Campus Cards, College and University Identification and Security

Iowa may make fingerprints legal in schools again

Monday, January 28, 2008

In 2005 Iowa legislators passed a law forbidding the use of fingerprint scanners in schools. The biometrics technology was being used in lunch lines, for library checkout and bus boarding. There were fears that the information wasn’t secure and could be hacked.

But the Iowa Department of Education wants lawmakers to pass new legislation making it legal for schools to use the biometrics technology. Schools would be able to save money if they didn’t have to print out different cards for lunch, library and other activities.

Department of Education officials want to educate legislators on what biometric technology is and how it can and can’t be used. “There’s been some misconceptions in the industry: What if that fingerprint is stolen from the system?” Ali Pabrai, the chief executive officer of Ecfirst.com, a West Des Moines-based biometrics consulting company. “What’s stored is not the actual fingerprint but certain data points.”

Read the full story here. [end] 

Related Articles
Finger scanning utilized at two West Virginia high schools

High schools in Jefferson County, W.V. will be implementing biometric finger scanning in an effort to provide security for the students’ cafeteria accounts. Purpose of the program, according to school officials, is to eliminate clerical errors and to provide students with an easy way to identify themselves when using the cafeteria.

read more »
UK to start using biometric residence permits

The UK Border Agency has announced intentions to require applicants applying for six-month stays from outside the European Economic Area to use biometric residency permits starting at the end of February 2012, according to an HR Magazine article.

read more »
ABA Task Force releases draft

The first draft of the American Bar Association Task Force Report tentatively titled “Solving the Legal Challenges of Online Identity Management” has been posted on the Task Force Web site for review and comment.

read more »
Washington, D.C. students now need DC's One Card

Washington D.C. high school and middle school students now need a DC One Card to ride the city’s transit system. The card is a single ID card that gives students access to most D.C. government programs and facilities, including recreation centers, libraries, and the Metro.

read more »
Ohio elementary school gets biometric cafeterias

Munroe Elementary School in Tallmadge, Ohio is upgrading its cafeteria to be cash-free when the students return form winter break relying instead on biometrics for students to access accounts for their food, according to a Tallmadge Express article.

read more »
Alabama schools in pilot program to track students riding buses

The Huntsville, Ala. school district is conducting a pilot program that will track when and where students get on and off the bus. Currently, three schools–an elementary, middle and high school–are involved in the pilot.

read more »

Copyright © 2012, AVISIAN, Inc. All rights reserved.