RIYADH, 12 October 2004 — A majority of companies in the Kingdom is considering introduction of biometric technology to increase workplace security, a survey shows.
Biometric technology made its debut in the United States in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to have a digital facial record and finger printing of the visitors to the US. Since then, the EU countries have also made use of the technology for scanning visitors to that region.
The survey showed that 56 percent of the Saudi firms were planning to introduce the iris scanning and fingerprint recognition systems for increased security in office buildings. Some 28 percent (out of the 56 percent) expected the implementation of the new system to take place within the next two years. Biometric technology is already being adopted by border control and public sector organizations.
A spokesman of Hitachi Data Systems Middle East said the survey was commissioned as part of the Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index to identify the market potential.
The survey reveals that 53 percent of Saudi companies believe that the use of biometrics in office buildings is warranted in the light of the current situation. Some 31 percent of the respondents were apprehensive that the biometric information was likely to be misused either by companies or government agencies.
It was also announced that some major public sector organizations from the Kingdom as well as the ministries of interior and information and culture will be attending the Third Middle East Biometrics Forum to be held in Dubai from June 5 to 7 next year.
Saudi Aramco has awarded purchase orders for the installation of biometric live scan systems.
In a related development, a new generation of handheld smart card readers with advanced, instant verification of biometric contact and contactless chip cards has made its debut in Dubai. The smart card was launched globally by Datastrip, at the ID Summit held in Dubai in May this year.
Referring to the survey, the spokesman said fewer than one in five biometric technology deployments were expected to be ready for use within the next 12 months. Concerns over possible technical malfunctions and data security breaches suggest that most deployments will be delayed while new IT systems are developed to protect against such risks.
Almost half of those polled (44 percent) cited the technical malfunctions, such as staff being accidentally locked out of buildings as a cause of concern for organizations using and storing biometric information. A similar number, 41 percent, felt that the risk of crimes such as electronic ID theft could be a potential hazard.
“One of the biggest hurdles to faster adoption of biometrics is ensuring that biometric data is stored securely and efficiently, whilst also ensuring that the system can carry on functioning properly in the event of any part of the IT network going down. This requires companies to put in place effective business continuity processes and to invest in technologies like remote replication and data backup, automated data management and data encryption,” explains John Bentley of Hitachi Data Systems.
The study also found that the use of biometrics is widely supported for a wide range of government and financial applications. In particular, 78 percent or respondents agreed that it was justified for government building security, while 75 percent said it was warranted for validating ID cards, including driving licenses and proof-of-age cards for the security services. Almost as many (69 percent) backed the use of biometrics for security services.
The least supported application of the technology was in administering welfare payments, with only 28 percent in favor.
