UK biometric passport scheme nipped in the bud?

[Owen Lewis]

I'd make a bet that the manufacturers are well aware of possibilities but,
as manufacturers it is in no way in their interest to publicise or even
acknowledge then.

The bull point, surely, must be that, as an ID check, biometrics are
becoming increasingly unreliable - unless several techniques are used
simultaneously and the sensor systems are tamper-proofed. Check fingers
(machine to direct which finger is checked), irises (machine to direct which
eye) and DNA (machine to take sample from one of many different sites) and a
would be spoofer is gong to have a hard time. However, we can fairly guess
that no such system will be put into general use.

Owen

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> [mailto:ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk]On Behalf Of Paul Leyland
> Sent: 20 May 2002 17:19
> To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> Subject: RE: UK biometric passport scheme nipped in the bud?
>
>
>
> > Further fuel to iris vs fingerprint biometrics debate. The URL below
> > provides further links of interest to this list. It is interesting in
> > the light of the suggestion that the UK Passport Service wants to
> > introduce passport smart cards by 2006 which would contain data on
> > either an iris scan or fingerprints.
> ...
>
> I was at the Eurocrypt rump session where this work was
> presented.  It was an unusual event --- absolutely nothing to do
> with crypto, and the work which got by far the most enthusiastic
> audience reaction.  The slides showed truly table-top processing;
> there was nothing there that couldn't be done with equipment that
> is either in almost every computer-equipped home or can be easily
> and cheaply purchased at Sainsburys and Maplins.  The Gummy
> Fingers cost about ˆ3 each to make.
>
> It's a real pity that no manufacturers of fingerprint sensors
> were present.
>
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>