Pearson VUE, a provider of secure high-stakes testing, announced that it is introducing several key enhancements to its Secure Testing Framework, including the implementation of palm vein recognition technology, which will be piloted in its Pearson Professional Centers and Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers at select sites next month.
Pearson VUE has pioneered a number of security technologies now considered standard in the industry. Now, with the introduction of additional enhancements — like improved identity management and forensic capabilities – Pearson VUE is further extending its position as the leader in testing security.
"Palm vein authentication will allow us to move toward one-to-many comparisons in the future at a speed that is conducive to a large-scale, global testing operation,” said Mark Poole, director of test security for Pearson VUE. “Furthermore, we're launching a host of new forensic services – from automated Web monitoring of brain-dump sites, to enacting real-time results holds in instances of suspicious behavior, to digital watermarking of exam data. These enhancements will help us identify security breaches and act upon them quickly."
Pearson VUE engaged International Biometric Group (IBG), a leading independent designer and integrator of identification system and solutions, to customize and integrate Fujitsu's vein recognition solution. IBG Partner Samir Nanavati explained, "Pearson needed to marry the need for a truly global identity management system with a non-intrusive, superior candidate experience. This palm vein system provides a highly secure and cost-effective solution without the criminal connotations some (test takers) associate with fingerprint technology."
Fujitsu is a provider of IT-based business solutions for the global marketplace and is the creator of the PalmSecure(TM) device, which compares the pattern of veins in the palm of a person being authenticated with a pattern stored in a database. This is done by taking a scan of the palm of an individual's hand using a safe, invisible light source. The scan is immediately converted into a template that is unique to each individual.
"Palm vein technology represents the very cutting edge of candidate authentication," said Joel Hagberg, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Fujitsu. "Unlike fingerprinting, retina scanning, or other biometric offerings, Fujitsu's next generation technology represents a virtually error-free identification system that is non-intrusive to the user. Our partnership with Pearson VUE represents the first time this technology will be used in a high-stakes testing environment."
“As we implement these new security measures, more perpetrators of exam fraud will be exposed and prosecuted,” explained Robert Whelan, president of Pearson VUE. “Credentialing organizations, employers and others will all benefit from this technology. But the greatest beneficiary will be those who studied hard and gave their best effort, because those individuals can rest assured that they are competing on a level playing field."
|