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Last updated: April 9, 2007
Page created: Feb. 18, 2002

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Information Technology Laboratory Areas
   
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NIST/ITL's BioAPI Conformance Test Suite Implementation

February 28, 2006
NIST/ITL completed the development and testing of a Biometric Application Programming Interface (BioAPI) Conformance Test Suite (CTS) beta implementation. This software tool was developed to help users verify the conformance of Biometric Service Providers to ANSI INCITS 358-2002, the BioAPI Specification 1.1. Additional goals are to support product developers interested in conforming to biometric standards by using the same testing tools available to users and the possible establishment of conformity assessment programs to validate conformance to the BioAPI standard and other biometric standards.

The Department of Defense (DoD) Biometric Management Office (BMO) has developed a similar BioAPI CTS beta implementation. NIST/ITL and DoD BMO have performed coordinated testing of NIST/ITL's and DoD BMO's BioAPI CTS beta implementations in order to cross-validate the test results using a number of vendor BSPs claiming conformance to the BioAPI standard.

Both BioAPI CTS beta implementations are based on a draft conformance testing methodology standard for ANSI INCITS 358-2002 under development in the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) Technical Committee M1 – Biometrics.

For more information on NIST/ITL's BioAPI CTS beta implementation please click here. Information on DoD BMO's CTS tool can be found at the DoD BMO's web site.

   
   
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ITL Bulletin on Biometrics: Biometrics-Technologies for Highly Secure Personal Authentication

September 2005
This ITL Bulletin discusses biometric authentication and outlines recent research and evaluation activities in industry, government and academia. The bulletin summarizes biometric standards activities and the role of NIST/ITL and the Biometric Consortium in the development of these biometric standards.

   
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April 5, 2004 -- NISTIR 6529-A, "Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF)"
This specification is an augmented and revised version of the original CBEFF, the Common Biometric Exchange File Format, published in January 2001 as NISTIR 6529. This version, was developed by the CBEFF team based on the specification approved by the Biometrics Interoperability, Performance, and Assurance Working Group (NIST/BC WG) co-sponsored by NIST and the Biometric Consortium.

A copy of NISTIR 6529-A is available here (228KB - pdf file)

   
primary bullet Biometric Interoperability and Data Interchange Standards Activities:
 

Focus is on accelerating the development of interoperability and biometric data interchange standards in cooperation with end-users and industry.

   
primary bullet Standards-based biometric architectures
Focus is on developing and evaluating standards-based biometric systems in response to Homeland Defense and security requirements. Focus is on working with government and industry to achieve more biometric-based interoperable open systems.

   
primary bullet Biometric Consortium
 

The U.S. Biometric Consortium serves as the Government focal point for research, development, testing, evaluation and application of biometric-based personal identification/verification technologies. The membership has substantially grown in the last few years to over 900
members from government, industry, and academia. Sixty government agencies have membership in the Consortium. The BC organizes biometric conferences and workshops that are open to members and non-members. It sponsors a web site open to members and an electronic mail discussion list for its members. The BC also sponsors technology workshops & standards activities such as the NIST/BC Biometric Working Group and the CBEFF development. It also sponsors other user/industry activities, as needed, to address required research and other technical issues. NIST/ITL and NSA co-chairs the Biometric Consortium and its Working Groups. The BC is the global clearinghouse for biometrics, is a major biometric standards incubator and is a catalyst for enterprise integration of biometric technology.

   
primary bullet Biometrics: Identification Technology
 

Focus is on the development of measurement, evaluation and standards for fingerprint matching and interchange, criminal justice information systems, human identification at long distances.

   
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March 11, 2003
Roles for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Accelerating the Development of Critical Biometric Consensus Standards for US Homeland Security and the Prevention of ID Theft
White Paper, 26KB PDF file, (6 pages)

   
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January 1, 2003
NIST Develops BioAPI Linux Reference Implementation

The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) of NIST released to the BioAPI Consortium the BioAPI Linux™ Reference Implementation for beta testing by BioAPI Consortium member organizations. This effort, undertaken by members of the Convergent Information Systems Division of ITL, entailed “porting” the existing Windows™ (Win32™) implementation to execute in Linux™ platforms. It was harmonized by NIST with a Unix TM (SolarisTM ) version developed by another BioAPI Consortium member. The configuration included in the combined Reference Implementation software provided by NIST can handle multiple “flavors” of Unix (currently configurable for Linux and Solaris), and is easily adaptable to handle other Unix systems such as BSD™ , HPUX™, or AIX™ in the future. The Reference Implementation is the software instantiation of the BioAPI framework. As an “open systems” specification, the BioAPI is intended for use across a broad spectrum of computing environments to insure cross-platform support.
 
To view the BioAPI Consortium Releases for Testing the Beta Version of the BioAPI Linux™/Unix™ Reference Implementation Software in Word format, click here.
(NOTE: By clicking "click here" link, you will be leaving the NIST Biometric and NIST webserver.)

   
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May 10, 2002
BioAPI Receives Security Award at CardTech/SecurTech

The BioAPI Consortium was recently awarded the Fifth Annual Larry Linden Security Technology Award at the 12th annual CardTech/SecurTech (CTST) Conference held in New Orleans. This award recognizes innovations and accomplishments in designing, developing, and implementing security technology applications. NIST is a member of the BioAPI Consortium and its Steering Committee.
 
To view the BioAPI Receives Security Award at CardTech/SecurTech in Word format click here.
(NOTE: By clicking "click here" link, you will be leaving the NIST Biometric and NIST webserver.)

   

 

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Highlights

Biometric Consortium Conference (BC2007)
September 11-13, 2007
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland USA

BC2007 will address the important role that biometrics can play in the identification and verification of individuals in this age of heightened security and privacy by examining biometric-based solutions for homeland security as well as the utilization of biometrics in other government and commercial applications. BC2007 will provide a forum to address biometric research, recent technology advancements, government initiatives and commercial applications, adoption of biometric standards and biometrics and security. The Biometrics Research Symposium will be held again this year as part of the BC2007 program. 

Join over 1000 participants including representatives from 60 Federal, State and local agencies, 25 Universities, Biometric Industry, System Integrators and Users. The technical program will include over 100 internationally recognized speakers including experts in biometric technologies, system and application developers, IT strategists, government and commercial officers and university researchers. Format: Two and one half day program, multiple conference sessions, Research Symposium (oral presentations & a poster session) and panel discussions.

Conference Website: http://www.nist.gov/bc2007
Technical Contact: Fernando L. Podio

The 2007 Biometrics Technology Expo (100+ vendor exhibits) will be co-located with BC2007.


Biometric Consortium Conference (BC2006)
September 19-21, 2006
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Held for the first time at the Baltimore Convention Center, BC2006 was a great success with over 1000 participants attending the multi-track conference sessions!

The program included five keynote and feature speakers and over 100 speakers from government, industry and academia. The Biometrics Technology Expo was held in conjunction with BC2006.

For more information: http://www.nist.gov/bc2006

The 2006 presentations can be found at: 2006 Presentations


September 2005 Biometric Consortium Conference (BC2005) Co-Sponsored by NIST/ITL a Great Success!

For more information: http://www.nist.gov/bc2005

The 2005 presentations can be found at: 2005 Presentations


September 2004 Biometric Consortium Conference (BC2004)

For more information: http://www.nist.gov/bc2004

The 2004 presentations can be found at: 2004 Presentations


February 13, 2002:

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved ANSI INCITS 358-2002 Information technology - BioAPI Specification (Version 1.1) as an ANSI standard. The BioAPI specification was developed by the BioAPI Consortium.
NIST is a member of the BioAPI Consortium Steering Committee together with BioScrypt, Compaq Corp., Infineon, Iridian Technologies, SAFLink Corp., and Unisys

 

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