IBM Looks Airline Security in the Eye
Signs Agreement With Schiphol Group to Bring Biometric Iris Scanning System to Airlines and Airports
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. & AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands--April
25, 2002--IBM is joining with Schiphol Group of Amsterdam to offer
airlines and airports around the world a quick security access system
that uses biometric iris scanning technology. The
new offering will be based on the existing Automatic Border Passage
(ABP) system Schiphol Group has deployed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
This system identifies and verifies travelers by cross referencing a
real-time iris scan with the travelers' pre-registered iris data --
which is stored on an encrypted smart card. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
was the world's first airport to employ a new automatic border passage
system using iris recognition for passengers in a high-security
environment. The ABP system, which has been in
operation since October 2001, is currently used for identity
verification and border passage functions, supplementary to manual
passport control by the Dutch border police. It runs on IBM eServer
xSeries and uses an IBM DB2 database to access non-biometric related
passenger data. IBM will work with Schiphol Group to extend a subset of
the biometric security features in this system so it can be used by
airlines and airports for passenger identification and tracking in
functions such as ticketing, check in, screening and boarding.
Additionally, the companies plan to develop components of the
technology to provide secure employee and staff access to restricted
areas of travel and transportation facilities. Editors Note: Photos of the current system used at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport are available at: http://www-916.ibm.com/press/photo.nsf/photoview?OpenView&Start=1&Count=100&Expand=26#26
(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field.) Demonstrations can also be arranged on site at Schiphol Airport. Under
terms of the agreement, IBM will team with Schiphol Group to market the
new solution to airlines and airports. It will also perform all systems
integration for the solution, provide the necessary hardware and
software, and assist Schiphol Group in modifying the system to develop
new solutions and security components to meet evolving security
requirements. The core security solution behind Schiphol Group's
Automatic Border Passage system will be supplied through a joint
venture Schiphol Group has formed with Joh. Enschede Security Solutions
B.V., a specialist Dutch security solutions company that supplied the
technology for iris recognition and storage of iris information on
smart cards. Schiphol Group is the intellectual proprietor of the
border passage concept employing iris recognition. "IBM's
worldwide reach, systems integration skills and airline industry
insight and expertise make it the ideal company to help us deploy this
biometric technology for airport security, enabling a sense of security
and convenience for today's travelers,'' said Pieter Verboom, CFO of
Schiphol Group. "The system's ability to process
four-to-five people per minute and provide highly reliable,
machine-made decisions on whether the person actually is who he or she
claims to be, will go a long way towards meeting travelers' demands for
security, convenience and speed, '' said Mike Hulley, general manager,
IBM Global Travel & Transportation Industry group. The
security procedure for this solution involves two phases. In the first
phase, the traveler is qualified and registered. This process, which
includes a passport review, background check, and iris scan that is
encrypted and embedded on a smart card, usually takes about 15 minutes.
Currently the solution at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is offered to
members of Privium, the airport's new service programme open to holders
of European Economic Area passports (EU countries plus Norway, Iceland
and Liechtenstein) that is independent of airline frequent flier
programs. Currently, some 2,500 people are using the Privium service
programme. IBM and Schiphol Group have indicated that this model can be
varied at new installations as the customer and circumstances demand. The
second phase identifies and verifies the registered traveler at the
border passage checkpoint. This is done when the traveler approaches a
gated kiosk and inserts a smart card in the kiosk card reader. The
system reads the smart card and allows valid registered travelers to
enter an isolated area. The traveler then looks into an iris scan
camera so that the iris can be matched with the data on the smartcard.
If a successful match is obtained, the passenger can continue to the
gate. If the biometric analysis fails, or the traveler's passage is not
authorized by any external system link, the automatic gate directs the
traveler to the front of the queue for the standard manual passport
check. The entire automatic border passage procedure is typically
completed in about 10-15 seconds. By adding
dedicated software to the iris scanner's standard software, Schiphol
Group has designed the system so that it does not use a database but
can receive data from a smartcard chip, which means there is no sharing
of the iris information. The use of individual smart cards to hold the
biometric data rather than a biometrics database, coupled with the fact
that program enrollment is voluntary, has eased concerns about privacy.
Due to a strict separation of data on the chip, the card reader is also
able to read the Dutch Border Police data independently from the
biometric information, further easing privacy concerns. "We
chose iris biometric technology because of its security and reliability
as well as the fact that it is a non-contact system,'' said Verboom.
The core iris scanning technology has been enhanced by Johan Enschede
Security Solutions to ensure high performance and accuracy.
Consequently the verification process has been drastically improved and
currently is about 50 percent faster than the standard software.
Additionally since the system involves no physical contact, such as
fingerprint or hand geometry biometrics, there are no concerns
regarding hygienics and no extra time is required for cleaning and
maintenance of the unit. About Schiphol Group Schiphol
Group is an airport operator headquartered in the Netherlands. The
airport company is primarily involved in developing "AirportCities'' to
create sustainable value for its stakeholders. Its goal is to become a
leading international airport operator with a worldwide network of
AirportCities. Schiphol Group's corporate vision is that airports are
not simply boarding or transfer areas. An airport is like a modern
city, a dynamic traffic hub where people and businesses, logistics and
information, entertainment and shopping meet. Just as in a city, worlds
meet at an airport. The company creates and develops AirportCities on
the basis of a well-thought out, visitor-driven perspective, which
assumes that an airport should not only be a perfect stop in the travel
process but a unique experience. Schiphol Group's
showpiece is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Besides Amsterdam Airport
Schiphol, Schiphol Group operates and owns the regional Dutch airports
of Rotterdam and Lelystad Airport and holds 51 percent of the share in
Eindhoven Airport. The group also operates internationally, including
Terminal 4 at JFK Airport in New York and Brisbane Airport in
Australia. For more information on the Privium service program, visit www.schiphol.nl. About IBM IBM
is tapping the systems integration skills of IBM Global Services, the
technology in its hardware and software product divisions, its broad
expertise with airports, airlines and government entities, its renowned
IBM Research Labs, as well as collaborations with companies, such as
Schiphol Group; to explore ways information technology can be used to
enhance travel-related security. In addition to working closely with
airports and government organizations worldwide, IBM has been involved
with the airline industry since the 1960s, and today supplies
information technology to virtually every major airline in the world.
For more information on IBM's offerings for the travel and
transportation industries, visit www.ibm.com/industries/travel. # # #
EDITORS NOTE: TECHNOLOGIES The current Automatic Border Passage solution consists of the following components: Iris
recognition module. This is based on the LG2200 camera with core
software components plus dedicated software added to allow the system
to exchange encrypted biometric data with a smartcard instead of a
database. Additionally, the standard iris framegrabber configuration is
modified to allow for more efficient use in a single PC kiosk
environment. Security concept: The communication
with external databases (housing general Privium membership info) and
smartcard are part of a total security concept that was audited by TNO
(Netherlands Technology Research Institute). Schiphol Group developed
the concept in close co-operation with the Dutch Border Police
(Koninklijke Marechaussee) and the Department of Naturalization and
Immigration (IND) in the Netherlands. Schiphol Group is the
intellectual proprietor of the automatic border passage system
employing iris recognition. Central Control
Application: Dedicated software was developed for the system that
controls the whole process. It receives information from all components
of the central system. This component handles system exceptions. Gates:
The gate design is patented by Schiphol Group and allows easy access to
passengers with hand baggage, whilst ensuring that passengers cannot
bypass the system without clearance from the biometric reader. In the
event of a failure to validate, the passenger is physically directed
sideways out of the security system in front of a Dutch border police
guard for a manual passport check. Smartcard
storage: Biometric and personal data are stored and read from the
smartcard. The data is encrypted on the card and protected from
fraudulent use. The smart card has the capacity to accept two forms of
biometric identification. Smartcards. : A Schlumberger TB200 2K card is currently used. The
system is designed in accordance with IEEE development standards for
mission critical systems. Thus, system modifications can be developed
in a controlled way ensuring the maintenance of original quality
standards. Data is encrypted using the 3 DES algorithm. The
IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with
the following descriptive term "server'' following it. IBM, and DB2 are
trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries. Other company, product, and service names may be the
trademarks or service marks of others.
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