Highlights From SIA’s Identity & Biometrics Kickoff Virtual Coffee With DOD

On May 12, the Security Industry Association‘s (SIA’s) Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board (IBTAB) hosted a virtual coffee with industry leaders specializing in producing biometrics and digital identification solutions. The event featured remarks from Col. Senodja “Frank” Sundiata-Walker, project manager, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Biometrics.

During her presentation, Sundiata-Walker discussed how her team engineers, acquires, deploys and sustains DOD enterprise biometric solutions in multiple operating environments, enabling identity dominance on the battlefield through DOD’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). In particular, the colonel focused her remarks on the following biometric modalities that have been leveraged by DOD ABIS: face, fingerprint, palm, iris and voice.

After introducing DOD’s role in the biometrics realm, Sundiata-Walker presented how DOD utilizes the biometrics enterprise in the field to collect, match, store and share biometrically enabled identity intelligence. The biometrics enterprise is working to provide a more robust collection capability to the soldier through the use of handheld devices which now have a stronger computing capacity to collect biometrics in the field.

Regarding interagency cooperation, DOD ABIS has transactional interoperability with the FBI’s Next Generation Identification system and limited interoperability with the DHS Automated Biometric Identification System. This is important to underscore since it demonstrates that DOD is working in a collaborative manner to biometrically verify identities by leveraging all available databases employed by the federal government. Sundiata-Walker encouraged those interested in partnering with her team in the future to review the upcoming Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors ALT Industry Day Forum on May 24.

SIA’s May 12 IBTAB virtual coffee event was supported by sponsors NEC National Security Systems and IDEMIA National Security Solutions. SIA and IBTAB once again would like to thank these sponsors for helping to make this event possible.

Founded in January 2021, the SIA IBTAB provides technical expertise to encourage informed buying decisions in technologies that include facial recognition systems, identity proofing and verification solutions, biometric devices and mobile identification platforms. The SIA IBTAB guides the development of several initiatives, including a series of virtual networking roundtables with government officials and periodic SIA-led official meetings with policymakers and key agency procurement officials, and provides input into educational content developed by SIA, such as identity management tracks and sessions at SIA events and SIA’s Security Megatrends, and SIA standards activities. Learn more about the SIA IBTAB.