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This year will mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and for many high-risk areas, security remains a work in progress. A perfect example is all the hype that various airports are generating for using-or more to the point, how they are using-body scanning equipment.
Correctly identifying who is flying the friendly skies is only one aspect of airport security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to evaluate the use of identity and access management (IAM) technology for employee access to secured areas.
While a variety of IAM options exist, biometrics is fast becoming the solution of choice. Biometrics comprises methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. Physiological characteristics are more commonly used for controlling access to highly secure areas. These are traits elated to the shape of the body, including fingerprints, face recognition, DNA, hand geometry and iris recognition.
FIVE-SECOND FINGER READING
"It has been the consensus since 9/11 that using biometrics as an access control validation is the way to go," says Rick Atkinson, director of the Yeager Airport in Charleston, W.V. "In response to 9/11 and the increased concern for better security at the nation's airports, we decided to try biometrics to secure access to our control tower. It is our feeling that the government will recommend that some form of biometrics be used instead of, or in addition to, other access control measures."
Yeager is pilot testing biometric hand readers, or Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) technology, from Schlage, to secure access to its control tower. "We feel that hand geometry is the best and most reliable biometric technology available," says Atkinson.
Hand geometry is a biometric that identifies users by the shape of their hands. Hand geometry readers measure a user's hand along many dimensions and compare those measurements to measurements stored in a file.
The FAA Air Traffic Control Tower is located atop the Yeager terminal building, which can be accessed via a door leading from the public area of the terminal to a stairwell and elevator. The stairs and elevator also provide access to other non-public portions of the terminal, including access to the HVAC systems and controls. In less than five seconds, the hand readers authenticate that the person attempting...