Army scouts biometrics
The Army is exploring whether commercial security products and services are the answer to the Defense Department's biometrics needs.
The Army is exploring whether commercial security products and services
are the answer to the Defense Department's biometrics needs.
In an inquiry to industry last week, the Army's Communications and Electronic
Command Acquisition Center, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., detailed the department's
needs for biometrics hardware, software and services. The products would
secure information activities within the United States and operational zones
such as Bosnia and South Korea.
Biometrics is an authentication technology that relies on unique physical
characteristics, such as fingerprints, irises and voices. The Army is looking
at those and other biometric technologies as well as training and support.
Responses are due by Nov. 21.
All products must comply with the Biometrics Application Programming
Interface standard overseen by the BioAPI Consortium. The products must
also comply with the National Security Telecommunications and Information
Systems Security Committee's acquisition policy that calls for DOD to give
preference to products evaluated under the international Common Criteria
Evaluation and Validation Scheme.
Products are being evaluated by commercial laboratories under the accreditation
of the National Information Assurance Partnership of the National Security
Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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