Blog Note. In the Bible’s book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, there are numerous verses and references to the deception of men on earth and ‘false’ miracles. Elsewhere in the Bible, God warns man not to make graven images of anything on heaven or on earth. This blog author has written previous articles on the use of technology in the deception of men. I addressed this issue in my upcoming book. Genetic manipulation, video and voice digitization, 3D manufacturing technology, CRISPR, artificial intelligence, biometric scanning, computer green screen imaging. Revelation 13:14 indicates, “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” Many peoples living in remote places, third world countries and other areas with limited education are not aware of the incredible advances that are taking place today in the technological areas mentioned above. During the Tribulation period, millions of these people will be easily fooled “deceived” by the false miracles created by these types of technologies. Merging several of these technologies together can easily create “an image of the beast” that can speak or act ‘alive.’ Any recent Hollywood block buster movie easily attests to the realistic imagery that can be created. End of note.
“Knowledge will be increased.” (Daniel 12:4 )
Six Man-Made Technologies Used by Satan/Beast/False Prophet:
- Global Monitoring, Biometric Scanning.
- Genetic Manipulation, Sequencing, Splicing. (CRISPR).
- Global Communications.
- Digital-Cashless Electronic Financial Transactions and Processing.
- Globalized and interconnected, networked data warehousing and information technology systems.
- Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Robotics, 3-D Manufacturing Technology.
- Digital-Cashless Electronic Financial Transaction and Payment Processing:
No cash needed. No credit card needed. No phone needed. No implanted, micro-chip needed. No physical check needed. No physical thing needed to make a purchase or a transaction. All that is needed is verification of a scanned biometric (mark)er on person’s face or hand. Once the database confirms the verified biometric (mark)er belongs to it owner, approval is authorized to buy or sell and funds are electronically transferred. In addition to an iris, finger print or facial scan (which would be used to verify a person’s identity), a special biometric (mark)er can be added on the forehead or hand to authenticate and approve a transaction based on some pre-determined criteria. The entire transaction would be handled digitally. Verification of a person’s identity. Authentication or approval for the transaction. All data stored in a database or cloud warehouse. Funds are electronic between parties based account codes stored in the data or cloud warehouse.
Biometric authentication is a security process that relies on the unique biological characteristics of an individual to verify that he is who is says he is. Biometric authentication systems compare a biometric data capture to stored, confirmed authentic data in a database.
Mastercard rolls out biometric payments in Europe:
MasterCard has just rolled out a new feature that should simplify online shopping, without making any compromises in security. The feature, called Identity Check Mobile, allows users to use biometrics like fingerprint scanning or facial recognition to verify their identity before making a purchase, eliminating the need for passwords or PIN codes. At the moment, the technology is being introduced in 12 European countries: the UK, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Worldwide rollout is expected next year, although no specific dates have been given.
MasterCard says current identity verification methods often send the user away from the website or mobile app to a new site or app, where they need to confirm their identity with a password or PIN code. That approach often makes people abandon the shopping process completely. By implementing biometrics, such as fingerprint scanners or facial recognition technology (MasterCard’s app allows you to take a selfie so that the technology can recognize you), the company hopes to “dramatically” speed up the digital checkout experience.
“We are relentlessly focused on making the online payment experience near frictionless, without making any compromises on safety and security”, says Ajay Bhalla, president of Enterprise Risk & Security, Mastercard. “This is a significant milestone in the evolution of payments. Shopping in person has been revolutionized thanks to advances like contactless cards, mobile payments and wearables, and now we are making Identity Check Mobile a reality for online shopping in Europe, and soon, the world”.
The Biometric ID Grid: A Country-by-Country Guide: by James Corbett, corbettreport.com, January 31, 2017
In last week’s report on India’s demonetization disaster I began to connect the dots between demonetization, the push for a cashless society, and the biometric identification schemes that will eventually tie everyone’s fingerprints, iris scans, and other identifying details to every transaction they ever make. Well, that game of “connect the dots” just became even easier to play. First, it was reported last week that a key panel advising the government on its implementation of the “digital payments ecosystem” (that is being pushed and funded by USAID) is now recommending that India links its national biometric ID database directly to tax returns.
And now comes word that India is “working on a biometrics-backed payment system that will be connected to a user’s unique ID number, or Aadhaar.” (Who could have seen that coming?) No, it doesn’t take a Nostradamus to understand where this is all heading: From the cashless society and the biometric ID grid to the cashless biometric grid. And we already know about the cashless society. Now it’s time to collect the data on the biometric ID grid. And let’s not be naive: As I’ve demonstrated before, this is a coordinated plan to institute a worldwide biometric id system to track every human on the planet.
But given how fast and furious these new biometric databases are coming online, no one person can possibly keep track of them all. That’s why I’m calling on Corbett Report members to help assemble this information. Like last year’s open source investigation into the War on Cash, this country-by-country guide will be updated with input from the Corbett Report community. Members of the site are invited to log in and leave links to information about the biometric ID grid in their country in the comments section below.
The Biometric ID List:
Afghanistan – In 2016 the US bragged about their role in helping the Afghan Ministries of Defense and Interior roll out biometric ID systems for their workers. Also in 2016 the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority revealed that they wanted to “start linking biometrics to new SIM card registrations, to improve national security.” As has been widely reported, the US military has been waging “biometric warfare” in the country as part of its invasion, occupation and (de)stabilization effort since at least 2010. The Afghanistan National Security Forces has now deployed their own Automated Biometric Information System with fingerprint, iris, and facial scan capabilities and is “compatible with the U.S. DoD ABIS and the FBI Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.”
Albania – In 2009 Albania began issuing a new type of biometric identity card. The card is in compliance with ICAO standards and contains an embedded chip that stores fingerprints and a digital photograph along with biographical information.
Australia – Australia has been issuing biometric passports since 2005 and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has been running biometrics collection centres for years to issue visas tied to visitors’ biometric details. But now, Australia is about to lead us into a Brave New World with a world first: The DIBP is going to introduce the first “self-processing system” for travelers at Australian airports later this year using biometric details instead of a passport. Australian schools have implemented fingerprint scans as a method of tracking attendance at schools despite a strong backlash from parents that led to similar programs being suspended in the past.
Bahamas – Last month the Bahamas began issuing biometric passports. In keeping with international standards, the passports will require a digital photograph and fingerprints from the passport holder.
Bermuda – From June 2016 Bermuda has outsourced printing of its passports to the UK so that Bermuda’s “citizens” could enjoy the “benefits” of biometric passport technology, “which includes the highest level of internationally recognised security standards.”
Bolivia – In 2009 Bolivia’s elections were held using an electoral voter list created by using biometric data. In 2016 the Bolivian government began a 12-month program to perform a biometric census on the country’s foreign population.
Bulgaria – Bulgaria began issuing biometric identity cards (mandatory for all citizens) in March 2010. Bulgaria also issues biometric passports and driver’s licenses containing embedded biometric data.
Brazil – Brazil began issuing biometric identity cards in 2011 with the intention of issuing cards as part of its Registro de Identidade Civil, which intends to capture the biometric details of all 150 million citizens by 2020. Also in 2011 the Brazilian Electoral Justice approved the roll out of a biometric voter registration system that requires voters to register their fingerprints in order to vote (which is mandatory).
Canada – Under NEXUS, the joint Canada-US “preferred traveler” program, iris scans are used to identify passengers. In 2015 the Canadian government expanded biometric screening, including fingerprints and digital photos, to visitors from all 151 visa-required countries.
Chad – The European Union is funding a program in Chad to register the biometric details of refugees and returnees fleeing war-torn neighboring countries.
Chile – In 2013 Chile rolled out its new national ID and passport infrastructure including an eID card which “is based on a multi-biometric system comprised of an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and a Facial Recognition System.” The country aims to issue all of its 18+ million citizens with a card by 2022.
China – In 2016 China debuted its first airport biometric entry system. The system takes travelers’ photos at security checkpoints within the airport, linking their faces to their boarding passes. In 2017, the Chinese government unveiled new biometric travel passes (including fingerprint scans) for mainland visitors to Taiwan.
Finland – Finland introduced biometric residence permit cards in 2012. The cards include a chip that stores a digital photograph and two fingerprints.
France – France has issued only biometric passports since 2009. The passport requires the collection of a biometric digital photo and eight fingerprints.
Germany – Germany introduced biometric passports in 2005 and biometric residence permits in 2011, both of which require a biometric digital photograph and two fingerprints to be collected and stored on an embedded chip. Germany’s identity card does require a biometric photo, but so far fingerprint collection is optional.
Greece – In compliance with the dictates of Washington, the Greek government is set to issue new biometric IDs this year. As Greek Report notes: “Failure to create the new IDs in a timely manner could lead to a suspension in the visa-free travel to the US that Greeks currently enjoy.”
India – India has been fingerprinting and iris scanning its population for years in its quest to construct the largest biometric ID database in the world. The plan to collect and store biometric details on all 1.2 billion Indian citizens is proceeding apace, and has so far registered over 1.1 billion people, including over 99% of all Indians over 18.
Iraq – In 2016 the Iraqi government began a national identity card system that uses biometric identifiers. This system has been widely criticized for legally allowing discrimination of minorities.
Israel – In 2009 the Knesset enacted the controversial Biometric Database Law to pave the way for the implementation of a national biometric ID database. Last July it was reported that the “pilot program” had come to an end and all Israeli residents would be forced to register their biometric details with the government. In December it was announced that the mandatory implementation of the database was being delayed and that fingerprints may no longer be required.
Japan – In 2007 the Japanese government began requiring fingerprints and digital photographs from all foreign travelers. Now, the government is considering implementing a biometric ID payment system which will “allow” (sic) tourists to “register their fingerprints or finger vein patterns among other personal information with the service and then deposit a set amount of money in a connected account,” from which they can make purchases while in the country.
Kenya – In 2012 Kenya began biometric voter registration and in 2015 the government implemented a biometric registration system for all citizens aged 12 and over. The registration includes fingerprint collection and is tied to a national database.
Kuwait – In 2015 Kuwait passed a law requiring all citizens and visitors to submit to DNA testingfor a national database. After a wave of protest, legal challenges, and opposition from the emir of Kuwait the parliament announced in October 2016 that they would “scale down” and potentially revoke the law.
Luxembourg – In accordance with EU standards Luxembourg issues biometric passports with a chip containing a digital photograph, two fingerprints and an image of the holder’s signature.
Mexico – In 2011 the Mexican government began a program to issue biometric identification cards to all children between 4 and 17 years old. The cards contain a digital photograph, a fingerprint and an iris scan. The scheme is part of a broader National Population Register that will eventually extend to adults and contain the biometric details of the entire population of Mexico.
Netherlands – Since 2009 the Netherlands has issued biometric passports containing an embedded chip with a digital photograph and fingerprints. Four Dutch citizens challenged the legality of the practice of collecting fingerprints but it was approved by the European Court of Justice. Although only two fingerprints are stored on the passport’s chip, four fingerprints are taken and stored by the local government in a central database that is also used to pursue criminal investigations.
New Zealand – New Zealand’s Inland Revenue Department rolled out “Voice ID” in 2011 to register “customers’” voice prints and identify them in future interactions. By 2015 1.4 million of the country’s 6.1 million taxpayers had registered their voice prints with the “service.”
Nigeria – Nigeria is contracting with Bio-Metrica to collect citizens’ fingerprint and facial biometrics for the nation’s 2018 census.
Paraguay – In 2009 Paraguay revamped its passports and mandatory identity cards for its New Identification System by adding biometric details including a thumbprint and digital photograph.
Peru – Last year Peru announced a 3-year program to issue 1.6 million biometric passports noting that these biometric documents are “required to consolidate the Schengen visa waiver process.”
Philippines – In 2014 the Commission on Elections announced that biometric registration would be mandatory for all voters in the Philippines’ 2016 election. However, “technical problems” meant the government had to allow some voters with incomplete or corrupted biometric data to vote anyway. Voters continue to register for polls, with the Philippines’ Commission on Elections allocating US$201,000 last month to voter registration machines (VRMs) and peripherals.
Saudi Arabia – In 2015 Saudi Arabia finalized its Automated Central System to collect and store the biometric details (including fingerprints) of all citizens and expatriates. Also in 2015 the country’s biometric border security system was launched.
Sierra Leone – Just last week the Sierra Leone government confirmed receipt of 4,066 biometric registration kits that will be used to register voters for the 2018 elections. The aim is to construct a single, biometric voter register “that will capture every resident in Sierra Leone.”
South Korea – In 2012 the Korean government began collecting fingerprints and digital photographs of all foreign visitors (except foreign government officials/international organization representatives and their accompanying immediate family members as well as persons under 17 years of age).
Switzerland – Switzerland launched its biometric passport in 2010 after a referendum was held to approve the measure. The referendum passed with 50.14% of the vote, making it one of the closest referendums in Swiss history. The passports adopt the “international standard” of collecting two fingerprints (one from each index finger) and a digital photograph of the holder’s unsmiling face.
Trinidad and Tobago – In 2012 it was reported that the country was moving to fully implement biometric passports within five years. In 2013 the Ministry of the People and Social Development announced they were launching a fingerprint-based biometric smart card for citizens to access social benefits, citing fraud and security as reasons for the switch. The very next year the company that was manufacturing the cards warned that the system was vulnearable to identity theft and left the door open for frauds and scams. The cards were rolled out in 2015. Last year Major General Edmund Dillon, the Minister of National Security, announced the government was considering the implementation of biometric border screening at the country’s two international airports in keeping with a “United Nations security resolution requiring the implementation of security mechanisms to stop terrorists from returning to the country from abroad, with passenger screening systems being an important component of such efforts.”
Ukraine – A law passed by the Yanukovych government in 2012 requires all Ukrainian citizens, regardless of age, to obtain a biometric passport.
United Kingdom – The UK under the Labour government of Tony Blair and later Gordon Brown attempted to implement a national identity register and ID card system that would have required the logging of an extensive amount of personal and biometric information in a central database. However, the program caused waves of protest and the government eventually gave in to the public outcry, scrapping the plan for the national registry and instead only implementing the biometric id scheme for foreign nationals. The UK does issue biometric passports and recent polling suggests UK adults “are now willing to embrace biometric identity for online banking.”
United States – President Trump’s new Executive Order on “terrorist” (sic) entry calls on the Department of Homeland Security to “expedite the completion and implementation of a biometric entry-exit tracking system for all travelers to the United States.” (This comes as no surprise to those who warned that Trump’s transition team was swarming with biometric industry workers and lobbyists.) The United States already takes digital fingerprints of all foreign tourists (except Canadians) and stores them in a database for 75 years. The DoD has announcedplans to replace Common Access Card access to information systems with biometric authentication. The US issues biometric passports and coordinates with the Canadian government on the biometric NEXUS preferred traveler program (see Canada).
Uruguay – In 2013 the Uruguayan government opened a open call for tenders for a new eID “solution.” In 2014 Gemalto won the tender and began work on the new biometric eID cards that can store up to four fingerprints.
Yemen – In 2014 it was announced that the country of Yemen would be deploying M2SYS Technology’s TrueVoter biometric voting platform for the upcoming constitutional referendum and national elections. The system is capable of fingerprint, iris, palm print, finger vein, palm vein, and facial recognition, but only fingerprint and facial recognition are collected by the Yemeni government.
Zambia – In 2015 Zambia announced that they would be phasing in biometric National Registration Cards for the 2016 election.
Zimbabwe – The government of Zimbabwe has ruled out biometric or electronic voting in the country’s 2018 elections, but will proceed with biometric voter registration this year.
Compulsory Biometric ID Announced by European Commission: 17 Apr 2018
The European Commission has announced plans to make biometric ID cards compulsory across the bloc which will allow authorities to bar “terrorists and criminals” from accessing money and other services. Plans to introduce mandatory ID cards across all 28 EU member states — including Britain — have been in development for more than two years in Brussels as part of the Commission’s goal of building an effective “security union”, Die Welt reports. Set to be equipped with data including the holder’s fingerprint, the cards would be designed to tackle identity fraud and make it harder to falsify documents, according to Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. “We have to tighten the screws until there is no room left for terrorists or criminals and no more means for them to carry out attacks,” he told the German newspaper on Monday. “This means that they must be barred from accessing money, counterfeit documents, weapons and explosives, and at the same time prevented from being able to cross our borders undetected.” Speaking in Brussels last month, the Greek commissioner declared that Europeans will continue to be massacred in terror attacks on their own soil “for years to come”.
Millennials disrupting security landscape: study
By Julia Limitone Published March 08, 2018 Cyber Security FOX Business
Millennials are moving away from passwords, a recent study focusing on biometrics conducted by IBM showed. IBM surveyed nearly 4,000 adults from across the U.S., Asia Pacific, and Europe and found while 75 percent of young adults are comfortable using biometrics, less than half are using complex passwords and 41 percent reuse passwords. “Millennials are actually leading the way towards us moving away from [passwords],” IBM Security vice president Caleb Barlow said to FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.” The study also found 67 percent are comfortable using biometrics today, while 87 percent said they will be comfortable using these technologies in the future. “It’s the combination of something I know, like a password. Something I have, like your phone and something unique about you like your face or your fingerprint,” Barlow said. “You combine those three together then you’ve got a really robust security posture versus just relying on a password alone.”
- Biometric Authentication: The Wave of the Future:
Financial institutions and businesses are incorporating biometric authentication to facilitate payments
Biometrics describes the unique biological measurements of a person that can be digitized and turned into a traceable record. Some of the most common types of use are fingerprint scanners, voice verification, or retina and vein scans. Biometrics is slowly being incorporated into our everyday lives. It has been incorporated so brilliantly that we almost don’t even notice it. Every fall when the new Iphone is revealed people wait with baited breath to snatch it up and experience all the new techiness they’ve installed. We get to enjoy that techiness with fingerprint recognition in every release since the Iphone 6. Android phones are equipped with facial recognition that allows the phone to identify the face of it’s owner to enable the unlocking of the phone. But we are not just using it to unlock our phones. We are using it to make our payments too. Think about the App store and Itunes purchases. All you have to do is confirm your purchase by allowing them to identify you with the touch of your thumb to the scanner on your phone. What about ApplePay? It’s marketed to the public as a convenience to keep you from having to carry around your credit card and also protect you from thieves scanning your card while it sits quietly in our purse, stealing the information and creating a duplicate, but this is biometrics at work.
MasterCard adopted their new MasterCard Identity Check dubbed ‘selfie pay’ which basically allows their consumers to confirm an online payment by showing their face to their smartphone’s camera. They have also included the option of fingerprint authentication instead if you are not comfortable with sending them your mug shot. Selfie pay rolled out all over Europe last year and is supposed to begin being available here in the U.S. early this year. MasterCard believes this will not only make it more convenient for customers but also mitigate the “risk of fraud” for card-not-present purchases. More and more we are moving away from carrying our cash and credit around with us to pay for things. Consumers want their purchases to be quick and hassle free. Biometrics was listed as the number one technology to transform e commerce in a report the “Top 10 disruptive technologies in fintech: 2016”, released by Juniper Research last year. As we continue to see advances in biometric technology you can be sure it won’t be long before biometrics are utilized regularly in the payments world. In fact, it is already being used by some progressive banks abroad. Japan has installed biometric facial recognition capabilities in over 80,000 of their branch ATM machines. And at Barclay’s Bank corporate customers provide finger vein authentication to prove their identity. Students at Lund University in Sweden can enroll into a system where they use a scan of their handprint to purchase items on campus.
India is well on their way to becoming a cashless society. Almost every single one of India’s 1.3 billion citizens have registered their biometric data under the government’s unique identification program. After submitting their personal information along with all ten fingerprints, both iris scans, and a facial photograph they are given a 12 digit number called Aadhaar. Their Aadhaar can then be used as a permanent financial address, all of this free of charge by the way. The governing authority states that their “Aadhaar identity platform is one of the key pillars of the ‘Digital India’, wherein every resident of the country is provided with a unique identity……and is by far the largest biometrics based identification system in the world.” One of the biggest threats to identity theft is having your password hacked and giving all of your personal information to the hacker. If they can figure out your passwords they can get access to credit card numbers, bank account information and more. But hackers can’t duplicate you. You are unique, your fingerprint, your face, your iris cannot be duplicated. And because this unique data is stored locally on your device it is considered generally safer than if stored on a server. Consumers like convenience but are still not willing to risk security.
Last year Visa Inc., conducted a study throughout Europe to find out how consumers felt about biometric technology and it’s safety. The study found that 62% of adults would feel secure using biometric technology as an authentication method to confirm their identity when making a payment using their mobile device. The study also revealed that fingerprint recognition was the most preferred biometric authentication method by consumers due to ease of use. Because biometrics are so unique they also come with their own set of unique security challenges. While the data is more protected by being stored locally in a secure part of the phone it is still at great risk. Biological identifiers are each unique and permanent making them very valuable. The very uniqueness of the data itself makes it very attractive to hackers and where there is a will there’s a way. If a hacker were to get ahold of this data or find a way to bypass the authentication, you could change passwords but you can’t just go out and get a new face, or new fingerprints. For this reason it’s best to use biometrics along with other identifying factors. This can be things like geolocation technologies, use of an additional authentication method such as a password or the device itself. There is concern that there is too much “big brother” and people are afraid of being tracked and watched at any given moment. As this new technology advances and is being adopted in the payments industry financial institutions have an obligation to educate their customers on the new technology they have to offer, the general functionality of the products and what kinds security features and steps have been taken to protect them.