Biometrics

[Bill Vermillion]

On Sun, Jun 06, 2004 at 02:45:52PM -0500, Mike Schwartz-PC Support & Services thus spoke:
> > >
> > > How do you think the FBI does things?

> > Sloppily, and incredibly inaccurately.

>  Witness the U.S. attorney who was recently (hopefully falsely)
> linked to the bombing in Spain based on a partial fingerprint.
> There's not much doubt that he wasn't involved in it, but he's
> still considered under suspicion.

Well it was a partial print.

>  On the other hand, the day care where I used to send my
> children has used a hand scanning device for more than 10 years
> now to allow people into the building. After they got all of
> their employees and the parents recorded into the database,
> they asked several hundred of their employees (large insurance
> company) to attempt to gain entry into the building. None of
> the non-registered people were able to do so.

Hand scans are more accurate than fingerprint scans.  And the
devices are more costly.

>  They still use the system to record when parents arrive to
> drop off and pick up their children. I spoke with the person
> who handles the accounting, and they say that the system has
> worked MUCH better than the old electronic timeclock, mostly
> because it is wired to the door lock.

>  There is one big problem. Parents are told NOT to hold the
> door open for other parents, and that they HAVE to register
> their hand scan whenever they drop off or pick up their
> children, but sometimes one parent will hold the door for
> another parent, and that 2nd parent fails to get scanned.

That of course is not a technical problem.  It falls in to the same
category of getting computer access through social-engineering.
In that instance it would be monitoring problem.

>  The parents still have to pass by the security desk, where
> they are photo-identified, but the daycare feels it still adds
> an additional level of security to the general environment,
> without putting an undue burden on the parents.

So the hand-print in this case is a pre-screening device.  That's
an effective use. It will surely keep out any who try to get in
'casually' and I can see that only someone who is really determined
to get in that was not authorized would be the type who would wait
until someone authorized went in and forced themselves in - just as
those who wait neart ATMs to take advantage of customers.

Too many seem to put a trust in devices without looking at the
entire environment and integrating whatever else is needed to
make it work correctly.  It sounds like your daycare has handled
this properly.  A two-step process is always better.  

Where I have to use the hand-scan you go through a card encoded door
first, and at that point you are on video monitors, and then the
card and hand-scan let you in to the next door.  And the cards are
coded for access to the doors for which you are authorized. I've
been the only car in the parklng lot and the only one in the
building when I've gone in at 3AM.  So that's why the video
monitoring is essential.  

Bill

-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com