Iris recognition

Iris recognition relies upon the fact that every individuals retina has a unique structure. The iris landscape is composed of a corona, crypts, filaments, freckles, pits radial furrows and striatations. Iris scanning is considered a particularly accurate identification technology because the characteristics of the iris do not change during a persons lifetime, and because there are several hundred variables in an iris which can be measured. In addition, iris scanning is fast: it does not take longer than one or two seconds.

These are characteristics which have made iris scanning an attractive technology for high-security applications such as prison surveillance. Iris technology is also used for online identification where it can substitute identification by password. As in other biometric technologies, the use of iris scanning for the protection of privacy is a two-edged sword. The prevention of identity theft applies horizontally but not vertically, i.e. in so far as the data retrieval that accompanies identification and the data body which is created in the process has nothing to do with identity theft.

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ECHELON Main Stations

Location

Country

Target/Task

Relations

MORWENSTOW

UK

INTELSAT, Atlantic, Europe, Indian Ocean

NSA, GCHQ

SUGAR GROVE

USA

INTELSAT, Atlantic, North and South America

NSA

YAKIMA FIRING CENTER

USA

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA

WAIHOPAI

NEW ZEALAND

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA, GCSB

GERALDTON

AUSTRALIA

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA, DSD

















MENWITH HILL

UK

Sat, Groundstation, Microwave(land based)

NSA, GCHQ

SHOAL BAY

AUSTRALIA

Indonesian Sat

NSA, DSD

LEITRIM

CANADA

Latin American Sat

NSA, CSE

BAD AIBLING

GERMANY

Sat, Groundstation

NSA

MISAWA

JAPAN

Sat

NSA

















PINE GAP

AUSTRALIA

Groundstation

CIA

















FORT MEADE

USA

Dictionary Processing

NSA Headquarters

WASHINGTON

USA

Dictionary Processing

NSA

OTTAWA

CANADA

Dictionary Processing

CSE

CHELTENHAM

UK

Dictionary Processing

GCHQ

CANBERRA

AUSTRALIA

Dictionary Processing

DSD

WELLINGTON

NEW ZEALAND

Dictionary Processing

GCSB Headquarters



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UKUSA

In 1948 the former alliance of USA, UK, Canada, Australia an New Zealand established in World War II was formalized into the UKUSA Signals and Intelligence agreement to aim primarily together against the former USSR, although readers of the agreement say, that it is definitely only signed by the United States and Britain. A number of other countries' SIGINT agencies also participate in the UKUSA community, including those of Germany, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and Turkey. These countries are sometimes described as "Third Party" members of the agreement. In addition, some countries, such as China, host UKUSA SIGINT stations or share SIGINT on a more limited basis.

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