Under this heading we would like to present a few products to you that may seem like science fiction but that are already reality. Take the ability to identify individual people uniquely, for example. The securest possible technology is used to prevent fraudulent bank transactions, to avoid the need for inconvenient admission checks, or to help identify criminals. But of course the use of tracing technologies can also involve scenarios that are less benign. Here we might use the term "the transparent citizen" to illustrate the issues, which center around the oft-repeated question as to whether our security is more important than our freedom in the future.
"Your heartbeat is unmistakable! It's unique to you!"
Everyone is unique. And biometric identifiers like one's heartbeat or breathing rhythms are among the features that are completely unique to each of us. Israel-based technology firm ContinUse Biometrics has developed a sensor that can recognize more than 20 physiological markers (including blood pressure, glucose level, oxygen saturation, and alcohol levels in the bloodstream). And it can even do this trick from a distance of several hundred meters. It does not matter a bit whether the subject is clothed or naked. Among the applications of this method of authentication is contact-free admission control.
But the ContinUse sensor can also be used as a fitness monitor or for analyzing a subject's general state of health. These capacities can be very useful in the e-health and the IoT sectors, for example, as well as in the mobility sector. If a driver begins show signs of dropping off to sleep, a system based on this technology can warn him or her via an alarm. Or a heart monitoring system can call an ambulance automatically in case of a heart attack. more ...
"Typecast"
Passwords are a bit of a chore. If you want them to be secure, you have to set long strings, putting numbers, letters, and special characters together in cryptic combinations. And naturally enough, you should only use each password once. But how in earth do you manage to remember all the access your codes without mixing them up? And because doing it right is difficult, most people tend to use passwords like "12345" for convenience's sake.
A company called BioCatch has developed a solution that makes passwords redundant. It can uniquely identify the individual using a computer by the way they move their mouse or type into the keyboard. BioCatch analyzes more than 500 parameters, extracting an unmistakable user profile that cannot be stolen, imitated, or lost. That allows companies such as banks to identify customers without any extra effort. more ...
"When did he get to the scene?"
Imaging a scenario in which the police are looking for a suspect and need to find out when he arrived at a particular location. Let's say there were video cameras installed at the relevant location. But the police now have to look at hours and hours of footage to see if the suspect or a vehicle associated with him appears at any stage in the recordings. Using software developed by BriefCam, long recordings can be cut down to a few minutes in length at the push of a button. Such shortened versions make it much easier to capture the unique way of moving of a particular person or the unique characteristics of a particular vehicle. The process thus allows users to identify when the suspect arrived on the scene and when he left it, and in which direction he left. The information can then be used to check whether or not the suspect's statement is true. more ...
"Is that really you?"
How can a large company with hundreds of employees easily ensure that only its employees and authorized visitors are admitted to its premises? What's the simplest and most time-saving way of achieving that end? One way of doing it is to use the In Motion Identification software offered by a company called FST Biometrics. Their visual system is capable of recognizing individual people as they walk by. That means that employees no longer have to stand still at the entrance to their workplace and show an ID card or swipe a magnetic card over a scanner. They just walk towards the entry gate at their normal pace. The software simply does not open the gate to anyone it does not recognize. more ...
