IHF Roundup: Chicago Bolsters Virtual Shield, Biometrics Invade Hospitals and Other Top Stories This Week

We're almost into March, officially "Fraud Prevention Month" in Canada and the US, and lots of security initiatives seem to be popping up in the headlines.

Chicago's Virtual Shield project received a $6 million grant from the DHS to link the public surveillance grid to its 911 system. Definitely a step in the right direction in integrating surveillance and emergency resources.

The FBI is putting money to good use, too, with its Next Generation Identification system (NGI). A $1 billion investment over ten years, the NGI combines iris scans, facial imaging, palm prints and fingerprint identification technologies in one, multi-dimensional system. Very cool stuff.

The Korean National Police Agency (NPA) is exploring options around installing facial recognition technologies in ATMs, as part of a comprehensive public security plan to reduce crimes in the country. Should be more focused on face finding and searching technologies in order to help track down and identify suspects, but the initiative does look promising.

An expert group in Westminster pondered the installation of biometrics in the workplace this week. Airports, ATMs, hospitals, DMVs -- why not in your cubicle -- or at the cash register, for that matter? Forget about that PIN or picking up a pen at the grocery store or shopping center -- your fingerprint may be the signature of the future. Much tougher to fake a print than an illegible scribble.

On that note, this weekend, why not head out to the theaters and and see Paul Blart Mall Cop -- might not have received rave reviews, but you'll learn a thing or two about retail security.