Canadian Air Transport Security Authority Uses Biometrics To Verify Airport Worker Identity

  • May 14, 2008

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) has awarded Unisys Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Unisys Corp. a contract to supply, integrate and manage a new identification management system, using fingerprint and iris biometric technology to verify the identities of airport workers at 29 airports throughout Canada.

The new system, based on commercial off-the-shelf products from ImageWare Systems, will replace the existing application used in CATSA’s Restricted Area Identification Card (RAIC) system. The RAIC system enhances aviation security by verifying the identities of airport workers via biometrics and ensuring that only those workers with security clearance are permitted to enter restricted areas. It also allows CATSA to update the security clearance status of all 100,000 airport workers instantly at all airports across the country.

The contract will run two years, followed by two additional two-year option periods. Unisys will also provide data management, integration and project management services for the deployment of the new version of the RAIC application. Additional services will include training, preparation of training material and provision of technical support once the application is deployed.

The RAIC system uses contactless smart cards, fingerprint and iris readers located at entry points to restricted areas and enrollment equipment which communicates with the airport’s access control systems. Airport workers scan smart cards in readers, which extract the biometric data. The user then undergoes a fingerprint or iris scan which is matched against the data on the card.

ImageWare Systems Inc., subcontractor to Unisys, will provide its IWS Biometric Engine Border Management Solution, a Web-based, multi-biometric ID management system for the CATSA project. The ImageWare product is the centrepiece of the new RAIC application, responsible for enrollment of airport workers, capturing and processing their biometric data, and issuing biometric-enabled smart cards.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.