Biometrics May Get a Boost

In the aftermath of the events of Sept. 11th, government research into security, and specifically biometrics, may be increasing, according to the U.S. House of Representative’s Science Committee Chairman, Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y.

“Existing research on identification techniques—especially biometrics—the use of iris patterns or heartbeat patterns or other aspects of the human body to ensure that people are not using false identities may get a higher priority,” Boehlert explained.

Renewed government interest in biometrics also seems to be in line with industry trends. A recent survey, conducted by the New York City-based Institute of Management and Administration, found that while only 20% of security directors are currently using biometrics, more than half of the non-users plan to incorporate biometrics into their security systems in the next five years. The survey ranked fingerprint technology as the most popular biometric security device, followed by hand geometry readers.

For more information on the survey, log on to the Institute’s web site at: www.ioma.org.

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