13th February 2006

VoiceVault Tells Government ID Cards Should be more Like St. Valentines Day Cards

13 February 2006, London - VoiceVault (www.voicevault.com), the leading provider of voice-based biometric identity and security software, today called on Government to consider the privacy of its citizens by re-thinking its identity card scheme by learning lessons from St. Valentine’s Day cards by delivering a letter in one to the Prime Minister today.

In a card posted to Mr. Blair, Executive Chairman of VoiceVault Paul Lindsey wrote:  St. Valentine’s Day is all about protecting your identity whilst giving out only enough information about yourself for the person to guess you from your characteristics, your personality or the ‘little clues’ left in the card.  That’s exactly how protecting your identity should be. 

Speaking today, Lindsey said:  “if someone had a list of all the St. Valentine’s Day cards you’d ever sent and to whom, you’d be angry.  That’s the kind of feeling people have about the National Information Register at the moment.  Government needs to learn a few lessons from St. Valentine’s Day.” 

Lindsey added: “People are willing to pay upwards of £50 for a dozen red roses as a gesture, but they won’t be willing to pay that kind of money for a card with so much personal information on it in one place which will be a boon for criminals if lost or stolen.  With the fastest growth in crime being in identity theft and fraud crime, and much of that being conducted remotely, Government needs to re-think its ability to provide secure access to public services using an ID card.”

On the day before Chip and PIN becomes compulsory for all those using cards with microchips in them, millions of people using ‘cardholder not present’ services will still be asked to prove their identity using invasive questioning techniques in order to verify that they are who they say they are. 

VoiceVault provides technology that records and matches people’s unique voice prints against their voices over normal telephone lines, enabling people to never have to give out passwords or remember PIN numbers again and cutting the time and hassle of getting access to the services or people they want.

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A Full Copy of the Letter can be obtained from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide

About Biometric Security Limited

Biometric Security delivers solutions that radically enhance information and access security, improves customer service and optimises costs. Biometric Security acquired VoiceVault, its research, development and technical operations in May 2005. Since acquiring VoiceVault, Biometric Security has continued to invest in the development of the core verification engine and in broadening the range of voice verified business applications.

Development of VoiceVault began in 1996. While its primary purpose today is to deliver voice verified business solutions, the core technology was initially developed in close collaboration with government and the military. This culminated in VoiceVault being successfully tested in various military environments, including a destroyer, the combat centre of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, a F15 jet fighter and other military vehicles.

Between 2000 and 2004, VoiceVault’s scientists invented numerous algorithms and verification tests that further improved the levels of accuracy and security. Additional functionality was added that enabled VoiceVault to be used across many different languages.

In 2004, VoiceVault achieved certification for issuing EU Advanced Digital Certificates. This certification – the first of its kind – together with its ISO 17799 and BS 7799 ratings demonstrate the quality and security of VoiceVault. Biometric Security head office is located in Chertsey, Surrey in the United Kingdom and its Technical Operations centre is located in Dublin. Research and Development takes place in San Diego, California.

Biometric Security is backed by the Chiimu Partnership LLP.

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