How ironic: I found myself sat in a hospital ward thinking about the impending piece that I now write, contemplating how the world of biometrics has become an increasingly prominent part of our lives. To get to the bedside, I had placed my finger against the reader (having already forgotten that I had provided my fingerprint) and, that having gained entry, the facial recognition system that sat within the nursing station had further verified the fact that I was who I said I was and associated me with the patient who I’d come to see.
Biometrics — something beyond the complaints of big brother and impositions upon civil liberties that we too often hear? Nah! To me this is part of the norm, part of the “secure environment” in which we live and which protects us.
However, the world of biometrics is changing quickly as the commercial world wakes up to the power of the personal profile in driving new revenue channels or supporting existing ones. Whereas five years ago the cost of biometric systems meant that the focus and key driver was in managing access to buildings or areas within the high security and CNI arenas, today businesses like ISS (much to the RMT union’s chagrin) and MITIE are using systems to manage time, attendance, and staff verification, whilst the likes of Dell with their XPS laptops and Fast Access systems, and Apple with their iPhone 5s are very much recognizing the opportunities to be gained by integrating biometrics as key features of their offerings.
This, according to a recent edition of I-D, is creating an arms race amongst app developers who are already clambering to work with the likes of banks and online payment providers to use these platforms to enhance remote banking, and remove cash and credit cards at the point of payment. All this despite the fact that to date Apple has stated they won’t grant access to this functionality.
Nowhere has this opportunity been better realized than in the highly competitive retail and leisure environments where forward-thinking organizations are looking to harness the powers to enhance protection, reduce risk, analyze activity, and increase customer spend through improved targeting.
In the realms where non-employee theft is conducted by a regular group of transient individuals, the use of facial recognition systems is being combined with innovative systems such as “Facewatch”, used to identify known offenders and to support organizations in reducing their losses. A system that, with the support of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and other senior police officers, has allowed organizations to support the crime reporting process and share data between subscribers. Taken a stage further, savvy support services businesses are looking to add value to their customers by offering a managed service enabling the benefits without impacting on the retail duties of their own staff.
Another fashion retailer is looking to take this approach a stage further and is now testing a system where members of staff are notified when key customers or “Gold Card” holders enter to ensure a proactive and personal welcome is offered for a positive in-store experience. This data can be used to build a profile with frequency of visit, duration of visit, and dwell time in the areas they peruse, all linked to their loyalty scheme to aid in the targeting of offers.
Whilst I now find myself quite comfortable with the thought that my fingerprint data is held on the hospital access control system and my mug shot is on the nursing desk to confirm my identity in my biometric passport, even I as an advent capitalist have concerns as to the risks of my data in the new commercial biometric world. How secure is this data?
Apple has publicly stated that they are not sending any data into the cloud (yet) but this relies on trust – something that has been broken in the past. Many of the new biometric systems are reliant and integrated to cloud based storage which brings the risk of hacking, and a hacker is always one step ahead; if the NSA, one of the US governments most secure agencies, can be hit by hackers then what chance is there of data security for the retailer or banking system?
As Kate Bevan, technology writer and social media guru, stated on Inside Science on BBC Radio 4, data is connected to you and you cannot decouple it; the risk of so called “daisy chaining”, where by gaining access to one password provides access to all, is significantly more with biometrics, as once that biometric data is breached, the ability to break the connection is much more difficult.
Therefore, biometrics in the commercial environment comes with significant societal risks and I think there is a great deal of education to be done until there is wholesale acceptance of its use outside the mainstay access control environment such as that hospital where I was so accepting.
Related posts:
Enjoy the latest fire and security news, updates and expert opinions sent straight to your inbox with IFSEC Insider's essential weekly newsletters. Subscribe today to make sure you're never left behind by the fast-evolving industry landscape.
Sign up now!
we touched upon using traditionally security
“Facewatch”, used to identify known offenders and to support organizations in reducing their losses.”
There was a recent blog post about facial recognition being responsible for only one match and arrest during a recent riot. Is it all that useful or it this one of those hopeful technologies that is oversold in an effort to push adoption?
Darren,
I have a question. is the use of this technology at hospitals intrinsically less risky than in the wider commercial world? what checks and balances do they have in place to ensure that your profiles isn’t hacked into?
It’s difficult to know how other organisations can get around the hacking point. and I also wonder about users have to give consent for usage of such data by commercial companies.
Ok, I have a moral question about Facewatch. As in is it right. Sure you want to keep a heads up for criminals and all but I dont see how this doesnt head into that whole line of thinking of if you are going to accuse me of doing something then I am just going to do it. I agree that the public needs educated about biometrics, to date the general population has been told about it through spy/action movies and thats not a 100 percent accurate depiction. They need to show Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible trying a dozen… Read more »
… it is Mr Gamage who needs education re BIOMETRICS , especially with regard to Access Control within Healthcare !
Biometrics , like the UK Security Sector , actively discriminates in favour of the able bodied !
For example , fingerprint activated access control + a bilateral hand amputee = access denied !
Is this the kind of brave new world we want ?
NOT I !
… it is Mr Gamage who needs education re BIOMETRICS , especially with regard to Access Control within Healthcare !
Biometrics , like the UK Security Sector , actively discriminates in favour of the able bodied !
For example , fingerprint activated access control + a bilateral hand amputee = access denied !
Is this the kind of brave new world we want ?
NOT I !
… it is Mr Gamage who needs education re BIOMETRICS , especially with regard to Access Control within Healthcare !
Biometrics , like the UK Security Sector , actively discriminates in favour of the able bodied !
For example , fingerprint activated access control + a bilateral hand amputee = access denied !
Is this the kind of brave new world we want ?
NOT I !
I don’t believe this type of technology was created to specifically and intentionally discriminate against those who are not able-bodied. I don’t think it is fair to generalize biometrics and label its flaws as being discriminate.
Facewatch, in concept, is a great idea. So when you see that it was of limited help when it was actually used, then that begs the question: Was implementation done poorly? Or are those limitations inherent in the technology?
You have a point, Jonathan. It might seem like it is already condemning people or flagging them once they are recognized, even though they have not done anything. People change, and that’s a fact. They don’t always stay the same or do what their old records say.
Thanks for reading my submission and response SafeNsane On the subject of Facewatch – I have seen it in action and know that it has resulted in a large number of convictions. Declaring an interest in the technology as it’s something I will look to ofer customers, I know they have had great support from many Chief Constables as it has cut back in the paperwork undertaken by officers in the field and helped in identifying repeat offenders/criminality. I think on the facial side there is still much to be done to improve match rates but the technology is improving… Read more »
Hi Phil and thanks for reading it! No, I dont think it’s less risky in the hospital environment than the wider commercial world – sadly as I say even the NSA can’t get away with out being hacked so it presents a major challenge as biometrics are used and linked to more and more things. What I would say is that in conversation with colleagues and friends, they are much more comfortable with biometrics being used to manage entry to a secure ward or preventing access in a hospital (where once you no longer need access to the facility you’re… Read more »
JonathanL
Far be it for me to speak on behalf of Facewatch but personally, I have no issue with the fact that if you’ve been identified previously as having committing a crime through CCTV (theft essentially) that a system should not flag and identify you to prevent it occuring again.
We need to use technology to empower and improve to manage risk and improve security (both public and business)
Nice to hear you share the view about the public being educated but am a bit more positive about it working more times than not
Thanks for reading
Darren
Malcom
I am not for any type of discrimination and sorry you feel that way. There must always be options for individuals with disabilities.
Darren
Speaking as the founder of Facewatch I just want to add that I agree with Darren. Facewatch itself is simply a way of sharing information between businesses (as well as reporting crimes to the police) in order to try to stop crime from happening. If a criminal is caught in the act on CCTV, it is perfectly reasonable in my view for local businesses to share that information and keep an eye out for the suspect to prevent them from carrying out further crimes. Facial recognition systems is simply a way of making this more automated, but the same basic… Read more »
Thank you for the response, when I first heard about the cameras in the UK and Facewatch I assumed that the point was to identify problems before they get out of control or to quickly identify suspects. My imagination took me to a crowded subway station and picking up the face of a suspected pick pocket and letting security or LEOs where that person was. It seems to be less ideal than I hoped. I don’t doubt that it is useful in identifying people after the fact the way I remember parts of the system being presented it was also… Read more »
I think biometrics has the potential to aid those less able bodied, more than traditional swipe or prox cards (readers that are set at certain heights and require a card to be presented etc). It is true that fingerprint readers are limited, however, the potential to use different forms of biometric readers, I feel could ultimately make access easier for end users
But Malcolm, shouldn’t (and indeed don’t they?) a vendor always build in other ways to access a facility? I’ve yet to see anywhere where only a fingerprint access scanner is the only option to access a place. And were that not the case, wouldn’t it be possible for a double amputee to be able to use an other part of their body on the scanner?
That degree of professionalisation should be a big help in heading off some of the negative perceptions, Simon. I also think that it is completely in Facewatch’s interest to continue highlighting the points about how it is compliant with data protection rules, to ensure it’s continued success.
Facewatch is an excellent service, I think, and I’m not sure how intrinsic facial recognition is to its success. The real win is the ability for people to identify police-identified persons of interest, and the ability to submit cctv images directly to the Police using it. Just speeds up the whole process of sharing images of possible suspects between police and business.
But the industry isn’t going to want to show a person stranded outside of a building, unable to operate a thumb scanner, as funny as that would be.
@Robert Brown – That would probably make an excellent commerical for the competition. Odds are there will be a security camera pointed at the terminal just speed up the footage add some music and the commercial writes itself.
Yes, I agree that the public needs intensive education about the merits and demerits of biometrics in all aspects of fire,safety and access control
Love it. On it! Hah
And also the latest generation of ID cards that work from up to a few metres from the reader would really help in such a situation. As long as the person has the card somewhere on their person then they’re good to go!
It’s a relatively small area of thought when it comes to security, as security can be all about keeping people out. This inherently makes it difficult to get in, and if you’re not able to jump through the security hoops then you come unstuck. It’s always going to be difficult to develop solutions specifically for every type of disability, so this is where security technology needs to allow flexibility.
yes sure biometrics is a great thing and the most important thing is that its for the people own safety. if some one becomes a victum of brutal attack then biometrics helps to find out the real identity more faster than other traditional method. i think governmnent should try to educate people more seriously becuse in then end its benificial for every one.
as the uk govt. introduced biometrics in uk border force. its a great thing as it helped the govt. to identify those who often fooled the previous system in the past. people should be educated on this issue more seriously as it is for their own good.
facewatch is more effective as it helps the law enforcement agencies when they try to locate any criminal. as we saw in movies the law enforcement agencies take long time when they have to locate some one without this technology. people should also understand that what ever happened is all for their own safety. but i think govt. should contact local people who have influence over a large number and try to take their help in spreading this education. again people it is all for our own security.
Is that not forensics? Little different, but I see your point.
@Robert Brown.. Thanks for the add up of forensics. Yes in dealing with criminals forensics will provide a great help. Forensics work more better in catching them if we have biometrics at first place. Thanks to the development of new Technology people can live in a more secure environment.
Yes, although I’d suggest that biometrics data stored by (for instance) an office to gain access, is not and should not be linked to forensic crime databases. A biometric entry solution is used for access, and does not imply that anyone using it is a criminal. If this was linked to Police records, then there is a tacit implication of wrongdoing, to my mind.