re:ID Podcast

Evgeny Chereshnev, the global head of social media for IT security company Kaspersky Lab, was trying to figure out how individual’s can have better control over their personal information and decided on an experiment. It started with him implanting an NFC chip in his hand and trading in his work badge and he’s hoping it will to continue with more applications. Chereshnev spoke with Re:ID’s Gina Jordan about the experiment.

GlobalPlatform develops specifications for the interoperable deployment and management of multiple applications on secure chip technology. Those specifications include a focus on the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). The association has announced the launch of a TEE Security Evaluation Secretariat. The move is designed to accelerate the deployment of certified TEE products and promote a globally interoperable mobile ecosystem. Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan spoke with GlobalPlatform Technical Director Gil Bernabeu about the new secretariat and the role of the TEE with identity.

Computers can’t replace humans when it comes to tattoo recognition. That’s a key finding from the Tattoo Recognition Technology Challenge Workshop hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But computer algorithms are getting better, and new standards are being considered for the collection of tattoos. While tattoos are a secondary biometric - as opposed to a primary biometric like iris or fingerprint - sometimes they’re the best option available for law enforcers trying to make a positive identification. NIST computer scientist Mei Ngan organized the technology challenge and led the workshop. She spoke with Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan.

The dark world of the web is exposed in a case study by CSID called Hacking the Hackers. The ID theft protection firm conducted an experiment this spring that shows why it's bad practice to reuse passwords. CSID created a fake company, complete with employees who had social media accounts and credit cards, and exposed some of the company's sensitive information online. What happened next was surprising - not because of what the hackers did, but because of how fast they did it.CSID's Joel Lang spoke with Regarding ID's Gina Jordan about the case study.

Some private school students and staff in St. Louis are making use of biometrics in their day-to-day comings and goings. A facial recognition system has been installed at St. Mary's High School. The cameras green light the faces recognized by the software system - or reject them if they've been labeled a threat. School president Mike England spoke with Regarding ID's Gina Jordan about the technology.

Many people don’t have easy access to the Internet, yet state governments and others are increasingly moving services online. How do the states ensure that these people have access to these services and are able to enroll an identity? Regarding ID's Gina Jordan posed these questions and more to ABI Research's Phil Sealy.

The UN Refugee Agency has begun deploying a Biometrics Identity Management System (BIMS) after a successful pilot. The goal is to enable displaced travelers to move between camps without having to be enrolled at each new stop. The system is global and will eventually allow biometric information to be communicated between camps. The agency’s Sam Jefferies and Jim Ragle are on the front lines of deploying the biometric system. They spoke with Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan about the roll out and what it means to the refugees who need their help.

A bill passed by the Virginia General Assembly and is awaiting the governor’s signature will go a long way toward enabling Virginians to dump most of their passwords in favor of a single digital identity credential. The proposal would establish uniform standards for strengthening and authenticating digital identities. Supporters say developing these first-in-the-nation standards will make Virginia a technology leader and business hub. The two principal authors of the bill, Jeff Nigriny and Timothy Reiniger, spoke with Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan about the proposed law, which they hope will be the country’s first enactment of policy supporting the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.

Insurance and banking provider USAA is rolling out biometric authentication on its mobile app. The company says face and voice recognition capability should be available nationwide to all of its 10.6 million customers in the coming weeks. USAA caters to members of the military and their families. The biometric login can only be used statewide on smartphones for now. USAA Chief Security Officer Gary McAlum talks with Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan about how the biometric login works and why he thinks passwords are becoming obsolete.

Iowa is America’s first state to take steps toward implementing a digital driver’s license. The Iowa Department of Transportation has been talking about the possibility with identity provider MorphoTrust USA for about a year. The concept is being readied for a pilot phase, and planners are looking at the potential of a public launch in 2016. Questions about privacy and security have to be worked out, and for now, the only option for using the license app is a smartphone. Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan got an update on the pilot from Iowa DOT’s Mark Lowe and MorphoTrust’s Jenny Openshaw.