Elizabeth Foss/Tracy Chisolm
EG372 Written Analysis
Project Assignment #1
10 Jul 2014
We decided to research the topic of the use of biometrics for smoother travel because the idea seems great but it also opens a dialog for controversy. We located the original article from flipboard and also discovered that there is quite a bit of information on biometrics being utilized for other methods; creating convenience in travel, timely identification and control at borders and airports. This program has the potential to be the biggest data of all, depending on how widely it will be used, the security of it will be a serious undertaking and any mishap will be catastrophic.
We both researched the topic and found sources.
Liz began with the questions and together we noted some issues that could potentially arise.
Tracy completed the summary
Does a problem exist?
How will this data be protected
How else would it be used
Are the costs worth the benefit
Some feel that applying for biometric passports is inefficient and complicated
Biometric technology is inherently focused on individuals and interfaces easily to database technology, making privacy violations easier and more damaging.
Biometric systems are useless without a well-considered threat model
Biometrics are no substitute for quality data about potential risks
Biometric identification is only as good as the initial ID
Biometric identification is often overkill for the task at hand
Some biometric technologies are discriminatory
Biometric systems accuracy is impossible to assess before deployment
The cost of failure is high
Current State
The current state can be argued on both sides, some may consider delays in processing, the lack of success in tracking watch list terrorists and the inconvenience of travelling as a sign that something needs to be done. There is already strong support from citizens for greater use of biometrics to secure national borders, enable more convenient travel and facilitate faster processing through customs and border control. Though utilizing biometric data for smoother travel seems to be a great idea, the extremely high cost and potential security concerns may require some rethinking. 14 nations already have or are in the process of implementing biometric processing of foreign air travelers and biometric data has already been implemented in areas for border control.
Danielyan, E. (2004). The Lures of Biometrics. The Internet Protocol Journal, 7(1). Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_7-1/lures_of_biometrics.html
