Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: March 7, 2018

EU Fingerprint identification searches now possible in Schengen Information System

European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice: “After a little less than two years of intense efforts, the eu-LISA Internal Security Systems Sector successfully launched the first phase of the SIS II AFIS platform. The platform enables the identification of a person from his/her fingerprints alone. The introduction of a biometric search capability in SIS II was achieved by eu-LISA in tight cooperation with ten Member States who showed both interest and willingness to use biometric queries once deployed at the Central System level. Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia will soon be followed by more Member States. The aim of SIS II AFIS is to allow all the Member States to leverage on a centralized policing-oriented database. As such, it will strengthen the fight against crime within Europe which is a mission we should bear in mind each day. Using the platform to locate those who either lie about their identity or changed it to avoid detection is paramount to Europe’s security. SIS II AFIS Phase One entered into operation on 5 March 2018 at 22:00 CET. The entire project was performed without any deviation from the timescale and in full compatibility with the requests from eu-LISA’s Governing Bodies. “This is an important milestone in the evolution of SIS II. With its new biometric search capabilities the system becomes an even more important platform for law-enforcement cooperation and information exchange. At the same time, this is a great achievement for the Agency as a whole, demonstrating again our agility and ability to deliver towards the needs of eu-LISA’s stakeholders.” said Krum Garkov, Executive Director of eu-LISA. Background – Articles 22 (c) of the SIS II Decision and the SIS II Regulation have foreseen an evolution towards the normal law enforcement practice of comparing a person’s fingerprints to the many sets of prints stored in SIS II (‘one-to-many’ search) to identify the person solely on the basis of his/her fingerprints. However, this can only be achieved by using an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

Links

SIS II Regulation
SISII Decision
SIS II Technical Report

IG Audit finds continues flaws in OPM security of federal employee data

NextGov: “The Office of Personnel Management inspector general again found flaws in the agency’s contracting for the credit monitoring and ID theft services it provides to the more than 21.5 million current, former and prospective federal employees affected by the 2015 data breaches. OPM has gone through two different contracts for post-breach protections. The IG… Continue Reading

Urban Heat: Can White Roofs Help Cool World’s Warming Cities?

Yale Environment 360: “Summers in the city can be extremely hot — several degrees hotter than in the surrounding countryside. But recent research indicates that it may not have to be that way. The systematic replacement of dark surfaces with white could lower heat wave maximum temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius or more. And with… Continue Reading

The Right to Repair Battle Has Come to Silicon Valley

Motherboard: “The right to repair battle has come to Silicon Valley’s home state: Wednesday, a state assembly member announced that California would become the 18th state in the country to consider legislation that would make it easier to repair your electronics. “The Right to Repair Act will provide consumers with the freedom to have their… Continue Reading

Reuters Series – Inside the Taser, the weapon that transformed policing

Inside the Taser, the weapon that transformed policing – Shock Tactics – A Reuters Series Part 1: The Toll – “In the most detailed study ever of fatalities and litigation involving police use of stun guns, Reuters finds more than 150 autopsy reports citing Tasers as a cause or contributor to deaths across America. Behind… Continue Reading

Who Should Be Armed in Florida Schools? Not Teachers, Lawmakers Say. But Maybe Librarians.

The New York Times: “One of the big questions facing Florida lawmakers after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is whether schoolteachers ought to be allowed to carry weapons. Gov. Rick Scott argues that schools would not be safer with armed teachers. His fellow Republicans in the legislature, however, appear much more open… Continue Reading

How famous DC cherry blossom trees reveal impacts of climate change

AccuWeather: “In anticipation of the annual springtime National Cherry Blossom Festival, millions of people await the announcement of the peak bloom date of Washington, D.C.’s famous cherry blossoms each year. Flowers from the cherry trees, which were gifted from Japan to the United States in 1912, have bloomed earlier in recent years. Warmer weather appears… Continue Reading