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Intelligence experts question maturity of biometrics technology |
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Biometrics
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Written by Peter Warren
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Tuesday, 02 May 2006 |
Leaked document raises questions about viability of biometrics for ID cards
A government intelligence agency has warned that current biometric
technology may not be good enough for internal Whitehall use, according
to a document leaked to Computing.
The findings do not cover citizen-based identification, but the
concerns will raises questions about the viability of biometrics for
the proposed national identity card scheme.
The 'Electronic Information Processing Security Notice S(E)N 03/04' was
produced by the Communications Electronics and Security Group (CESG),
the part of GCHQ that advises government on technology.
The Notice is an interim statement by CESG pending the release of Memo
28, a long-awaited guidance on security standards and policy for using
biometrics in government.
'In some cases, Memo 28 will place stringent requirements on security
that many currently available biometric products would find hard to
meet,' it says.
The Notice also says the technology is 'inherently not secret.'
According to insiders, CESG is privately advising that biometrics is
still an unreliable technology and it would be best to wait for three
years for it to mature.
The government this week launched a six month trial of biometric
systems. The UK Passport Service will test facial, iris and fingerprint
recording and recognition. Some 10,000 volunteers will receive a
personalised smart card carrying printed and electronic information.
The Home Office says work on a biometric for ID cards is still in an early stage.
'When we announced the biometric pilot for the Passport Service that
specification was agreed by the International Civil Aviation
Organisation and the Passport Service actively supported that
development. At the moment nothing is up and running. We are going to
be looking at the results from the biometric pilot studies that are
being carried out,' said a spokeswoman.
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