Tuesday August 28, 9:06 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: International Biometric Group

International Biometric Group Announces BioPrivacy Impact Framework

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2001--International Biometric Group announces the BioPrivacy Impact Framework, an evaluative tool designed to help institutions locate and reduce the privacy risks involved in deployments of biometric technology.

The BioPrivacy Impact Framework is the second of three components of IBG's BioPrivacy Initiative, detailed at www.bioprivacy.org.

Assessing a biometric deployment through the BioPrivacy Impact Framework illustrates the areas where greater risks are involved so that appropriate precautions and protections can be enabled.

``Biometrics are deployed in a variety of applications -- public and private sector, mandatory and opt-in, verification and identification -- and some applications are more likely to bear privacy risks than others,'' stated Michael Thieme, Senior Consultant at International Biometric Group. ``The BioPrivacy Impact Framework helps institutions locate and address potential privacy risks in biometric deployments before they become problems.''

The BioPrivacy Impact Framework categorizes biometric deployments according to ten fundamental privacy-related criteria, allowing institutions develop privacy policies to meet their specific needs.

• Are users aware of the system's operation? (Overt vs. Covert)
• Is the system optional or mandatory? (Opt-in vs. Mandatory)
• Is the system used for identification or verification? (Verification vs. Identification)
• Is the system deployed for a fixed period of time or indefinitely? (Fixed Duration vs. Indefinite Duration)
• Is the deployment public or private sector? (Private Sector vs. Public Sector)
• In what capacity is the user interacting with the system? (Individual, Customer, Employee, Citizen)
• Who owns the biometric information? (User vs. Institution)
• Where is the biometric data stored? (Personal Storage vs. Template Database)
• What type of biometric technology is being deployed? (Behavioral vs. Physiological)
• Do users initiate transactions (``Give''), or does the system automatically capture biometric data (``Grab'')? (Give vs. Grab)

Organizations interested in evaluating the privacy, technology, or security-related aspects of deploying biometrics can contact International Biometric Group at 212-809-9491.

About International Biometric Group

International Biometric Group is the leading biometric integration and consulting firm, addressing the identification and authentication needs of mid to large size organizations. IBG works on behalf of both private sector and government clients to evaluate, design, and integrate biometric solutions for Internet applications, public sector programs, network security, point of sale applications, physical access and time & attendance systems. Learn more at www.biometricgroup.com.

Contact:
International Biometric Group, New York
Michael Thieme, 212-809-9491