Biometrics
Hummersknott are introducing a new way of paying for school meals, this means going contactless. We are doing this to prevent charges being made to your child’s account when lunch cards are misplaced and a new one is required.
During the COVID-19 pandemic it was necessary for us, as a school, to alter the way children paid for their school meals. We introduced the payment cards that the children use today. The cards worked well during this period, however they can easily get lost and need replacing frequently. We have therefore decided to move back to the system of using biometric recognition. This biometric system is incredibly simple and effective and enables your child to simply use their finger on a scanner to be able to pay for school meals.
This will also save on the amount of plastic that is needed to produce the number of cards required and eliminate the problem of cards being used by the incorrect person.
By converting to biometric, we aim to make lunch even more enjoyable by reducing queuing times for a better experience.
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions from the company (CRB Cunninghams) which should hopefully answer any concerns or issues you may have with the security and management of your child’s data within the system.
Once we have received your completed consent we will, over the course of the summer term, scan the child’s fingerprint and upload it onto the system for use from September 2023. Parent pay will remain the method by which parents and carers top up the funds on each child’s account.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Consent
If your child is due to start school in 2023 you will be able to give consent during the enrolment process. If your child is currently at Hummersknott, you will recieve an email from the school containing a link to a consent form. Your childs finger will not be registered on the cashless system untill consent has been given.
Please contact the school if you have not recieved any communication.
Techology Used
The school utilise a technology named “iDStore” to securely store your childs biometric data. Below are some frequently asked questions about iDStore and how it operates.
What is iDStore?
iDStore is a central database located within a school, which stores the information that identifies pupils uniquely to each of the applications used at the school.
Why use iDStore instead of other existing identification methods?
The centralised system of iDStore speeds up the registration process each student need only register once, no matter how many applications requiring identification are in place at the school.
With a biometric system, students cannot borrow or steal credentials from each other, reducing the opportunities for bullying. Queues are reduced because the rate of identification of students is quickened. Students no longer need to carry cards to purchase a meal.
Does iDStore record images of individual fingerprints?
iDStore does not store images of fingerprints on its system, and never will.
Only mathematical representations of certain points of a finger image are recorded, typically between ten and sixty depending on the characteristics of the finger. This mathematical data is encrypted and is called a template.
The data is extremely secure in its encrypted form, and even if it were not encrypted, it would be impossible to recreate the original fingerprint image from the stored data.
Is it possible to recreate a fingerprint from the data stored by iDStore?
No, the iDStore system only stores a short string of encrypted numbers, too little data for the original print to be reconstructed.
How secure is the stored data? What would happen if somebody stole it?
The iDStore database is protected by a licence key. This means that the database and any backup of its contents can only be accessed on licenced hardware.
The hardware is stored in the schools own secure facility, so that the encrypted data is only available to the registered licensee. Even if a school’s security were to be compromised and a backup of the database stolen, the encrypted data would still be unreadable, even by another school.
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If I or my child object to biometrics, what will happen?
The school will issue any child who wishes to opt out of the biometric system with an alternative method of identification.
If I or my child wants to withdraw consent?
Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Please contact the school to facilitate this.