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Wednesday, December 11, 2002
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Australian IT: Iris scans for ATM card security. Caitlin Fitzsimmons reports on the application of iris scan biometric technology to ATM authentication.
VeriSign managing director Gregg Rowley says the security of the personal identification number (PIN) is also questionable. He says banks will move to smart cards over the next few years and biometrics will be the next step after that.
"Biometrics - such as a fingerprint scan or iris or retina scan - will replace the PIN," Rowley says. "Most insecure is a magnetic stripe with a PIN, more secure is a smart card with a PIN and even more secure is a smart card with biometrics."
Rowley says the iris scan is the best option because people will not want a laser beamed into their eyes for the retina scan, while a fingerprint reader will wear out and become dirty. [Scott Loftesness]
3:25:58 PM 
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Electronic Business: TI's RFID Technology makes wireless watch tick. Mark Long reports on TI's involvement in creating the Timex-built wireless wrist-watches for the ExxonMobil Speedpass Network.
When Speedpass-enabled customers arrive a the McDonald's drive-thru window, they simply order their food from the menu board, drive on to the payment window and wave their RFID-equipped wristwatches or key chains at the Speedpass reader. The reader/antenna then passes that information onto the appropriate value added network to verify the customer's profile and credit information. Upon authentication, the Golden Arches light up to indicate that the tag is read. The system then automatically bills purchases to the credit/check card of the customer's choice, prints a receipt, and the customer is on his way. There are no extra fees when using this method of payment. [Scott Loftesness]
3:24:27 PM
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Notes from PC Forum, Day Three:
Posted by Dan Gillmor, SiliconValley.com, March 26, 2002
Security panel. Esther asks the audience
if it would object to a mandatory, government-issued identification
card. Only about 10-15 percent raised hands. Sheep.
Steven Levy of Newsweek asks the right
question. How do we prevent the ID from being abused?
Stewart Baker says don't worry. We'll end
up with creeping credentialization, as he calls it, and we'll be happy
for the convenience. In other words, you may not be anonymous. You may
have no privacy, and tough luck.
Baker makes an interesting point about
insurance companies and their role in security. If you want protection
from total wipeout, you take orders from the companies that protect you.
6:24:02 AM
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U.S.
firms move IT overseas (HP, EDS, IBM, etc)
By Ed Frauenheim, Staff Writer, CNET News.com, December 11,
2002, 4:00 AM PT
Under pressure from overseas rivals, U.S. companies selling information
technology services have a new mantra: If you can't beat them, join them.
... Already, more than 300 of the
Fortune 500 firms do business with Indian IT services companies,
according to Gartner. The research firm predicts that by 2004, more
than 80 percent of U.S companies will have considered using offshore IT
services. In addition, more than 40 percent of U.S. corporations will
have completed some type of offshore IT pilot program or will be using
IT services with an overseas component by that time.
That IT services seepage is confirmed by a November report from
Forrester Research. It estimated that the number of computer jobs moving
overseas will grow from 27,171 in 2000 to 472,632 five years after
that. Forrester researchers predict that other services--including call
center services and back-office accounting--will follow IT services in
moving abroad....
5:58:41 AM
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© Copyright 2006 Russ Savage.
Last update: 5/8/06; 8:55:10 PM.
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