disguise would not spoof the biometric system.

While technological advances are always exciting, the real future of biometrics will be determined by applications. Every time someone asks the question “Why are we using keys, fobs, swipe cards or PINs here?” a new application for biometric technology is identified.

Media invitation: To attend the launch of the UK’s first mixed residential and commercial development to employ biometric ‘fingerprint entry’ access throughout. Meet developer Housemartins Ltd and UKB International Director’s Joy Phillips & Denis Kelleher.

Thursday 11th September, from 6pm.
Housemartins Ltd
40-41 Alpha Road
Surbiton
Surrey KT5 8RP

SURBITON GATED COMPLEX FIRST IN UK TO SPECIFY BIOMETRICS THROUGHOUT

A mixed residential and commercial development in Alpha Road, Surbiton is the first new build development in the UK to replace keys, swipe cards and fobs with biometric ‘fingerprint entry’ access and security. The system has been installed by the Chiswick office of UK Biometrics Ltd.

40-41 Alpha Road comprises 9 luxury apartments and four separate air conditioned offices on 2 floors. Developer Housemartins Ltd has specified biometric locks as the finishing touch to a prestige gated complex.

Ian Martin, Partner in Housemartins Ltd says:

“40-41 Alpha Road is a luxury development offering a high specification which is perfectly complimented by the elegance and security of biometric locks. Owners can access their homes or offices by simply swiping their finger over a reader. Guests can be temporarily registered then quickly de-registered. Traditionally a development of this size would require over thirty keys, at Alpha Road there are none”.

The biometric locks scan a fingerprint and convert patterns into data which is encrypted and stored for future comparison. No actual fingerprint is stored and the data is not shared with third parties.

UK Biometrics Director Joy Phillips says:

“Our biometric locks are offered as an option by a number of UK volume home builders, but Alpha Road is the first new build mixed use development to plan a biometric solution from the drawing board. Property owners at Alpha Road will be using the only key that cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – their own fingerprint”.

UKB International Chief Technical Officer Jon Telford will co-chair a session titled “The future of biometrics – Tomorrow’s technology “ with Jean-Christophe Fondeur, Chief Technical Officer with Sagem Sécurité at the Biometrics 2008 exhibition and conference to be held at Westminister, London on 21-23 October 2008. Matthew Ennis, Vice President, Business Development, with technology partner Lumidigm Inc. will speak on “Biometrics: A novel solution for your company’s bottom line”

UKB International Ltd has appointed Karl Pring to the post of Sales Consultant. Karl from Plawsworth, County Durham brings over ten years experience as a sales manager in the communications sector. Karl is a keen golfer and rugby fan, having captained the Welsh District Team at international level.

Regional Director Mark Snape says “Birmingham and the surrounding areas offer tremendous opportunity for the UKB International range of products and services. My Sales Consultant Brian Ellershawe and I are looking forward to the challenge”.

Click here to contact the Birmingham office

The majority of consumers are concerned about the security and use of Pins, passwords and 'secret' data used by bank call centres to verify identity. A recent survey found that 61 per cent of respondents expressed concerns about these forms of verification.

Some 42 per cent of people using telephone banking do not believe that their bank does enough to prevent fraud or identity theft. Just over 40 per cent of respondents believe that their personal information is more secure when using an automated system than speaking to a live agent (36 per cent) when handling Pins and passwords.

However, 86 per cent would be happier to use either voice biometrics (28 per cent) or a blend of voice biometrics and Pin/password (58 per cent) measures for telephone banking identification and verification. Professor Michael McTear, head of voice authentication research at the University of Ulster, said: "Many bank customers are concerned with the threat of identity fraud and the associated risks for their personal finances.

"It is imperative that banks should be encouraged to provide an effective and easy-to-use method for additional security. Voice authentication provides such a method. "The customer is not required to enter complicated sequences of numbers and letters but simply answers a few questions in their normal voice.

"Voice biometrics is an effective and reliable technology for authenticating valid customers and, more importantly, for rejecting 'imposters' whose voice does not match the customer's voiceprint." Some 80 per cent of respondents said that security is an important element of banking transactions completed over the phone.

UKB International Ltd has appointed Ian Pick to the post of Northern Regional Sales Manager. Ian from Chester le Street brings over ten years specialist software sales experience to his new position. Ian will have responsibility for managing the introduction of UKB International's ‘Evolution’ range of robust biometric readers to North East businesses and will help with the launch of further new products over the coming twelve months.

Ian Pick says:
"I have been watching biometric technology for a number of years and have been impressed at the speed with which it is gaining market share. UKB International was the first UK Company to bring biometrics direct to businesses and they still lead the field. This is a tremendously exciting time to be joining this expanding industry".

Regional Director David Lee said "Swindon and the surrounding areas are full of exciting technology businesses. UKB International's new regional office will offer the most advanced access security that todays demanding businesses require."

Click here to contact the Swindon office

The UKB Colour Intercom System is a high quality intercom that is stunning in appearance and technologically advanced. Slim in design with hands free audio, full colour display and memory storage to record visitors. UKB International has set the standard with this new modern intercom system.

Detailed Information about the Colour Intercom

UKB International biometrically opens the multimillion pound Baltic Gateshead campus.

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UKB International launches new website.

UKB International announces that July will see our new Swindon office opening.

UKB International attends IFSEC world security show from 12-15th May.