Argus Global - News

Argus Attending International Harm Reduction Conference

2010-04-21T14:06:00.005+09:30

Argus Global is exhibiting its biometrically served drug dispensing solution at the Harm Reduction 2010: IHRA’s 21st International Conference, which will take place in Liverpool, England, April 25-29 2010.

This will take place in Liverpool, England. Since 1990, the annual international harm reduction conferences have grown in importance and become the main meeting point for all those interested in harm reduction around the world. Each year, the conference takes place in a different part of the world and covers the latest topics and debates from the field.

As has been the case in the previous 20 events, the 2010 conference will include high profile keynote speeches, plenary sessions, major sessions, symposia, workshops, training events, a film festival, poster exhibitions, exhibition areas, satellite meetings, social and networking events, and the annual IHRA award presentations.

Argus has successfully sold iris recognition drug management solutions into Australia, the UK and Malaysia. Any biometric device can be utilised with this highly automated solution which delivers real and measurable ROIs to more than one hundred customers.

NIST test proves the iris recognition is idea for ID verification

2009-11-06T08:51:00.001+10:30

A new NIST report demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications such as the federal Personal Identity Verification program, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism

The eyes may be the mirror to the soul, but the iris reveals a person’s true identity — its intricate structure constitutes a powerful biometric. A new report by computer scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications such as the federal Personal Identity Verification program, cyber security, and counterterrorism.

Rest of the article here

NSW Prisons Integrate Iris and Fingerprint

2009-06-02T14:27:00.002+09:30

THE NEW South Wales Department of Corrective Services is looking to integrate the fingerprint and iris detection systems used across several of its 34 prisons.

Jordanian Bank Installs Iris Recognition

2009-05-22T16:46:00.003+09:30

The Jordan Times report the use of iris recognition in the banking sector in Jordan to identify clients at the teller winder and at ATMs. It follows earlier applications of the technology in these sorts of applications in the UK and in Texas in the USA.

Carnegie Mellon Team Wins Grant to Advance Iris-Recognition System

2009-04-21T10:19:00.003+09:30

The Department of Defense awarded $1.5 million in grants to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University earlier this week to help them develop an iris-recognition system that instantly will identify unique iris markers in the eyes of people moving up to 13 meters away, or about 43 feet.

Pittsburgh Tribune Report here.

$250M effort to secure ports lags

2009-04-16T11:35:00.005+09:30

WASHINGTON — A six-year, $250 million anti-terrorism effort to secure the nation's ports is delayed for at least two more years because the government lacks machines to read fingerprint ID cards issued to more than 1 million workers.

USA Today Article

UK Border Agency Plans Fingerprint Data Exchange with US, Canada and Australia

2009-04-15T06:35:00.003+09:30

The organisation, which gained full executive agency status on 1 April 2009, says in a business plan issued on the same day that that it plans to work with the USA, Canada and Australia to "introduce a system of appropriate data protection arrangements for fingerprint checks and data sharing". This is intended to help identify and bar foreign criminals from entering the country, and is planned for "early 2009".

The agency said that by December 2008 it had enrolled more than 3.6m sets of fingerprints from visa applicants, finding more than 5,200 cases of identity swaps.

Full Article Here

Frost & Sullivan: Advances in Biometrics Remedy the Need for Increased Security

2009-04-13T11:19:00.004+09:30

According to Matia Grossi, Frost & Sullivan's industry analyst, "the market for biometrics products is going to almost triple by 2012 from its 2008 value". As the level of security breaches and transaction fraud increases, the need for enhanced, secure identification and personal verification technologies increases proportionally.
Frost and Sullivan

Manchester airport recalibrate facial recognition machines to shorten lines

2009-04-08T08:06:00.005+09:30

"Five facial recognition machines at Manchester airport produced many false negatives, causing long lines of irate passengers; to shorten lines, the machines' sensitivity was recalibrated from 80 percent to 30 percent; experts say the machines are now useless: tests show that at 30 percent, the machines cannot distinguish between Gordon Brown and Mel Gibson -- or between Osama bin Laden and actress Winona Ryder."

Full Report Here at HS Daily Wire

Fingerprints on Paper Detected using Heat

2009-03-27T09:05:00.002+10:30

Two University of Technology, Sydney students develop a method which relies on the application of heat to the sample, with the fingerprint development accomplished in a matter of seconds

The method developed by the two students relies on the application of heat to the sample, with the fingerprint development accomplished in a matter of seconds. "This was an interesting approach, as originally the aim was to make fingerprints colored using chemicals, but the students noticed that the application of heat alone could actually develop fingerprints," said Dr. Brian Reedy, a senior lecturer and member of the Center for Forensic Science in the Faculty of Science.

Full Story Here

Sagem and Hitachi Combining Fingerprint and Vein Recognition

2009-03-26T07:59:00.003+10:30

Sagem Sécurité and Hitachi Combine Fingerprint and Vein Recognition Technologies

Sagem Sécurité (SAFRAN group), the world leader in biometrics, is partnering with Hitachi, an engineering and information technology giant, to develop a multimode biometric recognition module. Developed and produced by Sagem Sécurité, this module will combine the best of Hitachi's vein imaging technology (VeinID) and Sagem Sécurité’s fingerprint identification technology (MORPHO).

Full Story Here

Identity Theft in US Number 1 Complaint

2009-03-25T10:49:00.004+10:30

"Network World" reports that "for the ninth year in a row identity theft - particularly in Arizona and California -- was the number one consumer complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2008. Of 1,223,370 complaints received in 2008, 313,982 - or 26%- were related to identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission‘s list in the "Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) Data Book for January-December 2008, (worth a download) states that credit card fraud was the most common form of reported identity theft at 20%, followed by government documents/benefits fraud at 15%, employment fraud at 15%, phone or utilities fraud at 13%, bank fraud at 11 %and loan fraud at 4%. The CSN received over 1.2 million complaints during calendar year 2008."

Singapore to Explore Multi Biometrics in Border Screening

2009-03-24T15:16:00.005+10:30

The Singapore Deputy Prime Minister has announced Singapore will explore whether multi-modality biometrics (e.g., finger-print, face recognition, palm print, retina, iris, voice pattern, signature, ear, gait, skin texture and finger vein) can be used to verify and identify travellers of security interest with a higher order of certainty.

To manage this exploration a project in the pipeline is the setting up of a Human Factors laboratory at the land checkpoints to apply biometrics, behavior profiling and Bio-Signal analysis in the screening of travellers.

Full details here.

Cell Phone Camera for Finger Recognition

2009-03-23T07:56:00.003+10:30

Almost everyone introduced to biometric technologies wants to know how and when they will be included into PDAs and cell phones. Technologies including finger, face and iris biometrics have all been beta tested in these devices over the last ten years.

A new approach, by Israeli company Classifeye, has been to introduce finger print based authentication by utilising the on board camera. Images of two fingers are taken as the basis of authenttication. Frost and Sullivan believe the technology will have specific appeal and relevance tothe mobile banking market.

Air France trials biometric boarding cards

2009-03-20T07:17:00.006+10:30

Fingerprints and smart cards

Air France has started trialling RFID-equipped smartcards which store passenger fingerprints to allow automated boarding.

The card contains an encrypted version of forefinger and thumb prints. It can be used at a dedicated gate, which checks the card, compares it to the passenger's finger or thumb print and, assuming the dabs match, opens the gate.

Read full article here.

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Fingerprint Capture in Less than 15 seconds

2009-03-19T11:27:00.004+10:30

Through the Fast Capture Initiative, the [US] National Institute of Justice ((NIJ)-funded scientists and engineers are creating new tools and techniques that will capture the same images as 10 rolled fingerprints in less than 15 seconds and both palm prints in less than 1 minute. The initiative's goals are also improved fingerprint image quality and the near-term commercialization of affordable products for law enforcement agencies.

Read about it here at the NIJ site.

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Time and Attendance Solution Introduced by Argus

2009-03-13T09:55:00.006+10:30

Argus Solutions Limited has introduced a new Time and Attendance solution from Human Force called TimeTarget.

TimeTarget is a fully integrated biometric solution with options for finger-vein recognition, swipe cards or proximity card readers. TimeTarget can also be used for Security Door Access so staff arrival and entry approval is done at the same time. It can be on a Windows based PC, Touch Screen Kiosk terminal or a wall mounted pin pad.

TimeTarget’s Award interpretation engine is built around a series of business rules that ensure changes to awards are easy to implement and which match the most complex of pay rules and award requirements. TimeTarget manages sites from a single national Enterprise Bargaining Agreement to a complicated site with 17 awards in daily usage across a workforce of 1000 staff. Awards include Australian Workplace Agreements and Certified Agreements.

The product is being widely used with the Hitachi finger-vein technology which is gaining wide user acceptance and is demonstrating high degrees of accuracy. Its advantages include the ability to "see through" dirt, grease and chemicals which can be a barrier to use for more traditional fingerprint readers.

Cornerstone Fitted With SAGEM Fingerprint

2008-08-28T16:53:00.008+09:30

Cornerstone v2.8 is now fitted with and functioning with the Sagem Morpho fingerprint reader. Specifically the MSO300 readers have been integrated directly into Cornerstone. Most pleasing is the integration of this hardware in conjunction with iris recognition cameras at a corrections facility in NSW South Wales. In this installation a user can enter with the Sagem fingerprint and exit using iris. Or vice verca. This means the prison administrators have degree of assurance that their users will be able to be manged through a biometrically invoked biometric profile. The use of different biometrics in this way is a unique feature of Cornerstone.

Cornerstone in Corrections

2008-03-10T15:46:00.006+10:30

Cornerstone 2.8 has most recently been upgraded into one of our correctional customer sites. Highlights of that installation include:

infrastructure includes approximately 20 iris recognition cameras and three True Identity Controllers (TIC)
in excess of 30,000 users
a mix of staff, visitors and prisoners
Cornerstone manages each of these demographics as discrete groups
keys are issued only after a user is identified by their iris
Cornerstone logic prevents keys leaving premises or being taken into unauthorised areas
iris recognition is used to control access to prisoner records
access control, visitor tracking and visitor management are controlled via Cornerstone
Cornerstone manages all applications through a single interface
More than 2000 camera interactions are carried out each day

Cornerstone Roadmap Update

2008-02-18T15:39:00.005+10:30

A number of customers have requested from us enhancements and features which are of benefit to most other clients. So we have packaged these along with some software fixes into a single version we are calling Cornerstone 2.8, on the way to a Version 3.0 which will be a .Net Framework 3.5 Service Oriented Architecture product.

2.8 includes the following:
· A more elegant way of handling data inputs, making it easier to accept non biometric sensors, or non iris recognition cameras.
· In all modules the inclusion of start and expiry dates. This feature means an enrolment can be tied say, to the expiry of a training period, the lapse of a qualification, or can be used to manage employees on a site for a specific time, such as contractors.
· Operators can be switched without having to close the application, helpful for shift changeover.
· Enhanced visitor flow rules, which enable tighter management of who is moving through a particular area of a facility.
· A number of changes which have increased the ability of the application to handle large databases (30,000 + users).
· The ability to monitor iris recognition cameras and their online/offline status.
· The type and style of reports with Time Capture have been upgraded.
· There is now a unified set up package for the software and Cornerstone is installed in near to “one click” as we are able to make it at present.
· The Time Capture module now includes the ability for a supervisor to make manual adjustments to start and finish times.

FBI Prepares Vast Database Of Biometrics

2007-12-24T13:43:00.001+10:30

While not specifically about Cornerstone this Washington Post article underscores the government driven market for biometrics in the US. As the technologies associated with fused biometrics, large and fast data base searches and the broadening of applications we can only expect to see the benefit flow down into other non government markets.

You will need to register with the Washington Post (free) to see the full article - header extract included here.

FBI Prepares Vast Database Of Biometrics
$1 Billion Project to Include Images of Irises and Faces

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer

CLARKSBURG, W. Va. -- The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion effort to build the world's largest computer database of peoples' physical characteristics, a project that would give the government unprecedented abilities to identify individuals in the United States and abroad.
Digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns are already flowing into FBI systems in a climate-controlled, secure basement here. Next month, the FBI intends to award a 10-year contract that would significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives. And in the coming years, law enforcement authorities around the world will be able to rely on iris patterns, face-shape data, scars and perhaps even the unique ways people walk and talk, to solve crimes and identify criminals and terrorists. The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law."

Cornerstone Enrolment Demonstration

2007-12-14T07:56:00.000+10:30

The video embedded here walks you through the biometric enrolment process using Cornerstone. The Cornerstone interface is introduced and various elements of the enrolment demonstrated and explained.

Insurance Company Uses Iris Recognition to Detect Fraud

2007-12-06T07:52:00.001+10:30

In 2005 the IAG insurance company used iris recognition to detect, remove and deter identity fraud at its car auction yards in Sydney Australia. The customised solution, which integrated IAG workflow processes and requirements, uncovered identity fraud based on fraudulent driver's licenses from the fist day of its operation. This short video clip shows some of the processes and is an example of how Argus is implementing innovative biometric applications. Biometrics are more than just access control!

Demonstration of Cornerstone Throughput

2007-11-30T16:08:00.002+10:30

This short video clip gives an example of the throughput which is delivered by Cornerstone, using iris recognition cameras. In this example the throughput can be increased by removing the audio cue at the camera. However most clients find this level of throughput more than acceptable.

Cornerstone Gets Some Fine Tuning

2007-11-22T10:48:00.000+10:30

Some of our large users have requested refinements to the way they interact with the software and recently two small patches have been issued to help supervisors better manage the identity profile within Cornerstone.

Switching Operators

The first modification is that of being able to switch operators without having to shut down Cornerstone to do so. A simple thing but not really in demand until larger clients have started using Cornerstone. Shift changeovers, multiple supervisors/operators and so on mean this utility has come into its own. Clicking on "File" presents the Switch operator option, and clicking on this opens up the logon dialogue box. From where operators can log off...and on...

Start and Finish Times

Similarly, supervisors have found their ability to manage short term visitors to a facility better handled though simply having a start and finish time built into the enrolment process. This obviates the need to set those times within a visitor's profile (though that function still exists) and in so doing speeds up visitor interaction with the product and at the front desk. The start and expiry dates are shown here within the enrolment wizard.

Maximum Security Corrections Facility

2007-10-19T11:02:00.002+09:30

Cornerstone is installed in a maximum security prison in Victoria.

The Cornerstone suite of applications at include:

access control
visitor management
key management,
and asset management

The logic within Cornerstone which ties these applications together means staff are unable to leave the premises with keys in their pocket - for example. Another example relates to asset management - rules are set which govern who can take what pieces of equipment into various parts of the prison.

Singapore Border Crossing - Cornerstone Origins

2007-10-08T16:54:00.000+09:30

The origins of Cornerstone lie in a project established with the Singapore Government on the Tuas border crossing. This short video clip shows what was achieved, including the secondary video validation of how many riders were on the motorcycle.

Cornerstone in Wellington Prison

2007-10-08T14:10:00.000+09:30

New South Wales Correctional Services have installed and commissioned Cornerstone in its latest hi tech, showcase prison at Wellington. Wellington Prison, opened recently, is:

An 600 Bed Male/Female Med/HI/Max security prison, it is located in the Cabonne District just north of Wellington Township toward Gulgong.

After an exhaustive evaluation conducted by independent consultants on behalf of the Department of Corrective Services NSW, and against fierce competition by the current provider, the Argus Cornerstone Solution was chosen to manage visitors and staff coming in and out of the prison.

The system deployed at Wellington is comprised of the Cornerstone True Identity Manager for enrolling and identification of staff and visitors, True Identity Visitor Functional Module, for the control and monitoring of movement through the facility (prescribed pathways with alarms) as well as placing subjects on watch lists or black lists, and the EPI Secure Credentials Functional Module for high definition photographs and ID card printing.

The Biometric chosen was iris recognition using the Panasonic BMET330se Dual Eye Iris Recognition Camera, as it has been proven so effective, easy to use, accurate, and speedy in so many other prisons to date and when coupled with the Cornerstone software, has a flawless record of performance.

Staff at Wellington have welcomed the new technology and are enjoying the benefits of speed and confidence in processing volumes of people.

Wellington has attracted the attention of many of the surrounding prisons and regional commanders who have been impressed with Cornerstone when visiting Wellington.

Tips On How to Use the Panasonic Iris Camera (330)

2007-02-03T08:15:00.000+10:30

A short video clip which provides some tips on how to use the BMET-330.

Contact us for a DVD quality version if you need it.

Defence Site

2007-02-02T13:12:00.000+10:30

Cornerstone has been supplying identity management solutions across the Australian Defence Headquarters in Canberra. It is installed in multiple sites. Cornerstone is integrated into existing building management systems and sits beside other security systems such as card identification documents.

Cornerstone was recently installed at an Air Force base and has been added to an existing security and intelligence facility - indeed, the software is highly modular and expansion of capability is simply a case of "plug".

Overview

2007-01-04T13:10:00.000+10:30

Cornerstone is a comprehensive software solution designed for the management and control of business, physical, and security processes that relies on the establishment of an individual’s identity, based on biometrics and/or card credentials, within any environment.

Cornerstone is biometric agnostic and can run with any biometric. The biometrics being used to date with the software are iris recognition, fingerprint and facial recognition.

The heart of Cornerstone is a sophisticated, powerful enrolment and recognition engine that can be used with any, or all of its application modules.

These include:

· ~ Entry Access Control

· ~ Asset Issue and Management

· ~ Person Movement Control and Capture

· ~ Time Capture Monitoring

· ~ Secure Credentials

· ~ Contractor and Visitor Management

· ~ KeySafe integration

Cornerstone is a single application that delivers all of the above and more, for critical and secure requirements.

These modules are provided through a common user interface that is identical from access control all the way through to asset issue and management.

Designed for the client in a busy work environment, the new graphical user interface has a Microsoft Outlook look and feel and is simple and easy to use, thus removing the need for extensive and or repetitive training.

Cornerstone delivers transparency and audit capability through its many out-of-the-box reports which can also be configured by the client. This audit capability brings visibility, transparency, integrity, and control to an area of access management and individual registration. This has typically been difficult and in all cases, is the most important area of secure area management i.e. when the situation demands it, critical information is readily accessible, such as knowing exactly who has registered, is on the premises or where they are at any one time.

Cornerstone enables the use to take advantage of vastly improved business processes with absolute security and integrity in identity management and records keeping.