Example of a smartcard and reader

Perhaps the great Irish writer Oscar Wilde said it best: “It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done.”

And it seems that civic leaders in Oakland, California, are facing the same dilemma. Two years ago, they started work on a project that was paved with good intentions -  the creation of a multipurpose, smartcard form of identification to serve several marginalized local populations. It seems that developers may have to rethink their plans, and it comes down to the failure of something that innovators have struggled with for hundreds of years. They failed to keep it simple.

The integrated ID card was originally conceived as a way to provide undocumented workers with a form of identification, give transgender citizens a method for proving their identity without confirming a specific gender and create a debit card alternative for the city’s poorest populations. But as more and more features were added, the complexity of the technology became overwhelming.

Now the debit card capabilities – the main source of revenue for financing the program for the city – may have to be eliminated for the program to move forward, and officials are proposing charging cardholders for the initial purchase. The issue is still under debate in city council, but it has recently moved forward with the possibility of retaining limited local currency functions.

Hardly a leg up for the city’s poorest populations, and far from the original dream, however there are some areas of the ID related industry where the story ends on a more positive note. The Philadelphia-based Albert Einstein Healthcare Network recently announced it has completed a comprehensive upgrade of its employee identification system. More than 7,000 workers and about 50 off-site primary care physician and surgical center locations replaced existing swipe card readers with new contact-less readers and smart plastic cards, allowing the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network to easily and efficiently build a path towards more secure access control and multi-application card flexibility. Smartcards have been utilized in hospitals worldwide for a range of purposes, and a recent study has even suggested that smartcards can play a central role in ensuring “meaningful use” of electronic health records (http://www.smartcardalliance.org/articles/2011/02/22/smart-cards-aid-in-achieving-meaningful-use-of-electronic-health-records-according-to-new-smart-card-alliance-white-paper).

Take a page from Oscar Wilde’s book. Better security options, ease of performance and increased efficiencies in record keeping should be what every enterprise – or city – should be looking for.

If you’re above the age of four, and are an American citizen, it’s pretty certain that you can quickly state the official motto of the United States. “In God We Trust” was adopted as the country’s official motto in 1956. The phrase has appeared on U.S. coins since 1864 and on paper currency since 1957. Interestingly enough, it is also the motto of the U.S. state of Florida.

Why is that interesting, you ask? Because in March, the Florida Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability approved an amendment to include “electronic authentication,” as well as “biometrics” to Florida Driver’s licenses.

The Florida Senate might trust God, but we’re not sure they trust you!

National Identity

There is no true national identity card for American citizens and all legislative attempts to create one have failed due to fierce opposition from liberal and conservative politicians alike, who regard the very concept as the mark of a totalitarian society.

But effectively, this amendment has turned the individual states’ drivers’ licenses into a national ID card. If it becomes law and is implemented, it would give federal, state and local government agencies the ability to easily and stealthily track all Floridians without warrant, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Riding on the heels of the The Obama Administration’s push for what many are calling “the Internet driver’s license” – essentially a single, unique authentication key for Internet users to help them securely access Internet retailers or financial services without having to remember multiple passwords thereby reducing online fraud, this new amendment lays the groundwork for radio frequency identification (RFID) chips to be implanted into drivers’ licenses. In much the same way that merchandise in a warehouse includes RFID tags to track items through the distribution process, RFID tags on drivers’ licenses would give authorities an additional tool to track anyone carrying a drivers’ license within the reception range of an RFID reader.

The Real ID Act

Creepy? Perhaps. But The Real ID Act of 2005, implemented in Florida on January 1, 2010, has already integrated the more expansive personal data set collected by drivers’ license issuing agencies into a national database, data like scans of birth certificates, social security cards, marriage licenses, and other documents. Biometrics in the form of computer facial recognition data, collected at the time one’s DHSMV photo is taken, is also used. Sheriffs’ departments in at least 22 Florida counties tap into the database as part of their facial recognition system, or FRnet, and feed real-time images from video cameras to instantly identify anyone whose face is in these cameras’ field of view.

But take heart Floridians. You’re not alone. Vermont has recently become the third state to begin issuing enhanced drivers licenses with radio frequency tags that also serve as official identification cards at U.S. border crossing points. It did so under a program authorized by the Homeland Security Department. The enhanced drivers licenses also have embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that can be scanned at a distance of 20 to 30 feet at U.S. border crossings. The RFID chips in the licenses emit a reference number that must be checked against a DHS database to obtain personal information (http://www2.ministries-online.org/biometrics/rfidchip.html)

Opting Out

But if you’re thinking about opting out of getting a driver’s license altogether to avoid these intrusions into your personal privacy, not to mention the additional government tracking capabilities, think again. The Real ID Act already specifies that beginning in 2013, Americans must have a Real ID compliant driver’s license or identification card in order to access government services or buildings. This includes the ability to pass through a TSA checkpoint at the airport or enter a federal courthouse.

And therein lies the rub. You might be able to walk to the corner store for a container of milk, but you probably won’t want to walk to Wisconsin to visit your dear old Ma.

In today’s hazardous environment, it is vital to implement security measures that are both highly effective and that do not slow the process or impose on the people you’re paid to keep safe

Security managers across the industry have stated that they want to reduce the amount of time it takes to clear people into secure areas. Badge Express systems allow officers to simply take the picture and issue the security badge. But, is this enough? The use of facial recognition and digital imaging software can increase both the effectiveness and clearance speed of your secure perimeter.

Complete Badging systems can take a digital image and print it on a secure clearance card, then run it through your database to make sure your visitor’s image matches the one you already have on file. This process is done without disruption and at high speed. Secure areas receiving a large amount of traffic have increased efficiency by using the badging systems created by the experts at Badge Express.

Security experts have been espousing the benefits of the Self Expiring Badge for secure areas that receive a high volume of visitors. One of the largest challenges for security managers is keeping track of visitors who are only authorized for certain areas and for a varying amount time. Self Expiring Badges are helping to overcome this industry wide problem.

By issuing visitor badges that change color after a certain period of time, security officers are able to quickly identify visitors to their facilities whose time has expired. This unique technology has the added benefit of ensuring that a missing badge doesn’t become a major security breach. Even if someone leaves the premises with a visitor badge, it can no longer be used to gain access to the facility once its authorized time period has expired. This can speed up the entry and exit process.

Allowing employees as well as security personnel know at a glance, who belongs and who doesn’t, increases both awareness and safety for everyone on your property. Badging Systems allow for easy to make printable IDs complete with digital pictures of each visitor.

Let’s face it, people love their technology. Today’s gadgets allow us to do a things that save time and stress. Remember when it used to take a whole day to do your banking and run errands. New tools have given us back time that used to be spent waiting in line at banks and post offices, but is it safe.

For the most part yes, encryption technology allows information to pass safely from you to your bank or merchant. However, there is an advancement that raises concerns… RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). RFID is the chip that many credit card companies, and even the government, place in your credit cards, passports, security cards etc. This allows you to make a purchase or pass a security checkpoint by simply waving your card in front of a sensor. While this makes checkout lines move faster and adds a measure of convenience to our lives, it has created a new breed of criminal, the electronic pickpocket.

Electronic pickpockets simply carry a scanning device and hold it close to your wallet or purse as they walk by. The card transmits your information to their scanner and they can now use your personal data for their own purposes. RFID technology has become popular and let’s face it, it’s not going away. So what is one to do?

Badge Express has the answer. Sleeves and card holders that shield RFID card transmissions. These Badge Express security sleeves will prevent any unintended transmission of your personal or vital security information. Criminals like to keep up with technology, learning new ways to separate you from your vital information.  While going back to the good old days is not an option, we can take precautions that minimize our exposure.

Contact us today and see how we can protect your vital information.

Second Straight Year of Record Growth at Silicon Valley-based Access-Control Company.

San Jose, CA (December 20, 2004) Indala Corporation, an industry leading manufacturer of contact and contact-less cards, tags, readers, and core electronics modules for physical and logical access control announced that it has achieved record growth in 2004 for the second consecutive year. Joe Grillo, chief executive officer of Indala parent company, Identification Technology Group (ITG), and Marc Freundlich, Indala president, made the announcement during a “town-hall” employee meeting at the Company’s San Jose headquarters.

Mr. Grillo credited Indala’s impressive growth to a number of factors. “First and foremost, Indala’s experienced staff is truly dedicated to customer needs and is backed by an innovative management team. This year Indala launched several successful products in the traditional proximity product line and developed unique identification solutions to support the growing demand for logical access-control solutions for companies such as Microsoft and Procter & Gamble,” he added.

“Our performance in 2004 clearly demonstrates increased customer demand for high quality identification products and services, fast delivery, and exceptional customer support,” said Mr. Freundlich. “With customized ID solutions available in both low and high frequency RFID product lines, Indala can advise, deliver, and manage enterprise ID securely and quickly. And with the recent acquisition of MR Access, (now Indala Ltd.) which increases our product range, customer portfolio, and production capacity, we fully expect 2005 to be another b year for Indala.”

About INDALA
Indala Corporation is a leading security technology company that develops and distributes 125KHz proximity; 13.56MHz contact-less and contact smart cards; and associated readers for physical and network access-control applications. Indala manufactures the highest quality RFID product lines including FlexPass® Series, CX Series CASI®-compatible cards, Cotag® long range RFID, and MIFARE®/DESFire® high frequency products. Indala is renowned for delivering highly secure customized card access solutions for government and commercial applications around the world. Founded in 1985, Indala’s installed customer base exceeds 100 million cards and two million readers. Indala was acquired by ASSA ABLOY in November of 2001. The Company’s headquarters is located in San Jose, California . For more information, call 408-361-4700 or visit the Indala website at www.indala.com.