New Secure Identity & Biometrics Association provides innovative security and identity protection solutions

Janice Kephart

The new Secure Identity & Biometrics Association (SIBA) has launched. The organization provides proactive education, policy refinement, and solutions to the complexities of balancing identity security and protection with national security, public safety, economic strength, privacy and innovation. Technologies covered include both biological and behavioral biometrics such as fingerprints, facial and iris recognition, voice identification, and other secure credentials. SIBA was created for vendors, research institutions, nonprofits, and individuals.

Today these technologies make the world more secure and economically efficient. Benefits include securing borders, enabling individuals without documentation to be brought out of anonymity, catching dangerous criminals and terrorists, reconciling refugees and reuniting families, reducing identity theft, and giving medical patients increased privacy while reducing healthcare fraud.

"With a struggling economy, the opportunity for innovation and economic growth is explosive. The global biometrics market was $7 billion in 2012. By 2020, it is slated to grow to $20 billion,” said SIBA founder and CEO Janice Kephart. “With policies in place that embrace responsible future applications, these technologies can evolve into a core stabilizer for the economy's recovery and future growth."

Kephart’s experience includes working as a national security fellow at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies. She also served as counsel to the 9/11 Commission, drafting identity-related recommendations in the 9/11 Final Report and serving as a principal author of a Commission report, 9/11 and Terrorist Travel. She has testified 16 times before Congress on issues including identity legislation and policy, and is a graduate of Duke University and Villanova Law School.