One of the biggest culprits in successful terrorist travel is legal documents. Many terrorists are crossing borders using legitimate papers – sometimes with biometric documentation. Tony Smith, a border security consultant and former director general of the UK Border Force, will be discussing that and more next month at a conference in Washington where he will join others to discuss potential solutions about the way security is used to mitigate threats.

HID Global releases biometric and contactless ID card reader; VOXX buys biometric vendor EyeLock; Usher is FIDO certified; New print module from Entrust Datacard.

Germans take their privacy seriously. So seriously that many are microwaving or boiling their national ID cards to disable the contactless smart card chip for fear that they’re being tracked.

The idea of using a single credential for both physical and logical access is an idea as old as smart cards. It makes sense, the card used to open the door in the morning should be the same one used to access a computer, secure networks and authenticate to applications. But this concept of identity convergence has seen only modest acceptance outside of the federal government with its deployment of PIV credentials.

Identiv PACs reader GSA approved; HID unveils PIN token; SALTO and Zaplox partner for hotel BLE deployments; WorldSpace adds PIV authentication; DOD orders more smart card readers.

There are a great many security features that can be placed on identity documents – holograms, laser engraving, embossing – but not all card materials are able to handle the different security features available to issuers. Modern issuers are looking at their identity credentials and doing a cost-benefit analysis of the card material and security features.

MorphoTrak’s tattoo recognition algorithm placed first in NIST’s Tattoo Recognition Technology; HID Global announced an ultra-thin Polycarbonate ePrelaminate inlay for electronic ID cards; American Banknote Corp. partnered with Above Mobile to launch a wallet application for Android users; CA Technologies signed an agreement to acquire privately held Xceedium Inc.