Biometrics & Smartcards – a logical argument?

Cherry…..Luton….stardate, sometime in 2008. Is the future here on this 3rd rock from the sun? Has the population embraced the use of strange ‘smartcards’ and fingerprint technology in everyday life? Are it’s inhabitants fluent in the use of these authentication methods? More importantly, have the authorities embraced these and handed them to the public at large on a plate?

For the last few years, we’ve all been saying that this is the year for biometrics to really start to take hold as the authentication method of choice, but to be honest, has it actually happened? We’ve been through the stage of smartcards being the log-on method of choice, with biometrics being nothing more than being on a futuristic wish-list, but even smartcards became a bit of a ‘damp squib’. Apart from the credit card companies utilising a ‘simple’ PIN method for transaction authentication, I’m not sure that we’ve actually moved forward.

As an example, I visited my Doctor, only to see a smartcard-enabled keyboard on his desk. On asking how he got on with it, he replied ‘I don’t know, I don’t use it’. I asked another doctor the same question, with the same reply. It appears that doctors don’t necessarily have their finger on the technology pulse. Data security in this kind of establishment isn’t a simple requirement, it’s a patients right and they should be utilising what’s on their desks.

Considering that we now all use chip and PIN (which hasn’t been without it’s problems), technology like this can be easily embraced.

With the Americans now insisting on biometrically enabled passports, we’re even taking a step further into the ‘James Bond’ aspect of fingerprint technologies, so what’s the hold-up in this being used? Biometrics used to be a word people feared, but thanks to governments talking openly about ID cards and passports now having the capability, it’s a term the general public recognise. Why aren’t the government talking about implementing biometrics throughout the health service? Why aren’t they installing biometric systems throughout government buildings and securing their networks? Why weren’t the records mislaid by our government biometrically protected?

Is it cost oriented? No, it’s not ‘cheap’ to install a biometric system, but surely this will save money in the long-term. Is it technology oriented? Have the right messages hit the departments concerned to ensure they at least trial the technologies? Has the lovely Mr Brown ever tried something like this or has his head been stuck in a little red case for too long to notice? Why wasn’t his red case biometrically sealed? Has Mr Darling looked into the prospect of this for his next budget?

So, it’s up to our beloved leaders to have a look, have a think and see what the benefits are to the general public in data security and confidence in the departments in question to keep our records safe. Will they do it? Maybe they will at some point, but I’m not holding my breath….