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GCN Home > 11/20/06 issue

Feds reach for better readers

Current fingerprint technology is close, but agencies need smaller, faster machines

By Wilson P. Dizard III, GCN Staff

Fingerprint-reading units are nearing the point where they will fully satisfy federal agencies’ evolving requirements for the biometric identification systems. Still, there are some holes in the technology that officials from several agencies, including the Homeland Security Department, said they wanted fixed.

At the department’s 10-Print Capture Industry Day meeting last week, federal officials expressed general satisfaction with the products that exist in the market now, but emphasized to vendors the need for smaller, faster machines as well as improved software and human-factor functions.

Some technical specialists called for improvements in the software links between the reader units and the back-end databases against which fingerprints are compared.

DHS secretary Michael Chertoff emphasized the importance of upgrading the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology system to have 10-print capability from its existing two-print border biometric system.

“The two-print system has already yielded significant results,” Chertoff said, referring to its ability to pinpoint wrongdoers already known to the authorities. “But to stop the unknown threat, [the 10-print system] will allow us to scan prints against those gathered at terrorist training camps, from battlefields [or other areas where terrorists have been known to leave prints].”

Chertoff continued, “When we get [the 10-print system] done it will be an important deterrent. Any terrorist will have to ask themselves whether they have left telltale fingerprints at any bomb factory, safe house [or similar terrorist location]. That aspect of deterrence will drive them crazy.” Other presentations at the meeting came from representatives of Britain’s UK Visa agency, the Coast Guard, Defense and State departments, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

State Department officials said they plan to deploy fingerprint-scanning units to about 300 locations worldwide by the end of fiscal 2007.

DHS is working on a more gradual schedule. The department plans to issue a request for proposals early next year that would result in a pilot project using several hundred units next summer. After the test, DHS would either choose a smaller number of vendors or move forward with another procurement action leading to a decision early in 2008, officials said.

More news on related topics: Hardware, Authentication / Identity Management, Homeland Security



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