Back in the day it was either contact or contactless interface for smart cards, choose one. But then came hybrid cards which offered both interfaces by embedding two separate chips on a single card. Today, however, demand is growing in multiple markets for dual-interface cards that offer both contact and contactless interfaces via a single chip.

A growing number of cities are making it possible for residents to prove their identity to local agencies and institutions without having to present a driver license. With the adoption of municipal ID programs, local and state governments are issuing ID cards to residents – mostly undocumented individuals – who otherwise wouldn’t be able to obtain a traditional ID.

Securing construction sites has typically been done with walls bad barbed wire but companies are starting to use biometrics and other identity technologies to know who’s on site. Using these technologies in a construction environment can pose some challenged but also reap some rewards.

New security standards for securing the grid provide opportunities for vendors, but according to some industry advisers, that’s only if they can make sense of the specification. Security and regulatory adviser Patrick Miller voiced his concerns that the new Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are somewhat unclear and might […]

LastPass users and the security community were shaken up last week following news that the online password manager experienced a data breach that exposed users’ encrypted master passwords. But at least one password-cracking expert says the LastPass breach is nothing for users to sweat about, especially if they picked a strong master password.

Password management systems — software application or service that helps users keep track of all of their logins, usually by securing them under a single master password — are becoming popular options for individuals and enterprises to manage access to their online accounts.

Connecting a physical access control system to an Internet-enabled backbone can ease a lot of pain for the end user. IP technology simplifies the infrastructure and can be more cost effective and easier to use. Still, some question if putting these systems online makes them more vulnerable.

Fast, cheap or good. The old adage says you typically can’t have all three. The same has been true when choosing a card printing technology, but things are changing. The direct-to-card method had filled the “fast and cheap” niche but new retransfer card printers are filling an important niche in the form of superior image quality and affordability.

Easy baggage check, automatic notifications of gate and delays and even discount codes sent directly to a travelers mobile device are just some of the possibilities when traveling in the future. Airport operators are exploring many different ways to take advantage of mobile devices and other technologies to make getting through the airport as easy of a process as possible.

From hackers who breach the data of corporate retail giants to social media sites that sell your information, identity is a hot commodity. The different aspects of an identity hold value for different people. Social Security numbers and credit card data are going to be highly valuable to someone on the black market, whereas retailers want to analyze your Facebook likes, shopping habits and demographic information.