Certification and products testing are not popular topics for those providing smart card and physical access control systems to federal agencies. They are often viewed as time consuming and expensive but they are also an essential part to make sure that these systems operate as a whole.

The new facial recognition system used by the New York State DMV program has led to more than 100 arrests and 900 open cases since it launched in January, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced. The facial recognition system, which was upgraded in January combats identity theft and fraud, and is designed to remove high-risk drivers from the road.

Login.Gov is the new name for the citizen-centric identity platform that will enable access to government sites. The notice comes as the GSA is proposing a citizen identity platform that can be used to access government services. The platform will collet personal data and provide identity proofing to agencies.

NIST announced the latest pilots for the National strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. The focus of this year’s NSTIC winners is on secure online access to state and local services with another partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for trusted identities in health care.

SecureAuth released SecureAuth Cloud Access delivering adaptive and multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, and automated account management; Evolis launched its lamination module for plastic cards compatible with its desktop card printer Primacy; AMAG Technology announced the release of two new software features.

Body cameras have been viewed as a way to keep law enforcement honest, recording interaction with the public. In reality, they protect both the officer and the public by capturing how everyone involved reacts in different situations. But a recent study shows that adding biometric capabilities to these body cameras could enable law enforcement to spot wanted criminals and terrorists.

PVC is the standby for most card issuers. It’s cheap, readily available and easy to work with. But those same reasons make it insecure and not very durable and that’s why issuers should start to look at advanced card materials for their credentials.