![]() In 2007, the US trialled a tool there called Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE), using these devices to record fingerprint, iris, and facial data. Initially developed to locate insurgents, US forces extended their use of HIIDE to those who cooperated. It didn’t just leave citizens to the mercy of the Taliban: it left their biometric data up for grabs too. Take the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Indeed, Furnell says they’re the “key to non-intrusive, frictionless security”.īut there may be hidden dangers to relinquishing our biological information to the digital sphere, and what feels frictionless today could come at a cost in future. So biometrics would seem an appropriate alternative. While a single password could leak onto the web and cause all kinds of chaos, flesh and blood are a lot trickier to copy. No matter the complexity of the passphrase, they can’t compete with our biological information. And for matching, a biometric needs a comparator “Advice from the National Cyber Security Centre is to build longer passwords by combining three random words – unfortunately, this isn’t always guaranteed to work, as some systems and services still insist on checking composition and demand a mix of character types.”Īt a very simplistic level, biometrics is about measuring and matching. “Increasing the length and complexity of passwords increases their resilience to a so-called brute-force attack, which attempts to try all the possible combinations of characters,” says Steven Furnell, IEEE senior member and professor of cyber security at the University of Nottingham. Given the alarming frequency that plain-text passwords are leaked online, it’s little surprise that consumer technology companies and enterprises are turning to biometric authentication like voice, face ID and fingerprints for their users. ![]() Our unique biological traits make biometrics a secure and convenient means to authenticate our identity. These body-powered gateways were not long ago firmly in the realm of science fiction. Yet today, most of our devices include fingerprint scanners and facial recognition software. Leaning into a panel that brushes its frame, they put their face into position and, with a satisfying series of computerised bleeps and boops, their identity is confirmed – the portal opens. Currently, it´s illegal to keep such information on US citizens, unless the individual is a known terrorist.An intelligence agent stalks a corridor, landing on an imposing security door. One possibility is using the HIIDE device for border security or national intelligence, although respecting civil rights would be a major concern before implementing such programs. In the future, the technology could prove useful for domestic purposes, as well. ![]() The technology has forced insurgents to change their strategies, including forcing them to leave Baghdad. In one case, an individual discovered this way led officials to several other insurgents. For example, forensic technicians can match fingerprints found on bomb fragments to individuals using the HIIDE device. The device has played an important role in disabling bombing networks, explains Kathy DeBolt, chief of Fort Huachuca´s Language and Technology Office. The HIIDE, which weighs about 3 pounds, produces results almost instantly. The mobile HIIDE gadget builds on an earlier laptop version, which the Marines and Army have been using since the invasion of Iraq, building a database of individuals. More than 1 million individuals - mostly Iraqis - are in the system. With the device, the military uploads the biomarkers of hundreds of individuals into the database weekly, finding about one insurgent per day on average. Currently, soldiers are using about 7,000 HIIDES in Iraq, which cost about $10,000 each. Huachuca tesearchers have spent the past 10 years working on the device, which is known as "Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment" (HIIDE). The device then flashes either a green or red light, depending on whether the individual should be released or further investigated. By using a combination of fingerprinting, eye scans and facial-recognition software, the device can determine if an individual´s biomarkers match with an individual in the database. Developed at the Fort Huachuca Intelligence Center in Arizona, the gadget uses biometrics to find out if an individual is listed in a database of wanted persons.
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