IN THE BOARDROOM™ with...
Mr. Todd Kealey
Managing Development Manager
3M Security Systems Division (NYSE:MMM)

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thanks for joining us today, Todd. Please give our audience an overview of the Identification and Authentication business of 3M Security Systems Division, your background and role within it.

Todd Kealey: The Identification and Authentication business is one of three businesses of 3M’s Security Systems Division. We are focused on solutions related to identity and travel documents, particularly highly secure documents such as passports and national ID cards. We use technological innovations to prevent identity fraud. Our operations extend to more than 60 countries and we serve customers in over 200 nations.

My role involves the global marketing and product management for our hardware products that primarily include passport readers and software systems that are used to produce secure ID documents, as well as to authenticate these ID documents (at a border or bank, for example). I’ve been working with this great team of people for almost two years. My background includes technical, sales and marketing roles in the telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Please give us an overview of the security products and services which 3M offers.

Todd Kealey: The 3M Identification and Authentication business offers a wide variety of products, software systems and services, including secure laminates and secure document solutions. In a nutshell, we offer solutions ranging from the data capture, personalization and production of secure identity documents to their validation and authentication by authorities.

Our hardware products range from entry-level “swipe” readers for passports, which are integrated into a great many self-service kiosks in airports, to the latest ePassport Readers. These are sophisticated devices that not only capture images of passports in visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, but also communicate with a contactless chip that is embedded in the latest generation of passports. ePassport Readers from 3M allow some of the world’s leading border management agencies to authenticate travel documents and prevent the entry of fraudulent travelers.

3M doesn’t simply authenticate travel documents, we also supply turnkey solutions for the production of secure identity documents. Two recent projects that we have announced includes the systems for issuing U.K. passports to its citizens living abroad and the biometric passport issuance system for Belize.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: What are the major market drivers right now for 3M’s Security Systems solutions?

Todd Kealey: The events of 9/11 have obviously accelerated many technological initiatives in the secure identity market. However, other related factors, such as changes to the U.S.’s Visa Waiver Program, the U.S. Real ID act and other legislation, as well as extension of the boundaries of the European Union have all contributed to drive innovation and growth in the market.

The unfortunate growth in identity theft and identity fraud also is a significant motivating factor in our market.

The introduction of ePassports and, oddly, some of the public confusion about the physics involved with these documents also has been a benefit to us in the marketplace. People know that 3M is a company that can be trusted and an expert in document security solutions. They look to 3M for leadership in deploying secure ePassport solutions both in document issuance and in document authentication at borders.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We noticed in your April 27 press release that 3M and Graphic Security Systems Corp. announced “technical compatibility between 3M travel document readers and Scrambled Indicia technology from Graphic Security Systems. This proven interoperability brings enhanced image security to ePassports and travel documents, and gives document authenticators additional verification capabilities.” Without giving away any trade secrets, can you give us an overview of this relationship?

Todd Kealey: Graphic Security Systems Corp. (GSSC) has long been a leader in covert security features such as digital watermarking technologies. As its name implies, covert security features cannot be detected by simple observation, they are hidden within the document and require special tools to be detected or decoded. At this time, Scrambled Indicia data is hidden within the photos of many nations’ passports and ID cards.

To be able to decode the hidden information, a special device, such as the Full Page Reader from 3M or the ePassport Reader from 3M, is needed to capture images of the document to allow the hidden feature to be unscrambled.

3M and GSSC have collaborated to ensure that our technologies are compatible and that each of our customers can easily adopt the other’s solutions to authenticate the validity of documents where Scrambled Indicia is used.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Is there a particular “win” or success story with a border protection or document issuance project you would like to discuss?

Todd Kealey: Everyone here has always been particularly proud of our relationship with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom. 3M equips 104 British embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world with passport issuance systems that can identify biometric information. One in 10 British passports is issued outside of the United Kingdom and the Web-based 3M Identity Document Issuance System ensures that these passports are as secure as those issued in the United Kingdom by the U.K. Passport Office.

Our work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office brings many of 3M’s strength to the forefront. Our expertise with integrating biometric systems; the breadth of our software, hardware and service capabilities; and the international scale of the deployment all contribute to highlight the skill and dedication of our organization. This is our way of protecting the integrity of our customers.

It is our intention to publish further announcements related to our customer projects over the coming months.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We understand that 3M also has a strategic relationship with De La Rue. Can you give us an overview of that relationship? Any other strategic relationships you care to mention?

Todd Kealey: 3M Identification and Authentication has alliances with many partners. De La Rue is the prime integrator of the driver’s license for the State of New York and for the Canadian Province of Quebec. 3M supplies the Confirm brand Laminates for this document. This laminate provides strong security to identity documents through the covert images that are embedded within the laminate, as well as by its ability to readily reveal tampering.

Digimarc, Cognitec, Bioscrypt, Zebra and Texas Instruments are but a few of the other companies with which 3M has relationships.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Federal mandates, such as the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD12), have been pushed to the forefront of government procurement initiatives. Please give us an overview of HSPD12.

Todd Kealey: HSPD12 is a “Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors.” Essentially, it is aimed at improving the quality of identity cards used by people who work for the U.S. Federal Government. This policy was introduced due to the wide discrepancies in the quality, content and security of the ID card of the various government agencies. The policy doesn’t necessarily require that all agencies use the same ID, simply that all agencies use common standards for ensuring that the IDs are secure and can be authenticated. For example, documents are to be issued only by trusted sources and assigned to the right person with certainty that they are who they claim to be.

This sounds fairly straight forward on the surface but has huge implications in terms of authenticating people and their backgrounds, matching people to their ID as they enter government facilities, definitions of acceptable, common levels of security features, inter-agency acceptance of IDs, management of data, protection of privacy, integration of biometric technologies, impacts on staff productivities to name but a handful. Another key issue is the sheer scale of the deployment. The U.S. Federal Government employs over 6.25 million people (and that’s probably a conservative number).

3M’s technology and expertise can play a vital role in the implementation of HSPD12.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: What resources such as case studies, and white papers, are available at www.3M.com for end-users?

Todd Kealey: The 3M Web site contains information, brochures, press releases and white papers on a number of topics, such as ePassports, Seafarer Identity Documents and document authentication.

There is not only information on secure documents but also data from other Safety, Security and Protection Businesses: Personal Safety Products Department, Building Safety Solutions, Government Markets Center, Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division and the other businesses of our own Security Systems Division.

If someone wishes to contact us with a request for specific information, I invite them to reach us by completing the brief form at: www.3m.com.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thank you very much for your time today, Todd. Is there any other subject you would like to talk about?

Todd Kealey: I’d like to thank you and your readers for your time and this opportunity to discuss 3M security solutions.

Please visit us at Intergraf, at the national AAMVA meeting, at the ICAO MRTD Symposium, the ePassport Forum or any of the other events where 3M Identification and Authentication will be exhibiting.
                                          

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