Biomoetrics: Profiling the Future: Part Two
Geoffrey M. Gluckman
June 06, 2007
It appears that technology is forever reinventing itself, if not minute-by-minute, than day by day.
With such rapid change comes the challenge of citizens of every democratic nation to keep up, and not allow innate rights to be lost. Though not a new development, as far as technology goes, RFID is currently being employed in new ways that may threaten a person’s right to privacy.
Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID)
Miniature computer chips attached to tiny antennae, called RFIDs, are capable of broadcasting their data wirelessly to anyone with a RFID reader, such as tollbooth speed passes. These systems originated in the 1940’s when the government placed transponders on planes to identify them as friendly. Today, these devices do not require line of sight for scanning, unlike a bar-code. Within the wireless range of a reader, hundreds of tags may be read at the same time.
The launch of the Virginia state initiative has drawn much criticism from privacy advocacy groups, especially the American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org). As with digital watermarks, these devices can store important identification data, such as date of birth, social security number, a digital fingerprint copy, and even 3-D facial information.
At present, these chips are imbedded into the document surface, known as smart cards, and implanted beneath a person’s skin. Three types exist: high frequency (850-950 MHz and 2.4-5GHz), middle frequency (10-15 MHz) and low (100-500 kHz). Security applications will most likely use the low frequency, which have shorter broadcasting ranges.
While 20 or more companies are involved in bringing this technology to market, the ringleader is Applied Digital Solutions (ADS) of Palm Beach, Florida (www.adsx.com), maker of the ‘VeriChip’. It is a syringe injectable RFID about the size of a grain of rice.
Company documents state it is a transceiver “that sends and receives data and can be continuously tracked by GPS”, which they successfully demonstrated in 2000 at an investor launch. Each chip carries a unique ID number and can be activated by an external scanner, which causes a signal to transmit the data to a telephone number, the Internet, or a storage device. The electromagnetics of muscular contraction power the device, which is eventually surrounded by natural tissue after insertion. The company claims that this chip is superior to biometrics because it is impervious to tampering.
Since 9/11, Richard Sullivan, CEO of ADS, has suggested an unusual sort of profiling method, whereby sub dermal chips could be placed in all foreigners entering the US, thereby replacing green cards and “allowing officials to monitor their activities better”.
However, RFIDs have numerous disadvantages, most of which center around the failure to truly provide greater security and safety for law-abiding citizens. For instance, breeder documents, such as birth certificates, from which all identification documents are made can still be counterfeited, especially foreign passports. Therefore, with such a false origination document a valid card (chip) could be attained, giving a potential terrorist free and clear access to an otherwise restricted area. Furthermore, enhanced technology would only increase the value of fraudulent collaboration, such as occurred in Virginia and Florida where Department of Motor Vehicle employees accepted payment for false documents.
Benefit for law enforcement personnel and efforts?
With over 240 valid designs for driver’s licenses in the United States, the ability to determine authenticity can be challenging, even to law enforcement officers.
Machine-readable technology, such as digital watermarking, will allow officers in the field to quickly recognize a false or altered ID and take appropriate action,” states Stager of Digimarc.
Others in the industry say that these security features will make criminal identification more precise for background searches or for comparisons to an established “watchlist”.
The ability to verify information in a matter of minutes is a huge advantage for our troopers,” says Col. Tom Nesbit, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, a state that adopted watermarking one year ago.
These new technologies hold great promise, but certain obstacles impede their effectiveness.
The main limitation at present is the limited bandwidth size for transmission of data to a patrol car’s computer,” states Paul A. Sadowski, Network Manager, North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, a division of North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “Very few, if any, state trooper vehicle computers get pictures [drivers license].”
North Carolina’s State Highway Patrol is conducting a pilot study for the Department of Highway Safety to overcome deficiencies in the telecommunications structural network.
The exact benefit of such enhanced security features, whether biometric or RFID, remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: officers in the field will eventually be trained and equipped with another technological device to use in the course of their routine workday. The old “eyeball” method of driver license inspection will be replaced with machine-assisted scanning, such as during a traffic stop. Perhaps the old methods of profiling will soon be a thing of the past, too.
No matter the technologies employed, facial or voice recognition, fingerprints, hand geometry, or retinal scans, these are merely tools. They must be combined with human intuition, reason, and honed decision-making skills to be effective against any would-be threat. So far, human intuition is the only thing computers have not been able to emulate.
Resources:
Digimarc Corporation www.digimarc.com
Applied Digital Solutions www.adsx.com
American Civil Liberties Union www.aclu.org
A4Vision www.A4Vision.com
Geometrix, Inc. www.geometrixinc.com
2007 ©Geoffrey M. Gluckman www.geoffreygluckman.com
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