Biometrics technology is very popular in the travel and transportation industry. In the post 9/11 era, security has been the driving factor of new technology advancements in the travel and transportation industry. One of new the technological advancements being integrated into new systems is biometrics. The role of biometrics in these industries is to help identify individuals which in turn reduces security risks such as unauthorized entry, "theft, hijacking and contamination of critical cargo" (Most, n.d). With the implementation of biometric systems, these industries can improve security "making it much more difficult for perpetrators of terrorism, sabotage or theft, while providing the intelligence community more time to uncover conspiracies and prevent disaster before it occurs" (Most, n.d).
The following are some of the areas where biometric technology has been utilized:
The following are some of the areas where biometric technology has been utilized:
Travel Industry
Biometrics can not only be used to identify travelers, but it can also be used to restrict access to secure locations to authorized employees in an airport. Conventionally, access control in airport would be a badge or a pin which could be easily stolen or lost. By introducing biometrics, the system can be "able to identify who an individual is, as opposed to what they are carrying or what they know" (Airports Council International, 2015). Some airports added another layer of security by requiring iris recognition in conjunction with smart badges (Bradley, 2015).
Transportation Industry
The transportation industry is fast paced industry with the goal of transporting cargo in a fast and secure manner. The cargo being transported ranges from food to cars to hazardous material that can be used for nefarious activity. This creates a need to the cargo to stop activities such as unauthorized access, theft, or even destruction of cargo. This industry "is far more susceptible to attack, has the potential to create much greater human and economic harm and provides an even more complex security problem to solve" (Most, n.d). Biometric aims to solve this issue by requiring the individual to be identified first before they are allowed access. |
The port of Rotterdam is one the busiest port in Europe and the largest seaport in the world. Security at the port is just as important as moving cargo quickly. The port deployed a hand recognition system which restricts access to only allow authorized truck drivers. The biometric systems helps "expedite the movement of cargo from marine vessels to trucks, verifies the identities of “known” or trusted drivers and provides a detailed electronic audit trail" (Most, n.d) This system identifies the driver as they are coming in and identifies who they are. Once identified, the information system which works with biometric system, instructs the driver where to go and in what order. This enables the receiver to know exact time of arrival of the drivers and can plan accordingly (Mooney, 2012).
Another sector in the transportation industry that is using biometrics to improve efficiency and security is the railroad sector. The Canadian National Railway (CNR) introduced fingerprint biometric to authenticate the driver which previously required personal to verify each drivers identity. By introducing this biometric technology to their overall system it improved "traffic flow through intermodal facilities, reduces theft and fraud, creates an audit trail for all transactions throughout the facility and improves operational efficiency" (Most, n.d).
Another sector in the transportation industry that is using biometrics to improve efficiency and security is the railroad sector. The Canadian National Railway (CNR) introduced fingerprint biometric to authenticate the driver which previously required personal to verify each drivers identity. By introducing this biometric technology to their overall system it improved "traffic flow through intermodal facilities, reduces theft and fraud, creates an audit trail for all transactions throughout the facility and improves operational efficiency" (Most, n.d).
Border Patrol
Most countries have more than one type of border crossing. Airports, sea ports, or car ports are some to name a few type of border crossings. Many countries prioritize security at border crossings over everything else including wait times. With new Biometric systems, border crossings can be used to increase security while also improving efficiency which can then improve wait times.
The Canadian Border Services Agency introduced face recognition technology to help identify individuals as they are crossing a border. The system takes a picture and tries to identify the traveler. The system also tries to match the picture with wanted criminals to try identify high-risk individuals (PlanetBiometrics, 2016).
The Canadian Border Services Agency introduced face recognition technology to help identify individuals as they are crossing a border. The system takes a picture and tries to identify the traveler. The system also tries to match the picture with wanted criminals to try identify high-risk individuals (PlanetBiometrics, 2016).
At the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, a new biometric system was introduced to help increase efficiency and while maintaining strong security. The goal of the system was to "enhance CBP’s ability to secure the border, identify visa overstays, identify persons of interest, and improve reporting and analysis of international visitors to the U.S" (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2016). Please watch the video to the right for more information.
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References:
- Airports Council International. (2015). The Application of Biometrics at Airports. Retrieved on July 21, 2016 from http://www.aci.aero/Media/aci/file/Free%20docs/ACI%20Biometric%20Position%20FINAL.pdf
- Bradley, J. (2015). Airports build a case for biometrics. Airport Business, 29, 28-31.
- Iritech Inc. (Aug, 2015). Biometric Border Control by Homeland Security. Retrieved on July 11, 2016 from http://www.iritech.com/blog/biometric-border-control-us/
- Jhaveri, H., Jhaveri, H. & Sanghavi, D. (2014). Biometric security systems and its applications in healthcare. International Journal of Technical Research and Applications, 2(6), pp. 15-20. Retrieved on June 30, 2016 from www.ijtra.com/view/biometric-security-system-and-its-applications-in-healthcare.pdf
- Mooney, J. (2012). Ports find biometrics to be a handy security tool. Retrieved on June 30, 2016 from http://us.allegion.com/IRSTDocs/Article/109048.pdf
- Most. (n.d.). Biometrics and the global transportation infrastructure. Retrieved on July 21, 2016 from http://www.acuity-mi.com/hdfsjosg/euyotjtub/article_global_Transport.pdf
- Planet Biometrics. (2016). Canada credits face-matching for passport fraud progress.Retrieved on July 1, 2016 from http://www.planetbiometrics.com/article-details/i/4571/desc/canada-credits-face-matching-for-passport-fraud-progress/
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2016). CBP to Begin Biometric Exit Testing at Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Retrieved on July 21, 2016 from https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2016-02-11-000000/cbp-begin-biometric-exit-testing-otay-mesa-port-entry