Iris recognition gadget eliminates passwords | Security

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Federal Biometric ID Cards Get Iris Scan Option

 http://www.informationweek.com/articles/229401859?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_ALL

Biometric ID cards being developed for federal employees and contractors may include iris scanning in addition to fingerprinting, according to updated specifications released by the federal organization for IT standards.
A new draft of Special Publication 800-76-2 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) includes a clause that would require the use of iris scanning as biometric identification if a person doesn't have fingerprints or if fingerprinting is problematic, according to the document.

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The document includes specifications for iris images stored both on and off the personal identity verification (PIV) cards people will use to confirm their identity; for iris capture devices; for the semantic properties of an iris image; for an iris image capture interface; and for an iris recognition interface.
The new draft also includes specifications for an option agencies have to add an algorithm that would provide on-card comparison of fingerprints rather than requiring a personal identification number (PIN) when checking someone's credentials.

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The original set-up for the system required a cardholder to enter a PIN number to check card credentials against a card reader. The new draft allows for agencies to choose to include an algorithm on the card that would eliminate the need for PIN entry to check credentials, according to the new draft.

Iris recognition gadget eliminates passwords

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20062254-83.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Security
Imagine logging in to Facebook or eBay with just a blink of an eye. A new gadget for consumers may soon make that possible.

EyeLock will enable you to log in to a Web site with the blink of an eye.

(Credit: Hoyos Group)

Designed by the Hoyos Group, a device called EyeLock uses iris-recognition as an alternative to passwords to log you in to password-protected Web sites and applications. Although similar eye-scanning devices are already used in the business and industrial markets, Hoyos calls EyeLock "the first and only portable iris-scanning device for consumers."
The scanning device, which resembles a wand, plugs into a base that connects to your PC via a USB port. After you install the software and choose the sites and applications that you want to iris-protect, you pass the scanner in front of your eye. A snapshot is taken of your iris to confirm your identity. Assuming you're the real you, you're then granted immediate access to the secure Web site or application.
With security always a primary concern, the company boasts that the device is unhackable.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20062254-83.html#ixzz1MXpJZrBO

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New software brings facial-recognition technology to mobile phones | Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1324278/New-software-brings-facial-recognition-technology-mobile-phones.html

Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed software for mobile phones that can track your facial features in real-time. Eventually it will be able to tell who the user is, where they are looking and even how they are feeling.
The method is believed to be unrivalled for speed and accuracy and could lead to facial recognition replacing passwords and PIN numbers to log into internet sites from a mobile phone.
'Existing mobile face trackers give only an approximate position and scale of the face,' said Dr Phil Tresadern, lead researcher on the project.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed software for mobile phones that can track your facial features in real-time

'Our model runs in real-time and accurately tracks a number of landmarks on and around the face such as the eyes, nose, mouth and jaw line.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1324278/New-software-brings-facial-recognition-technology-mobile-phones.html#ixzz14TkhqGz3

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debit-card-skimming-scams: Don't Use You PIN at the Gas Pumps!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

• debit-card-skimming-scams: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

  "Three steps to take to protect your account data from getting into the wrong hands Whether by choice or necessity, American consumers are increasingly relying on debit rather than credit cards. Debit card spending has risen steadily, growing from 47.7 percent of purchases made with plastic in 2003 to 58.9 percent in 2008 and it is expected to surpass 67 percent by 2013, according to the Nilson Report, a newsletter that tracks the consumer payment industry. When you use a debit card, the money is immediately taken from your checking account. While using debit guarantees that you pay as you go, these cards have downsides, including a growing appeal to thieves. "As economic conditions have worsened, there's been a noticeable increase in all types of card fraud," says Avivah Litan, an analyst specializing in fraud detection and prevention at Gartner Research in Stamford, Conn. "But ATM and debit-card fraud is the top area of concern we're hearing about from banks all over the world." More from ConsumerReports.org: • Pros and Cons of Debit Cards • Credit Card Perks • Post-Recession Investing Unlike credit-card thieves, who usually charge merchandise and then resell it to come up with money, people who create counterfeit ATM or debit cards by stealing your PIN and other account data can simply pull cold cash from your bank account. Using a technique known as skimming, they set up equipment that captures magnetic stripe and keypad information when you input your PIN at ATM machines, gas pumps, restaurants, or retailers. Here's how you can protect yourself: Don't Type in Your Pin at the Pump Be especially vigilant at gas stations, Litan says. "Gas pumps are notorious for skimming because they're produced by only a couple of different manufacturers, and if someone gets the key to one from a disgruntled employee, they can insert a skimming device inside the pump where it can't be seen," she says. She recommends using a credit card rather than a debit card when you fill your tank."

  tags: debitcardskimmingscams, RFID, Credit, Card, Debit, Real, ID, Pass, Passport, Technology, Gas, pumps, US, News, Government, USA, Freedom

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