ReportWire

Tag: biometrics

  • One Tech Tip: All you need to know about the iPhone’s Lockdown Mode

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    A little known security feature on iPhones is in the spotlight after it stymied efforts by U.S. federal authorities to search devices seized from a reporter.

    Apple’s Lockdown Mode recently prevented FBI agents from getting into Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson ‘s iPhone.

    Agents seized the phone, as well as two MacBooks and other electronic devices, when they searched Natanson’s home last month as part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally handling classified information. But the FBI reported that its Computer Analysis Response Team “could not extract” data from the iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, according to a court filing.

    So what is Lockdown Mode? Here’s a rundown of how it works and how to use it:

    Apple says Lockdown Mode is an “optional, extreme” protection tool designed to guard against “extremely rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks.” It’s not for everyone, but instead for “very few individuals” who could be targeted by digital threats because of who they are or what they do.

    “Most people will never be targeted by attacks of this nature,” Apple’s support page says.

    It’s available in Apple’s newer operating systems, including iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. It works by putting strict security limits on some apps and features, or even making some unavailable, to reduce the areas that advanced spyware can attack. It also restricts the kinds of browser technologies that websites can use and limits photo sharing.

    Apple has previously rejected U.S. government requests to build so-called backdoor access for its devices.

    In 2016, Apple refused a request by authorities to help bypass lockscreen security for an encrypted iPhone belonging to a shooter who carried out a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. The company also declined to add an ability to input passcodes electronically, which would make it possible to carry out “brute force” attempts to guess the combination using computers.

    “It would be wrong to intentionally weaken our products with a government-ordered backdoor,” Apple said in explaining its decision.

    Make sure your iPhone, iPad or MacBook has been updated. You’ll have to turn the feature on separately for each of your Apple devices.

    On your iPhone, go to Settings, then to the Privacy and Security section, scroll down to the bottom and tap on Lockdown Mode. Enter your passcode — not a facial or fingerprint scan — to activate it. The device will restart and then you’ll again have to use your passcode to unlock it. On MacBooks, follow a similar procedure from the System Settings menu.

    Apple recommends that you switch it on for all of the company’s devices that you own.

    You might assume that requiring facial or fingerprint recognition to unlock your phone is good enough to protect it from snooping. But experts say passcodes are better than biometrics at protecting your devices from law enforcement, because they could compel you to unlock your device by holding your phone up to your face or forcing you to put your finger on the scanner.

    FBI agents told Natanson that they “could not compel her to provide her passcodes,” but the warrant they used to execute the search did give them the authority “to use Natanson’s biometrics, such as facial recognition or fingerprints, to open her devices.” According to a court filing, Natanson said she didn’t use biometrics to lock her devices but agents were ultimately able to unlock her MacBook with her finger.

    Apple says some apps and features will work differently when Lockdown Mode is on.

    Some websites might load slowly or not work properly, and some images and web fonts could be missing because they block “certain complex web technologies.”

    In Messages, most types of attachments are blocked, and links and link previews won’t be available. Incoming FaceTime calls are blocked unless it’s from a number you’ve called in the past month.

    In Photos, location information is stripped from shared photos and shared albums are removed from the app. Focus mode won’t work normally.

    There are also tighter restrictions on connecting your phone or computer to unsecure Wi-Fi networks or to other computers and accessories.

    When I tried it out on my own iPhone, some apps warned me that certain functions might not work. I noticed that one of my news apps started using a different font and photos on some websites didn’t appear, replaced by a question mark.

    The biggest disruption happened when I went to the gym, which involved using a web-based check-in system to scan a QR code. But my phone camera wouldn’t work so I had to turn off Lockdown Mode in order to get in. To be sure, my iPhone’s standalone Code Scanner app still worked, so the problem seemed to center on using a website to activate the camera.

    Follow the same procedure outlined above that you used to turn on Lockdown Mode. You’ll need to enter your passcode and the phone will perform a restart.

    ___

    Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

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  • Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

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    NEW YORK — Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February.

    The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door.

    Amazon unveiled four new Echo devices revamped with Alexa+ that serve up personalized insights like whether the user left the front door unlocked after midnight. The Seattle-based company also announced a series of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs that offer more personalized searches like finding a specific scene in a movie or getting commentary about last night’s football game.

    The presentation Tuesday was the first big product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to head up the company’s devices and services teams after a 19-year career at Microsoft where he served as chief product officer.

    Panay told the audience of several hundred journalists and bloggers that Alexa+ and artificial intelligence are allowing technology to work “in the background when you don’t.”

    “Products creating subtle shifts in all our behavior, driven by AI, integrated into the hardware,” Panay said. “And flowing natural through the products themselves. Whether it’s a camera catching what you missed. Or your Fire TV updating you on a game. Or your Kindle remembering exactly where you left off.”

    The new lineup comes as Amazon has faced pressure from investors to cater to the new AI era.

    PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore wrote in a note Tuesday that the offerings were “a much needed refresh to the lineup, as it was starting to look a bit dated.”

    “Attention to detail may not grab headlines, but it should not be overlooked, especially how the products look and feel, ” he wrote.”The latest generation of devices is designed to blend into users’ lives without them realizing they exist … Alexa+ is clearly the glue that holds the stack together…”

    Here are some highlights:

    Amazon has been expanding its home security features since the company bought Wi-Fi-connected cameras and doorbell maker Ring in 2018. Amazon said Tuesday that it’s infusing the device with more technology and upgraded cameras that will transform the device into a doorbell attendant and community tool for pet owners among other new uses.

    Amazon said the ring cameras with retinal vision now come with 2K resolution for sharper detail and 4K resolution video. Amazon’s new AI facial recognition feature called “Familiar Faces,” allows the user to register friends and family. The smart doorbell, infused with Alexa+, will also be able to manage deliveries and provide instructions for delivery workers among other tasks.

    For pet owners, Amazon has a new feature that helps owners reunite lost dogs with their families. It works like this: a neighbor reports a lost dog in the Ring app, which would notify people nearby with a Ring camera The cameras would then use AI to look for a possible match with the lost dog

    Ring Wired Doorbell Pro, priced at $249.99 and wired doorbell plus, priced at $179.99, among other Ring cameras, will be available for pre-order on Tuesday, Amazon said. Ring’s “Search Party” for dogs will begin rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets. And Alexa+ Greetings and Familiar Faces will be offered in December.

    Amazon unveiled new versions of the Kindle Scribe that the company touts as lighter and faster and features an AI-powered notebook search. One of them includes a color screen.

    The new Scribes feature larger 11-inch, glare-free E Ink screens — up from 10.2 inches previously. They now weigh 400 grams compared to 433 grams for last year’s version, the company said. Executives noted that at 5.4 millimeters thick, these new versions are thinner than the iPhone Air, which measure 5.6 millimeters.

    The new versions of Scribes will allow users to access documents stored on Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, the company said.

    Amazon said that later this year in the U.S., Kindle Scribe will be available starting at $499.99 and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft will be offered starting at $629.99.

    Amazon unveiled four new Echo loud speaker devices — the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11— that are specifically for Alexa+ and allow for more personalized experiences.

    The new offering, which starts at $99.99, comes as Amazon reports that those customers with early Alexa+ are engaging with the personal assistant twice as much and relying on it to do tasks like booking reservations and controlling smart home devices.

    The new features recognize users and churns out personalized insights such as an analysis of how they slept last night.

    The company said that all four new Echo devices are available for pre-order starting Tuesday.

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  • Microsoft Authenticator is ending password autofill soon. How to set up a passkey before Aug. 1

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    NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re a Microsoft Authenticator user, like me, you’ve probably received at least one notice that the app’s password management features are no longer usable and that your stored passwords will be inaccessible starting Aug. 1 unless you have the Edge browser.

    Why? Because Microsoft is moving its signature sign-in app to a digital authentication method touted by security experts as an easier and more secure way to log in: passkeys.

    “Last year (2024), we observed a staggering 7,000 password attacks per second (more than double the rate from 2023),” Microsoft wrote in a blog post. “Although passwords have been around for centuries, we hope their reign over our online world is ending.”

    Authenticator has been a staple in providing multi-factor authentication, one-time passwords and biometric logins for services and some websites. Although the app will continue to provide authentication for passkey-compatible services, it is pushing its password management and autofill functions out to the company’s Edge browser instead.

    Note that not all websites and applications have adopted passkeys yet, so many places still rely on passwords.

    If you haven’t yet moved to a different password manager system or set up your passkeys, we’re here to help.

    How to generate a passkey in Authenticator

    Passkeys do away with complex 14 character passwords because you never need to see them. Instead you are using existing biometrics like your face or fingerprints, digital patterns or PINs to access your accounts.

    Passkeys are made up of two parts of a code that only makes sense when they’re combined, kind of like a digital key and padlock. You keep half of the encrypted code, typically stored either in the cloud with a compatible verification app — including Authenticator — or on a physical security dongle. The other half is stored on the participating apps, services or accounts you want to access.

    The bad news? You do have to set up individual passkeys for each service or application that accepts them. Keeping track of where you can use them versus traditional passwords can be challenging.

    If you’ve opened Authenticator in the last few months, you likely were prompted to set up a passkey through a guided experience.

    If you didn’t receive such a prompt, you can set up a new passkey by opening the authenticator app on your device. Find and tap on your account, then select “set up a passkey” option. Follow the app’s instructions.

    Accessing old passwords in Edge

    The good news is that all of your old passwords are synced to your Microsoft account. But to access them after Aug. 1, you will need to first install the Edge browser on your device of choice (and log into it).

    For iOS users, navigate to Settings General Autofill & Passwords and turn on Edge.

    Android users click their way to Settings General management Passwords and autofill Autofill service and select Edge.

    Laptop and desktop users will need to open Edge and navigate to Settings Profiles Passwords. There you should find an autofill toggle and another option to save new passwords to your account.

    Downloading your passwords to use in a password manager

    Firstly, check out our advice on selecting and using password managers. There are many services — paid and free — out there and options to consider.

    Now to export your Authenticator passwords, open the app on your device then navigate to Settings Export Passwords. This will spit out an exported file containing your data.

    Most of the password managers out there — including those built into other browsers, or Apple and Android’s own key ring apps — will have an import option, which should accept this file. If you’re having difficulty with the import, it’s best to consult their customer service lines for help.

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  • Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Orb Has a New Look—and Will Come Right to Your Door

    Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Orb Has a New Look—and Will Come Right to Your Door

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    While the biometric-scanning Orb and the World network have their roots in crypto tokens, “crypto” wasn’t an oft-mentioned word during the event. Instead, Altman and Blania emphasized World’s blockchain service, digital asset management, and virtual communication tools.

    Blania claimed during the press briefing that, in the future, World hopes to build the “largest finance network” on the planet.

    In a separate interview with WIRED, Blania said that during regular Sunday meetings at Atlman’s house, the pair were inspired by the rise of PayPal. Similar to the way that Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, and others once pioneered digital payments and fundamentally changed online commerce—becoming billionaires themselves in the process—the World team saw themselves building out a similar network for tokens on a distributed network.

    The World app, for now, is free for everyone to use. It’s free to scan your eyeballs, too. Tools for Humanity itself is venture-backed, and the foundation, in its land grab for the modern identity verification market and your personal biometric data, is focused on scale, scale, scale. Eventually, it may make money through processing fees, Blania said.

    Most of Tools for Humanity’s expansion plans for now are in locations outside of the US, due to murky regulations around crypto stateside, the organization’s spokesperson told me.

    If you use the Orb and compatible app in the US, it will scan and store your iris but won’t generate a crypto token for you.

    Two and a half years ago, the Worldcoin project came under scrutiny for allegedly deceptive and exploitative practices in recruiting individuals to scan their irises. At the time, Blania attributed this haphazard behavior to the organization still being in its “startup” phase. In an interview with WIRED, Blania said the company is doing “like, a thousand things” to ensure a more rigorous consent process. This includes staffing an “operational team” in every market where World will be. He said there will be “explanations” in the World app for how the product works.

    “And again, there is no data stored in any central place or anything,” Blania said.

    In 2023, the service was also being investigated by governments in Germany, Brazil, India, South Korea, and Kenya over concerns about how it was storing and using biometric data. Kenya suspended Worldcoin enrollment entirely. South Korea fined the company. Worldcoin suspended its own service in India, Brazil, and France.

    Blania said he believes World will relaunch in Kenya “sometime soon.”

    When asked in the press briefing about the emphasis on Latin America as a market for expansion, such as through the partnership with Rappi for orbs-on-delivery, Blania disputed the idea that World was prioritizing Latin America over other locations.

    “It’s just that we have limited resources, and there’s a natural sequencing happening,” Blania said. “We are similarly focused on Asia and other places. Argentina has been a fast-growing market for us, for example, and we’re excited about that.”

    “But the project is literally called World,” he added.

    After the keynote, Altman ran into the press room to wave and apologize for not being able to stay, then slipped away like a head of state.

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    Lauren Goode

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  • One Tech Tip: Here’s what you need to do before and after your phone is stolen or lost

    One Tech Tip: Here’s what you need to do before and after your phone is stolen or lost

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    LONDON (AP) — Phones hold so much of our digital lives — emails, social media and bank accounts, photos, chat messages and more — that if they ever get stolen or go missing, it can cause major disruption beyond just the loss of a device.

    In some places, phone thefts have surged so much it’s now an everyday problem, with thieves on electric bikes snatching them out of pedestrians’ hands, swiping them off restaurant tables or pickpocketing them on the subway.

    In Britain, where 200 phones are stolen every day in “snatch thefts,” the government has pledged to crack down on the crime and is meeting with tech companies and device makers to come up with solutions.

    Here are steps you can take before and after your phone goes missing:

    Basic protections

    There are things you can do to make it less painful if your phone is stolen. Because some of these features are more technical in nature, people often overlook them.

    Lock down as much as you can. At a minimum, require a password or biometric scan to unlock the device. You can also add similar requirements to important individual apps — like your banking account, WhatsApp or Signal — to protect your finance or chats from thieves.

    Also, activate the find my device feature, which is available for both iOS and Android. Samsung also offers its own service called SmartThings Find.

    You’ll probably have lots of precious photos saved on your camera roll. It’s a good idea to back them up, along with contacts, calendar items and other files. Google and Apple offer cloud-based backup services, although the free versions have limited storage space. You can also back up your files to an external hard drive, memory card or a laptop.

    Some police forces and phone companies advise turning off message previews, which prevents thieves trying to break into your accounts from seeing reset or login codes when the phone is locked. To do this on an iPhone, for example, go to the Notifications section of your settings menu and tap Show Previews. You can also scroll down the app list to turn previews off for individual apps but leave them on for less risky ones like news or weather.

    Turn on newer features

    Recent iOS and Android updates include a number of new functions designed to make thefts less attractive.

    IPhone users can turn on Stolen Device Protection, which makes it a lot harder for phone thieves to access key functions and settings. Many thieves will want to wipe the data off and reset so they can resell it, but with this feature on, they’ll need a face or fingerprint scan to do so. Apple also recently updated its “ activation lock ” feature to make it harder for thieves to sell parts from stolen phones.

    Android phones, meanwhile, can now use use artificial intelligence to detect motion indicating someone snatched it out of your hand and is racing away on foot or a bike, and then lock the screen immediately. And there’s a feature called Private Spaces that lets you hide sensitive files on your phone.

    Jot down your device number

    Take note of your phone’s serial number, also known as an IMEI number. It can link you to the phone if it does eventually get recovered. Call it up by typing (asterisk)#06# on your phone’s keypad. If you’ve already lost your phone you can also find it in other places like the box it came in.

    If it’s stolen

    If you’re unlucky enough to have your phone stolen, notify police. Call your insurance company if you have a policy that covers the device. Inform your phone company so they can freeze your number and issue a replacement SIM card or eSIM. Notify your bank so they can watch out for suspicious transactions.

    Tracking your device

    Try to locate your phone with the find my device feature. For iPhones, go to iCloud.com/find from a web browser while Android users should head to www.google.com/android/find. Samsung also has its own service for Galaxy phones.

    These services will show your phone’s current or last known location on a map, which is also handy if you’ve just lost track of it somewhere in the house. Apple says even if a phone can’t connect to the internet or has been turned off, it can use Bluetooth to ping any nearby Apple devices using the same network behind its AirTags tracking devices. Google says newer Pixel phones can be located “for several hours” after they’ve been turned off using similar technology.

    You can get the phone to play a sound, even if it’s on silent. You can also put the phone in lost mode, which locks it and displays a message and contact details on the screen for anyone who finds it. Lost mode on iOS also suspends any Apple Pay cards and passes.

    If the device shows up in an unfamiliar location on the map, and you suspect it has been stolen, experts say it’s better to notify police rather than trying to get it back yourself.

    Cybersecurity company Norton says, “Confronting a thief yourself is not recommended.”

    Final steps

    If you can’t find your phone, there are some final steps to take.

    Log yourself out of all your accounts that might be accessible on the phone, and then remove it from your list of trusted devices that you use to get multifactor authentication codes — but make sure you can get those codes somewhere else, such as email.

    Then, as a last resort, you can erase the phone remotely so that there’s no chance of any data falling into the wrong hands. However, take note: Apple says that if the iPhone is offline, the remote erase will only happen the next time it come back online. But if you find the phone before it gets erased, you can cancel the request.

    Google warns that SD memory cards plugged into Android phones might not be remotely erased. And after the phone has been wiped, it won’t show up with find my device.

    ___

    Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at [email protected] with your questions.

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  • One Tech Tip: Here’s what you need to do before and after your phone is stolen or lost

    One Tech Tip: Here’s what you need to do before and after your phone is stolen or lost

    [ad_1]

    LONDON — Phones hold so much of our digital lives — emails, social media and bank accounts, photos, chat messages and more — that if they ever get stolen or go missing, it can cause major disruption beyond just the loss of a device.

    In some places, phone thefts have surged so much it’s now an everyday problem, with thieves on electric bikes snatching them out of pedestrians’ hands, swiping them off restaurant tables or pickpocketing them on the subway.

    In Britain, where 200 phones are stolen every day in “snatch thefts,” the government has pledged to crack down on the crime and is meeting with tech companies and device makers to come up with solutions.

    Here are steps you can take before and after your phone goes missing:

    There are things you can do to make it less painful if your phone is stolen. Because some of these features are more technical in nature, people often overlook them.

    Lock down as much as you can. At a minimum, require a password or biometric scan to unlock the device. You can also add similar requirements to important individual apps — like your banking account, WhatsApp or Signal — to protect your finance or chats from thieves.

    Also, activate the find my device feature, which is available for both iOS and Android. Samsung also offers its own service called SmartThings Find.

    You’ll probably have lots of precious photos saved on your camera roll. It’s a good idea to back them up, along with contacts, calendar items and other files. Google and Apple offer cloud-based backup services, although the free versions have limited storage space. You can also back up your files to an external hard drive, memory card or a laptop.

    Some police forces and phone companies advise turning off message previews, which prevents thieves trying to break into your accounts from seeing reset or login codes when the phone is locked. To do this on an iPhone, for example, go to the Notifications section of your settings menu and tap Show Previews. You can also scroll down the app list to turn previews off for individual apps but leave them on for less risky ones like news or weather.

    Recent iOS and Android updates include a number of new functions designed to make thefts less attractive.

    IPhone users can turn on Stolen Device Protection, which makes it a lot harder for phone thieves to access key functions and settings. Many thieves will want to wipe the data off and reset so they can resell it, but with this feature on, they’ll need a face or fingerprint scan to do so. Apple also recently updated its “ activation lock ” feature to make it harder for thieves to sell parts from stolen phones.

    Android phones, meanwhile, can now use use artificial intelligence to detect motion indicating someone snatched it out of your hand and is racing away on foot or a bike, and then lock the screen immediately. And there’s a feature called Private Spaces that lets you hide sensitive files on your phone.

    Take note of your phone’s serial number, also known as an IMEI number. It can link you to the phone if it does eventually get recovered. Call it up by typing (asterisk)#06# on your phone’s keypad. If you’ve already lost your phone you can also find it in other places like the box it came in.

    If you’re unlucky enough to have your phone stolen, notify police. Call your insurance company if you have a policy that covers the device. Inform your phone company so they can freeze your number and issue a replacement SIM card or eSIM. Notify your bank so they can watch out for suspicious transactions.

    Try to locate your phone with the find my device feature. For iPhones, go to iCloud.com/find from a web browser while Android users should head to www.google.com/android/find. Samsung also has its own service for Galaxy phones.

    These services will show your phone’s current or last known location on a map, which is also handy if you’ve just lost track of it somewhere in the house. Apple says even if a phone can’t connect to the internet or has been turned off, it can use Bluetooth to ping any nearby Apple devices using the same network behind its AirTags tracking devices. Google says newer Pixel phones can be located “for several hours” after they’ve been turned off using similar technology.

    You can get the phone to play a sound, even if it’s on silent. You can also put the phone in lost mode, which locks it and displays a message and contact details on the screen for anyone who finds it. Lost mode on iOS also suspends any Apple Pay cards and passes.

    If the device shows up in an unfamiliar location on the map, and you suspect it has been stolen, experts say it’s better to notify police rather than trying to get it back yourself.

    Cybersecurity company Norton says, “Confronting a thief yourself is not recommended.”

    If you can’t find your phone, there are some final steps to take.

    Log yourself out of all your accounts that might be accessible on the phone, and then remove it from your list of trusted devices that you use to get multifactor authentication codes — but make sure you can get those codes somewhere else, such as email.

    Then, as a last resort, you can erase the phone remotely so that there’s no chance of any data falling into the wrong hands. However, take note: Apple says that if the iPhone is offline, the remote erase will only happen the next time it come back online. But if you find the phone before it gets erased, you can cancel the request.

    Google warns that SD memory cards plugged into Android phones might not be remotely erased. And after the phone has been wiped, it won’t show up with find my device.

    ___

    Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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  • Face Center of Excellence Director Wins Prestigious FedID Award

    Face Center of Excellence Director Wins Prestigious FedID Award

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    ARLINGTON, Va., July 9, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    On June 26, the Federal Identity Forum (FedID) awarded the 2024 FedID award for “Best Educational Effort” to Ms. Lora Sims, Director of the Face Center of Excellence (FaCE), an affiliate of Ideal innovations., Inc. (I-3).

    Ms. Sims, as the Director of FaCE, has been supporting standards development through membership and leadership in various working groups, including Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) and Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science, and is a member of the International Association for Identification (IAI).

    “I-3 is immensely proud of Lora’s accomplishments, both directing the Face Center of Excellence, as well as her contributions to the Facial Identification discipline and community,” stated Bob Kocher, CEO of I-3. “She has worked tirelessly to promote responsible, effective use of this technology, particularly through FaCE’s rigorous training programs.”

    Ms. Sims was instrumental in developing the first facial examination training-to-competency program for the Department of Defense Biometric Operations Directorate. With the growing use of and interest in Facial Recognition Systems (FRS), it is essential for users to be trained in the proper application of the technology to mitigate some of the negative perceptions about FRS. She established a standards-based training program to reach the broader Facial Identification community as a resource for local, state, federal, international, and corporate entities that are involved in the comparison of facial images as a biometric discipline. 

    The training program that Ms. Sims created has expanded into additional courses of instruction: general information on Facial Identification, mid-level courses that introduce practitioners to best practices, refresher courses for continuing education, and expert-level courses. Ms. Sims’ development and continued improvement of the expansive Facial Identification training program is respected across the country and around the world.

    In addition to the Facial Identification Training, FaCE currently offers on-demand facial comparisons by human examiners, expert witness testimony, and proficiency testing services in conjunction with Collaborative Testing Services.

    For any inquiries regarding the Face Center of Excellence, please contact via face@idealinnovations.com 

    Source: Face Center of Excellence

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  • Multifactor authentication critical for banks, IBM says | Bank Automation News

    Multifactor authentication critical for banks, IBM says | Bank Automation News

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    Financial institutions must prioritize multifactor authentication as hackers take advantage of a lack of identity protection.   In 2023, cyberattacks using valid credentials to gain access to user accounts increased 71% from 2022, according to IBM’s 2024 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index. Rather than hacking, the attackers are able to just log in, Leah Generao, partner at […]

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    Whitney McDonald

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  • JPM builds its own omnichannel payments offering | Bank Automation News

    JPM builds its own omnichannel payments offering | Bank Automation News

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    J.P. Morgan Payments introduced its omnichannel checkout solution in January to offer a retail shopping experience that is native across shopping channels.  “Merchants need to provide journeys that natively go across channels,” Jean-Marc Thienpont, managing director of omnichannel and biometric solutions at J.P. Morgan Payments, told Bank Automation News.  Online, mobile and in-store shopping often […]



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    Whitney McDonald

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  • X, formerly known as Twitter, may collect your biometric data and job history | CNN Business

    X, formerly known as Twitter, may collect your biometric data and job history | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said this week it may collect biometric and employment information from its users — expanding the range of personal information that account-holders may be exposing to the site.

    The disclosures came in an update to the company’s privacy policy, which added two sections related to the new data collection practice.

    “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the policy read.

    In addition, under a new section labeled “job applications,” X said it may collect users’ employment and educational history.

    The company also said it could collect “employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on” in order to suggest potential job openings to users, to share that information with prospective third-party employers or to further target users with advertising.

    For X Premium users, the company will give an option to provide a government ID and a selfie image for verification purposes. The company may extract biometric data from both the government ID and the selfie image for matching purposes, the company told CNN in a statement.

    “This will additionally helps us tie, for those that choose, an account to a real person by processing their Government issued ID,” according to the company. “This will also help X fight impersonation attempts and make the platform more secure.”

    The changes mirror what many of X’s peers already routinely collect. But it represents an expansion of the types of information Twitter is interested in tracking. The policy adjustment arrives as owner Elon Musk seeks to turn the platform into an “everything app” that could include financial services and other features similar to the popular Chinese app WeChat.

    The change also happens as some regulatory initiatives around the world begin to require that social media companies verify their users’ ages. Many age-assurance services require that users upload copies of their government-issued identification or selfies that are then analyzed by artificial intelligence.

    On Thursday, however, a federal judge temporarily blocked an Arkansas law mandating age verification for social media platforms, just hours before it was due to take effect.

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  • Police Release Novelty Wild West Photo With Mass Shooter

    Police Release Novelty Wild West Photo With Mass Shooter

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    SANDUSKY, OH—Following a mass shooting at an area mall that left 12 dead and another seven wounded, law enforcement officials released to the public Friday a novelty Wild West photo of the suspect they had taken into custody. “Thanks to the actions of our quick-thinking officers, we were able to arrest the shooter, fingerprint him, and swing by [local amusement park] Cedar Point to pose for one of those fun old-timey portraits with him,” said Sandusky Police Chief Greg Hartwell, who, alongside the suspected murderer, appears in the resulting sepia-toned photograph wearing a white hat, a Western-style vest, and a duster, along with accessories such as a kerchief, a watch chain, and an imitation Colt revolver. “In the process of booking the perpetrator, we informed him of his right to choose from a fancy fringed cowboy outfit, a series of fake mustaches, and an oversized jug marked ‘XXX,’ but he waived these options in favor of a plain denim shirt. The gunman did ask to hold his own AR-15-style rifle during the photo shoot, but we of course could not allow this, as it would not have been period correct.” Hartwell went on to ask if any of the reporters present would be willing to wear his badge and gun while he held two large sacks marked with dollar signs and reenacted a bank robbery for the camera.

    This Week’s Most Viral News: June 16, 2023

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  • TikTok users are making fun of Congress members for their questions to app CEO Shou Chew | CNN Business

    TikTok users are making fun of Congress members for their questions to app CEO Shou Chew | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    TikTok creators have had enough of Congress seemingly not understanding how the internet works.

    What happened: On Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified before the House Committee for Energy and Commerce, where he was peppered with questions about concerns over the popular app’s potential national security threats and its connections to China. Governments around the world banned the app on official devices, and there is concern that the app’s parent company ByteDance could be forced to cooperate with the Chinese government. (TikTok doesn’t operate in China.)

    The tone from some of its members was combative — something that creators noticed, and mocked, immediately.

    Meanwhile, TikTok creators are leading the way ridiculing members of Congress.

    “There needs to be an age limit in Congress,” one caption by user @rachelhannahh said about a clip of US Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents Georgia’s 1st district, asking Chew whether the app tracks pupil dilation as a form of facial recognition to drive algorithms.

    Chew responded by saying the app does not use body, face or voice data to identify users, and the only face data the app collects is for “filters to have sunglasses on your face.”

    ‘Why do you need to know where the eyes are if you’re not seeing if they’re dilated?” Carter then asked, resulting in a barrage of comments ridiculing the congressman’s questions.

    A spokesperson for Carter said the congressman is not on TikTok because it poses a national security risk.

    “TikTok recently updated its privacy policy allowing it to collect biometric data, so it was important that its CEO be on-the-record, under oath detailing what data TikTok collects and whether the Chinese Communist Party has access to that data,” the spokesperson said.

    TechCrunch previously reported that TikTok updated its privacy policy “to allow the app to collect biometric data on US users.” However, the company has said it only uses biometrics for video effects and ByteDance employees in China would not be able to access it, TechCrunch reported.

    Many of the TikTok video clips suggested Congress members don’t know how modern technology works. They believe members of Congress are detached from technology and unaware of how tech companies within their own country operate, resulting in easily mockable questions.

    The app, which has 150 million US users, is facing a potential ban. Among those who’ve heard of TikTok, only 39% of those younger than 30 support a TikTok ban, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll released Thursday.

    US Rep. Mike Gallagher, who represents Wisconsin’s 8th district, told CNN during its primetime special Thursday night that the government needs to address TikTok as a national security threat, despite the popularity of the app among younger voters.

    “Republicans [and] Democrats agreed this is a threat,” Gallagher, a Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on China, told CNN. “So we can’t ignore it just because of concerns about alienating some teenagers on this app.”

    “It’s a national security issue,” he said. “We have to deal with it before it’s too late.”

    It’s a bipartisan opinion. The Biden administration threatened a ban if the app’s Chinese owners don’t spin off their share of the social media platform.

    “Bro outta pocket,” a user who goes by Whittington said on a clip of US Rep. August Pfluger, who represents Texas’ 11th district.

    In the clip, Pfluger said the only other person who united Democrats and Republicans was Vladimir Putin.

    CNN has reached out to Pfluger for comment.

    The hearing may also have created a new group of lobbyists. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, flew out more than 30 famous TikTokkers to Washington to advocate for the app, the New York Times reported.

    Another clip that has been widely circulating on the app is one of US Rep. Richard Hudson, who represents North Carolina’s 9th district, questioning Chew on how WiFi connectivity works. The “yes or no” style of interrogating on topics that were complex, or frankly irrelevant, were a major point of exasperation for users.

    “So if I have a TikTok app on my phone and my phone is on my home WiFi network,” Hudson asked, “does TikTok access that network?”

    “Does TikTok access my battery to steal my electricity?” one user said, mocking Hudson.

    CNN has reached out to Hudson for comment.

    Users are also posting POV’s on the app, renacting their own versions of the hearing.

    “What color is the algorithm?” said user Christian Divyne in a video mocking some of the questions Congress members asked Chew.

    The video ended up getting over one million views, with over 250,000 likes as of this writing.

    – CNN’s Samantha Murphy Kelly and Brian Fung contributed to this report.

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  • What Biotechnology’s Paradigm Shift Means for Businesses

    What Biotechnology’s Paradigm Shift Means for Businesses

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The past three years have changed nearly every industry. Where business used to be conducted in person, in offices and laboratories, the coronavirus pandemic forced a change. When remote work became mandatory, even traditional industries like the biopharmaceutical sector had to embrace new technologies.

    Today, the world may no longer be required to isolate and keep a distance, but the influence of advanced technologies is only growing. Their potential is apparent in shortening the time it takes to bring medications to market, dealing with supply chain issues and personalizing medicine.

    The paradigm shift of biopharma

    The biopharmaceutical industry has a reputation for being rather traditional. Despite its dependence on research, development and innovation, the industry has relied on tried and tested ways of conducting research. Conducting clinical trials and bringing new medications to the market tended to follow a specific format. This traditional business model has helped biopharma in the U.S. become a global leader for decades.

    Although emerging countries have been mounting a challenge, the United States continues to dominate the global pharmaceutical market. Five of the top ten pharmaceutical companies worldwide are based in this country. Their sales account for nearly 50% of all sales of medication around the world.

    2020 turned the industry on its head. As governments decided to impose lockdowns on their citizens, countless clinical trials came to an abrupt halt. Other companies rechanneled their energies into developing Covid-19 vaccines; for one of those companies, Pfizer, the vaccine resulted in the business becoming number one in the U.S.

    Others again started to look at advanced technologies to transform their operations. This is how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) entered this field. Initial results of AI and ML developments are exciting and have ensured that these technologies are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

    Related: The Future of Food: How Biotech Will Save Us All

    Making medications available faster

    The biopharmaceutical industry has long faced questions about the time it takes to develop, test and deliver a new drug to the market. During the pandemic, the rapid development of mRNA vaccines showed that technology could accelerate the process safely. In addition, the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines also proved the viability of mRNA technology.

    Jan van de Winkel, President and CEO of Danish biotechnology company Genmab, believes that next-generation technologies will be the key to accelerating drug development. In this context, biopharmaceutical companies are starting to take advantage of the likes of AI and ML. AI can process and analyze larger data volumes than humans can. This enables scientists to recognize patterns and their implications faster than ever before.

    ML-based algorithms are being used successfully in clinical trials. One recent example of this is Anavex Life Sciences. The company’s drug candidate Anavex2-73 looks set to provide treatment for dementia patients. The drug is undergoing a phase 2a clinical trial with only 32 patients. Anavex has been using decentralized trials since before the pandemic, minimizing the need to travel and making trials more accessible for patients. The company is supplementing them with whole genome analysis to enhance trial results.

    Utilizing technology like this can help speed up the development of new drugs without compromising patient safety.

    Related: Orchestrating an Innovation Ecosystem

    Improving supply chains

    One of the pandemic’s most noticeable consequences was supply chain disruption. Like others, the biopharmaceutical industry scrambled to continue supplying life-changing medications. As manufacturing and shipping all but halted in countries with strict restrictions, biopharma manufacturers needed to look for alternatives.

    Establishing closer relationships with external contractors proved to be one of the solutions. Those contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) have always been a part of the industry. But their role was often confined to early clinical development or filling in the odd production lot. Since 2020, CMOs have both cemented and extended their role in the biopharma industry. Currently, CRB survey results suggest that more than half of biopharma manufacturers plan to use these contractors as an integral part of their pipeline.

    Genmab found that working with CMOs added value to their manufacturing of modified antibody candidates and related products. External organizations were able to offer highly specialized services that supported in-house manufacturing.

    Personalizing medicine

    Precision medicine, or personalized medicine, holds the promise of customizing treatments for the individual. Backed by data, this approach would allow doctors to make recommendations based on the patient’s genetics and lifestyle. Precision medicine has huge potential in cancer treatment, for example.

    Experts also believe that precision medicine may hold the key to the continued growth of the entire sector. According to analysts from Boston Consulting Group, medicines driven by biomarkers derived from genomic data will be at the heart of this development. At the same time, the analysts highlight the challenges this type of medication brings. Personalizing treatments and drugs increases manufacturing complexity in ways that the industry is only just starting to explore.

    Related: How Green Pharma Can Cure Disease and (Possibly) Save the Planet

    Cooperating for patient benefit

    The biopharmaceutical industry is competitive. However, during the pandemic, cooperation between businesses became one of the drivers behind progress. Accelerating the time it took to develop, test, and distribute vaccines worldwide required manufacturers to streamline their processes. They also needed to work closely with regulators to ensure vaccines were both safe and effective before entering mainstream production.

    Some industry insiders refer to the pandemic years as a period of creativity. Key players in the industry were forced to change their approach to manufacturing and distribution. The entire sector came together to solve a global problem at an unprecedented scale. Larger manufacturers provided the capacity and infrastructure that small, innovative biotechnology outfits needed to bring their products to the public. The cooperation between Pfizer and BioNTech is perhaps the best-known example of this synergy.

    Biotechnology and the biopharmaceutical industry are starting to embrace technology to transform their research and development departments and manufacturing processes. Continuing this digital transformation will give patients faster access to life-saving treatments and, eventually, personalized pharmaceuticals.

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    Jessica Wong

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  • Ideal Innovations, Inc. Announces the Promotion of Richard Syretz to President

    Ideal Innovations, Inc. Announces the Promotion of Richard Syretz to President

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    Press Release
    –

    Dec 13, 2022 09:00 EST


    ARLINGTON, Va., December 13, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I3), a leading biometrics and forensics government contractor located in Arlington, Virginia, today announced the promotion of Richard Syretz to President. In this new role, he will lead the professional services business reporting to the Founder and CEO, Bob Kocher. 

    “Richard has successfully held the positions of CFO and then COO for us over the past 15 years with great results and now, as President, he will expand the company to new customers and projects for 2023,” said CEO Bob Kocher. “Richard’s strategic vision will be supported by an experienced leadership team that will execute on growth initiatives in our core competencies of biometrics, various forensics disciplines including facial identification, and innovative science and technology solutions.” Before joining I-3, Richard had a distinguished 25-year career at Raytheon Technologies, holding positions of increasing responsibility in corporate finance and programs. 

    About Ideal Innovations, Inc.

    Founded 24 years ago in 1998, I3 specializes in biometrics, forensics, and science and technology solutions to enhance national security for defense, law enforcement and intelligence organizations operating around the world. For more information about I3, please visit https://www.idealinnovations.com.

    Press Contact:

    pr@idealinnovations.com

    Source: Ideal Innovations, Inc.

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  • Texas sues Google over alleged ‘indiscriminate’ biometric data collection | CNN Business

    Texas sues Google over alleged ‘indiscriminate’ biometric data collection | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google on Thursday, alleging the tech giant had violated the state’s biometric privacy law by “indiscriminately” collecting voiceprints and facial recognition data from users and non-users of the company’s products without their consent.

    The lawsuit, filed in Texas’ Midland County District Court, claims the company’s broad application of facial recognition technology in Google Photos, as well as its use of voice recognition technology in its line of smart speakers and other home products, is a violation of the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act.

    Google

    (GOOG)     didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In Google Photos, Google scans uploaded images to identify and categorize pictured subjects, including people who may not have been aware their faces would be analyzed or stored, the complaint said. The company has also allegedly listened in on Texans “without regard to whether a speaker has consented to Google’s indiscriminate voice printing,” according to the complaint.

    Adobe Stock

    The complaint describes Google’s Nest Hub Max, a smart home display with a built-in camera, as “a modern Eye of Sauron—constantly watching and waiting to identify a face it knows.”

    “All across the state, everyday Texans have become unwitting cash cows being milked by Google for profits,” the complaint said.

    Texas is one of just a few states with a law governing the use of biometric data, and this marks the second time that Texas has invoked the 2009 law to file a suit against a company. In February, the state claimed a now-shuttered Facebook photo-tagging tool — which was the subject of a $650 million biometric privacy settlement in Illinois last year — had also been a violation of the Texas biometric law.

    Texas has multiple lawsuits ongoing against Google, including two other consumer protection cases and an antitrust case targeting Google’s dominance in digital advertising.

    – CNN’s Rachel Metz contributed to this report.

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  • Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I-3) Face Center of Excellence (FaCE) Recognized for Commitment to Adopting Facial Identification Standards

    Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I-3) Face Center of Excellence (FaCE) Recognized for Commitment to Adopting Facial Identification Standards

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    Press Release
    –

    Sep 27, 2022


    ARLINGTON, Va., September 27, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I3) Face Center of Excellence (FaCE) has been recently recognized by the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science as a “Registry Implementer” for its commitment to voluntarily adopt the Facial Identification standards.

    “I3‘s commitment to the Facial Identification discipline extends to creating, editing, and implementing the standards from OSAC into our daily practices. This standardization helps to improve consistency in our work and, therefore, reduces the possibility of errors,” stated Bob Kocher, CEO of Ideal Innovations, Inc.

    Becoming an Implementer of the standards is a natural step for the I3 FaCE due to the leadership’s involvement in OSAC. As a non-laboratory Implementer, the I3 FaCE utilizes the OSAC Registry standards in multiple sections of the center, from examinations to training. 

    John Paul Jones, OSAC program manager with the NIST, says, “Forensic science experts at the Ideal Innovations Face Center of Excellence are providing leadership by implementing the latest technical forensic science standards listed on the OSAC Registry. Their experts are also providing a valuable service by participating as members of OSAC to help generate these standards and assess their technical merit. We are honored to work with the experts at the Face Center of Excellence and their peers from other forensic laboratories, as well as OSAC’s researchers, statisticians, and legal practitioners, on this important activity.” 

    Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I3), established in 1998, is a privately-owned Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned (SDVO) business that offers consulting, technology development, support services, and program management services. We specialize in innovative solutions for defense, law enforcement and security-related problems involving subject matter expertise, advanced technology, information systems, and strategic analysis. I3 has more than 20 years of experience providing biometric and forensic examination support and training to the U.S. Government, foreign governments, and commercial customers.

    Source: Ideal Innovations Inc.

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  • US Patent and Trademark Office Issues Patent for Biometric Identification Between International Entities

    US Patent and Trademark Office Issues Patent for Biometric Identification Between International Entities

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    The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a patent on Tuesday, July 20th (patent #11,068,732) to the CEO of Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I-3), called International Biometric Identification System (IBIS).

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 17, 2021


    ARLINGTON, Va., August 17, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a patent on Tuesday, July 20 (patent #11,068,732) to the CEO of Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I-3), called International Biometric Identification System (IBIS). This patent may have a significant impact on the way in which international entities biometrically verify individuals from foreign countries without violating privacy in the process.

    “IBIS is a significant step forward with regard to the use of biometrics internationally, in that it provides for identification verification of subjects from different countries without sharing of biometric information between those countries,” noted Bob Kocher, CEO of I-3. “Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) disclosure are top-of-mind issues these days with respect to biometric use, and we specifically wanted to find a way to address that concern with IBIS.”

    IBIS encompasses a system and method for international biometric identity verification between two countries, without transferring biometric information between the two countries. It will replace the traditional approach of identification via uniforms and identification cards, which are easily compromised, into a secure approach of leveraging biometric information through a person’s identity. This approach is consistent with the policy of not sharing any biometric information relating to verification of identification of individuals with other countries.

    “We imagine applications where partner nations, working in international assistance, humanitarian, and even military operations domains, can rapidly and securely vet individuals from other countries biometrically, without compromising that individual’s personal information,” stated Kocher. 

    Ideal Innovations is an inventions company that develops innovative ways to solve difficult problems. It has additional experimental efforts underway, including developing methods for identifying potential elite future performers, rapid secure access systems, and early detection of viruses.

    For any inquiries regarding IBIS, please contact Ideal Innovations at info@idealinnovations.com.

    Source: Ideal Innovations, Inc.

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