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              | Date: 2001-05-31 
 
 Biometrics versus ECHELON-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 Husch, husch Kinder - geschwind besorgt euch ein
 patentiertes Verschlüsselungsprogramm auf Basis von
 Gesichtserkennung gegen das böse ECHELON-System.
 
 Dies rät euch dringend euer guter Onkel Elmar Hilgers, ein
 Bock, den man auch "Gärtner" nennt.
 
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 From: 	"E Hilgers" <ehilgers@biometrics.ws> To:
 <facemail@biometrics.ws> Subject: 	ECHELON - The
 biggest threat ever to your privacy Date sent: 	Thu, 31 May
 2001 17:33:31 +0100
 
 Encryption keeps big brother at bay
 
 Computer security was high on the agenda throughout
 Europe this week following the publication of a European
 Parliament committee report urging individuals to encrypt all
 their emails. The report was published as a result of an
 inquiry into allegations about the use of the Echelon spy
 system.
 
 Initially launched as a tool to gather military intelligence
 during the Cold War, Echelon has recently come under fire
 from privacy groups and computer specialists who believe
 that it is now being used for other  more sinister 
 surveillance activities. Among the rumours has been the
 accusation that Echelon can read all phone, fax and Internet
 traffic to distribute secret commercial information between
 rival corporations.
 
 Elmar Hilgers, Managing Director of Northamptonshire-based
 biometric company IdentAlink Ltd, commented: When we
 send emails to our friends and business associates, we all
 need to feel confident that what we are saying is not being
 read by an anonymous third party. For many of us, its not
 just a question of security; its also a question of privacy. If I
 send a letter to a colleague, I dont expect its contents to be
 read and discussed by a third person, so why should email
 be any different?
 
 Email encryption is the best way of ensuring that only the
 sender and the intended recipient have access to the
 contents of a message. By adding biometrics into the
 encryption process, security can be combined with ease of
 use to ensure that Big Brother doesnt have access to
 individual personal information. As Hilgers said: Passwords
 and Pin codes cannot provide all-round security. They are
 easily compromised either by accident or deliberately. The
 beauty of biometric face recognition is that you cant lose or
 forget your password because your face is your key.
 
 IdentAlink Ltd has recently started shipping its FaceMail
 product, which allows users to encrypt and decrypt their
 electronic mail using their facial template. For the user, all
 complex functions and encryption/decryption steps are
 handled automatically in the background, thus providing the
 highest possible security with no added inconvenience. In
 addition to the obvious advantages that FaceMail brings to
 email technology, its software can also be used to encrypt all
 other confidential data on a PC. FaceMail is simple to use.
 Just by standing in front of a web cam for recognition by high
 quality software, an individuals identity can be verified to
 encrypt his or her documents.
 
 FaceMail works under WIN98, WIN ME, WIN NT 4 SP5
 and WIN 2000. It can be downloaded from
 www.identalink.co.uk and tested free of charge for a period of
 21 days. The only additional requirement for use of
 FaceMail is the installation of a web cam  which can be
 obtained for £40  and can, of course, also be used for other
 multimedia applications.
 
 Note to editors: For further information, or to test FaceMail,
 contact Elmar Hilgers:
 
 ehilgers@biometrics.ws or telephone +44 1536 483000
 
 About IdentAlink Ltd IdentAlink Ltd is one of the UKs leading
 identification technology companies. Founded in 1997, the
 company initially provided solutions to the UK healthcare
 industry for staff security and drug control problems. Using
 facial and fingerprint recognition technology, IdentAlink Ltd
 now offers secure and reliable identity verification in a variety
 of global applications. The companys proprietary
 technologies  IdentAcar
 d and BioUPI are used in conjunction with next generation high capacity barcodes, smart cards or proxycards for operation in secure access or monitoring situations.
 
 About Biometrics Biometrics replaces something we know
 (such as a password or PIN), or something we have (such as
 a card or token), with something unique to us (physical or
 behavioural characteristic such as face, fingerprint,
 signature). Unlike passwords, cards and tokens, biometrics
 have the advantage of being difficult to forge, steal or abuse.
 
 
 
 
 
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 edited by Harkank
 published on: 2001-05-31
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