For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryContact: Donald Tighe 202-282-8010October 28, 2004
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today the adoption of itsfirst biometric facial recognition standard. The standard is designed to beconsistent with international standards for biometrics used in such applicationsas travel documents. This standard will also be used to specify definitions ofphotographic properties and digital image attributes, and as a standards formatfor relevant applications, including human examination and computer automatedface recognition.
Secretary Ridge and I are pleased to release the Departments biometricstandard face recognition formats today, said Dr. Charles McQueary, UnderSecretary for Science and Technology. This standard will help improve ourlong-term security by facilitating the interchange of digitally storedphotographs, regardless of what equipment is used to take or to display theimages.
Homeland security professionals will use the standard as technical criteriaupon which to design equipment such as cameras and software for facialrecognition. The standard supports visual human facial comparison and computerautomated comparisons for watch list checks and for computerentification andverification. It also facilitates the interchange of photographs across systems,and will assist in the future development of interoperable biometricapplications.
The Department, through the US-VISIT Program, has already moved forwardwith extensive work on biometrics and facial recognition standards. Theadaptation of facial recognition standards is a first step in standardizing alltypes of biometrics which is essential for the success of Homeland Securityprograms, said Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security AsaHutchinson.
This standard was developed by the International Committee for InformationTechnology Standards (INCITS), a standards development organization accreditedby the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Homeland Security andits partners will continue to work on a regular basis with INCITS to revisethese standards as biometric technology evolves. The standard (INCITS 385) isavailable from INCITS and from ANSI.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technologydivision serves as the primary research and development arm of the Department,utilizing our nations scientific and technological resources to providefederal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities toprotect the homeland.