Biometrics National Security What You Need To Know!

Biometrics national security has become a hot topic, especially since the terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11. Terrorists and insurgents have the benefit of operational advantages and better protection when they operate in anonymity.

For this reason, many national governments official want to strip anonymity away from them, in the United States and across the world. With the progression of biometric technology, it is possible to take away the anonymity terrorists count on to be success.

These technologies offer new national digital identity data options, new ways to use this data and even new ways that it can be collected. Making use of this national biometrics data to screen people entering the United States, such as using a national biometric passport or airport biometrics can definitely help reduce some of the risk for this country.

Biometrics National Security

This History

For decades, biometric data has been collected by governments across the world. This started by recording basic physical attributes within paper records, including height, eye color, weight hair color and various other physical characteristics.

Fingerprint biometrics have been used by policy to help deal with crime scenes for more than 100 years as well. As early as the start of World War I, some nations, including Britain, began using the biometric passport that kept track of rudimentary physical characteristics or identifiers.

Today new technologies are providing new ways to screen those who enter the United States, by way of passports, airport biometrics, shipyard biometrics and other state-of-the-art technologies.

It’s easy to see that through the years, biometrics devices have been developing and it’s going to new heights today.

Potential Issues

Today, new digital biometric technologies offer even better ways to manage identity information. In fact, these technologies offer some great tools for law enforcement, public safety, national homeland security and counterterrorism.

Of course, it’s important to remember that national security takes place in a legal environment that is very complex and some potential issues worry some people today.

- The Way Biometric Data is Collected, Used and Retained - One issue that many have with the use of biometrics for the purpose of national security is the way that data is collected, used and retained. Are safeguards in place to deal with this issue?

- How the Data is Shared - How will the data collected within the United States be shared? Is it shared between agencies within the U.S. or shared with some of the coalition or allied nations?

- Biometric Privacy Safeguards/Rules and Data - Another issue is whether privacy safeguards and rules are in place when it comes to data. Do safeguards need to be in place for the way data is collected and used by homeland and intelligence agencies as opposed to law enforcement?

While certain problems already exist in the use of bio data within law enforcement circles, there are even more difficult issues used when it comes to biometrics national security and counter terrorism.

Bio data is being collected within the United States, Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations as well. This often includes DNA samples, retinal scans, fingerprints and various other indicators.

At times, this information is tied to a certain identity, but sometimes that identity is unknown. Rules do need to be put into place that govern how national data is collected, shared and more.

Yes, biometrics national security definitely can offer some great benefits. However, many feel that greater safeguards and rules need to be put into place to govern how this information is collected, used and shared.