In the recent past, security staffs were responsible of protecting the port’s facilities. They used to screen individuals and vehicles to make sure that everything was safe and secure. Additionally, security personnel were required to open and lock the train gates after an entrance, this necessitated that they stand up and wait while large vehicles, such as trains went through the gate. This process eventually became overwhelming for administrative and managerial purposes. Not to mention that after Canada’s new standards were initiated in 2003, security officials were required to guard every access point in the port, a costly procedure indeed.

Many of the port’s employees expressed concern about their privacy and started looking at biometric access controls just like many of today’s concerned facility owners. However they were skeptical of the fingerprint scanners and did not think they were secure enough since people continually leave fingerprints everywhere they come into contact with.

The issue of usability also concerned them. The port’s officials and staffs realized that the dire situation of the port will not show mercy to the sensitive and expensive fingerprint scanner systems. Not to mention that in several instances the scanners proved to be ineffective in picking up the finger prints due to the fact that many workers already have rough, cold hands that do not present the ideal condition of an individual’s fingerprints. Not to mention that retina scanning devices can cause lengthy waiting periods since many employees have to take off eyewear such as glasses, goggles or even winter clothes just to expose their retinas to the security device.

Redistributing Superior Identity Verification Systems

Fortunately, an access control system was successful in tackling the majority, if not all, of these setbacks. Identica Canada Corp. collaborated its efforts with another Canadian security company to create a biometric (refers to Identity Verification Systems) verification and access management database system in Halifax’s port using the company’s technology of hand vascular pattern recognition. Thanks to their efforts, the port now enjoys a high level of security and manages the access control for well over 3,500 of its employees.

The technology of Vascular Biometrics has proven to be the model fixture for an access control system in active work surroundings. It is certainly more precise and does not contain any downsides or malfunctions as opposed to its other biometric counterparts. The vascular biometric technology of Identica has truly addressed all of the port’s security needs and was able to easily and efficiently fit in the port’s environment.

These biometric fingerprint scanners were set up at the central management building, surveillance headquarters, the main gates, and cruise amenities. Not to mention the gateways and secluded parking locations into the facility’s marine workstations

Recognition algorithms are used by Identica’s VP-II scanners to record and personalize a person’s unique vascular blueprint on the back of the individual’s palm. As soon as the user displays his/ her hand to the device, the device captures an image of the hand and compares it to the pre-saved patterns until a match is found. The scanners of the Halifax port encrypt each employee’s unique personal pattern on a smart electronic card. The scanner then syncs up with Identica’s proprietary Universal Controller and biometrically confirms the individual with the saved pattern on the card. In the case of an employee losing his/ her card, no one else can use it, which is a terrific layer of security in itself.

The Halifax Port administration spent close to 18 months working with the port stakeholders to discover equipment that industry could reside with and that would suffice the objectives and demands of the port. The port’s administration was also aware of the fact that they needed to validate the possessor of a smart card for security reasons.

The Perfect Fix

The overwhelming majoring of the fingerprint scanners of the Halifax port were set up outside the facility. Identica was able to create several features that further enhanced the finger print biometric device. To start with, a Weather Shield feature was put in place. This consisted of a heated outdoor compartment which enables the machine to operate in all types of weather settings. A silver antimicrobial treatment was also used; this destroys a large percentage of germs that may stick around the machine after long periods of operation.

The system usability of the scanners is close to 99.98 percent. This means that the number of workers who can not or were not successful in using or operating the biometric device correctly is almost negligible and insignificant. Another security device that was successful in evading all of these security hassles is the VP-II. This device scans about four millimeters below the skin’s surface.

Not to mention that, time and speed of operation was not an issue when it came to the VP-11 systems. Many employees, who were going to be coming in on shift changes, were very worried that there would be a bottleneck effect at the access points due to delay in the verification procedures. However, it only takes these biometric devices 0.1 of a second to verify if the user is allowed or not allowed to access the facility.

The Halifax Port administrative faculty was also extremely impressed by the security capabilities of the vascular biometric scanners.

Since the technology of these biometric devices captures the vascular patterns present under the skin of an individual, there is very little room for error, unlike systems that only scan fingerprints. Furthermore, this new trend of vascular system biometric devices is unique from the aspect that nobody is capable of observing the body part that the machine is capturing the pattern from. Not to mention that no catalog or database exists of these vein patters, so the users do not have to worry about their identity or private record. Unlike a fingerprint device since many employees feel as if their identities are going to be shared with the police records.

Evidently, the biometric vascular devices at the Port of Halifax were the right choice to get the job done. As the industry of biometrics continues to thrive, vein-reading scanners may prove to be the technology of preference in other troublesome settings.