BioLink is Committed to Add Biometric Security to Bahamian Passports

BioLink announces an e-passport project in the Bahamas, which is expected to cover 255,000 citizens. Introduction of e-passports enhanced with biometrics is intended to ensure the safety of passport holders and security of confidential data stored in a passport against fraudulent use. E-passports meet the globally accepted standards for machine-readable documents, such as the recommendations established by the ICAO, of which the Bahamas is a member.

The Bahamian Department of Immigration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are charged with preventing illegal border crossing and

trafficking by means of e-passports. An e-passport contains an embedded contactless chip, holding electronic data of the passport holder, to ensure the integrity of personal data, including the holder’s biometric credentials. Bahamian passports are enhanced with fingerprint biometrics delivered by BioLink. To cross a border, a person’s fingerprint is scanned and compared against the digital fingerprint template contained in the silicon chip memory. The identification procedure is fast and effortless allowing for an accelerated flow of passengers and checks by the border authorities.

For Bahamian e-passports, BioLink supplied its biometric development kit, designed to add security to applications requiring strong identification. The kit is advantageous for supporting the key global security standards, such as ICAO, ISO/IEC, ANSI/NIST, ANSI/INCITS, WSQ and BioAPI thus ensuring an interoperable data exchange with other systems. For this particular project, BioLink also ensured compatibility of its fingerprint matching algorithm in the ANSI/NIST format with the ST4e hand-held device delivered by IRIS Corporation Berhad, a pioneer in e-passports and national multipurpose cards and BioLink’s partner in the Bahamian project.

Piotr Pertsov, Director of Business Development in BioLink, says: “Biometric technology has so advanced in the past few years that incorporation of biometrics into passports is no longer considered a ‘mission impossible’. E-passports come into the forefront due to multiple forgeries and duplicity in the national security domain. BioLink’s progress in delivering relevant security solutions is achieved mostly through our advanced proprietary algorithms and software, as well as highly skilled managers and engineers, able to fulfill any customer requirements in a fast and proper fashion. The Bahamian passports are another example of BioLink’s extensive experience and expertise in civil identification projects”. About BioLink. BioLink, a leading provider of biometric identification solutions, develops, manufactures, and markets advanced fingerprint biometric products.