WALL, N.J., Dec. 20, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCBB:BKYI), a leader in finger-based biometric identification solutions, announced that Thomas E. Bush, III, a former senior FBI official, has published a whitepaper outlining how biometrics can be cost effectively deployed to reduce illegal employment, the magnet that draws illegal immigrants into the U.S.
Click here to view/download Tom Bush's whitepaper on reducing illegal employment through the use of biometrics.
Thomas Bush, III, former director, FBI CJIS Division stated, "So much attention is being focused on how to secure our borders to stop the flow of illegal immigrants from entering our country. If we eliminate the primary reason for illegal immigration – illegal employment, we would not only significantly stop this flow, but also reduce identity theft and create job opportunities for Americans, thus reducing unemployment."
The responsibility for preventing illegal employment rests largely on employers and success depends entirely on their diligence in checking the documentation of prospective workers. In 2004, to help employers with this task, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the E-Verify system, a real-time, Web-based verification tool run by the DHS and the Social Security Administration, to determine the authenticity of the personal information and credentials offered by new hires. In most cases, verification occurs almost instantly.
Unfortunately the E-Verify system doesn't consistently deliver accurate results for the sole purpose it's designed for – identifying individuals illegally seeking employment. "Adding real time biometric identification to the E-Verify program can significantly improve accuracy and reduce identity theft, without the need to issue and manage ID cards which are easily lost, stolen and counterfeited," added Mike DePasquale, CEO of BIO-key International.
At a Senate subcommittee hearing on July 21, 2010, leaders of both parties supported including biometrics into an electronic employment verification system to combat identity fraud. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York and chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, said improving employment verification is critical to boosting public confidence about curbing illegal immigration. At the hearing, Schumer outlined criteria for an employment verification system and at the top of the list was the requirement that the system "must authenticate the employee's identity by using a specific and unique biometric identifier," such as a fingerprint. Schumer's focus on biometrics was endorsed by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas and the ranking Republican on the subcommittee.
"Biometric ID is a proven, cost effective technology that can address the illegal employment issue. In order for the employers to have an effective tool to address the illegal employee problem, the E-Verify system must be upgraded with biometrics to improve accuracy and reduce identity theft," concluded Tom Bush.
Thomas Bush, III retired from the FBI in 2009 after over 33 years of service. As the Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS), he was responsible for the day to day operation of the FBI's largest division. CJIS is the focal point for a wide range of Federal justice initiatives, including the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). IAFIS maintains the largest criminal biometric database in the world, containing the fingerprints for more than 60 million subjects. Following his retirement, he established a consulting business, Tom Bush Consulting, LLC. He currently serves as a Strategic Advisor for BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCBB:BKYI), a leader in finger-based biometric identification solutions.
About BIO-key
BIO-key International, Inc., headquartered in Wall, New Jersey, develops and delivers advanced identification solutions to commercial and government enterprises, integrators, and custom application developers. BIO-key's award winning, high performance, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy biometric finger identification technology accurately identifies and authenticates users of wireless and enterprise applications. Our solutions are used in local embedded OEM products as well as some of the world's largest identification deployments to improve security, guarantee identity, and help reduce identity theft. BIO-key's technology is offered directly or by market leading partners around the world. (http://www.bio-key.com)
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