Senator proposes clearinghouse on biometrics standards

The chairwoman of a Senate subcommittee said on Wednesday that she would work to create a clearinghouse of information on biometrics standards to be used in bolstering the security of the nation's computer networks and other critical infrastructure. At a Wednesday hearing of the Judiciary Technology, Terrorism and Government Information Subcommittee, Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., noted that more than 140 biometrics companies are fiercely competing to have the government use their technology for security, but she said there is no clear way for the government or the private sector to identify which technology works best. "The industry is fragmented, doesn't have a standard and doesn't work well together," Feinstein said in opening remarks. She added, "If the government doesn't get involved to develop a standard ... I'm afraid there will only be a piecemeal adoption of biometrics technology." To help lawmakers better understand existing biometrics technology, Feinstein invited officials from six companies--Drexler Technology, Identix, Ingersoll-Rand, Iridian Technologies, Viisage Technology and Visionics--to testify. They generally agreed that no one biometrics technology should be adopted but that the government should consider a combination of facial-, fingerprint-, handprint- and eye-identification technologies to improve security at airports, U.S. borders and government agencies. "There is no silver bullet to solving our ... security issues," testified Joanna Lau, founder of Viisage, which makes the facial-recognition technology whose use at last year's Super Bowl sparked controversy. In answer to Feinstein's request for a clearinghouse, Bill Willis, chief technology officer at Iridian, which makes eye-identification technology, said the members of the biometrics community are trying to work together. Drexler President Richard Haddock also noted that the International Biometric Industry Association is trying to develop standards. Several companies that testified at the hearing are members of the organization. "My concern, however, is that we [could] spend two years trying to develop a standard, and meanwhile, our airports won't be safer," Haddock said. Two government officials also testified about biometrics technology that already has been implemented. Michael Kirkpatrick, the assistant director of the FBI's division on criminal justice information services, outlined the $1 billion his agency spent to implement a sophisticated computer system that identifies fingerprints. The database, which is shared with international law enforcement officials, went online at the end of 1999 and now has 42.8 million digitized fingerprint records. Monte Belger, acting deputy administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said that some airports, including San Francisco International, have started to employ biometric technology, and that the FAA is working with airports to deploy it nationwide. He also said the agency soon is expected to issue a rule that would require about 700,000 airline and airport workers with access to secure areas of airports to undergo criminal background checks.