[humanmarkup-comment] Fwd: FW: Writing Style As A Biometric

[Rex Brooks <rexb@starbourne.com>]

Same as previous post.
Rex

>Subject: FW: Writing Style As A Biometric
>Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 22:27:31 -0700
>Thread-Topic: Writing Style As A Biometric
>Thread-Index: AcJHjwjbwbtRzWTlTx+XopON7bufPgBRGMDP
>From: "Monica Martin" <mmartin@certivo.net>
>To: <rexb@starbourne.com>
>X-Rcpt-To: <rexb@starbourne.com>
>X-DPOP: DPOP Version 2.4a
>Status: U
>
>
>
>	-----Original Message-----
>	From: Henry J. Boitel
>	Sent: Mon 8/19/2002 8:32 AM
>	To: BIOMETRICS@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM
>	Cc:
>	Subject: Re: Writing Style As A Biometric
>
>
>
>	Nicholas,
>
>	I do not think the article relates to handwriting.  It relates
>to the content
>	of the writing.  There is a substantial body of literature on
>the issue of
>	being able to identify handwriting to a particular person and on
>the separate
>	question of inferring certain states of mind from variations in
>the same
>	person's handwriting.
>
>	I think many recognize handwriting as a biometric
>characteristic.  See the BC
>	Website at http://www.biometrics.org/html/research.html
>
>	And see:  Science and NonScience in the Courts: Daubert Meets
>Handwriting
>	identification Expertise. Saks & Risenger, Iowa Law Review
>(1996)
>	http://www.law-forensic.com/handwriting_2.htm
>
>	Best wishes,
>	Henry
>	Henry J. Boitel, Esq.
>	New York
>
>	Nicholas Orlans wrote:
>
>	> Henry,
>	> Yes there is a considerable history and body of work
>surrounding
>	> signature analysis---both static analysis and dynamic aspects.
>Static
>	> handwriting is of course more susceptible to forgery or
>obfuscation.
>	> When signature samples are collected with live capture devices
>the
>	> manner of production (writing behavior, or style if you will)
>provide
>	> additional information that turn out to be somewhat
>distinctive. Timing,
>	> velocity, acceleration, and pressure (and sometimes other
>derived
>	> attributes) are the basis for classification. Gender and some
>	> psyhological traits reportedly can be inferred through
>handwriting
>	> samples ... presumable in context of other information and
>with
>	> limitations.
>	>
>	> Gopal Gupta and Rick Joyce [GUPTA97] used the following six
>features as
>	> a basis for their engineering experiments on Signature
>analysis:
>	> 1. Total time
>	> 2. Number of velocity sign changes in the x-direction
>	> 3. Number of velocity sign changes in the y-direction
>	> 4. Number of acceleration sign changes in the x-direction
>	> 5. Number of acceleration sign changes in the y-direction
>	> 6. Total pen-up time
>	>
>	> Three sample companies that are in market, there may be others
>(and I
>	> have no first hand knowledge with their current products)
>	>
>	> http://www.cic.com/
>	> http://www.silanis.com
>	> http://www.valyd.com/
>	>
>	> [GUPTA97] G. Gupta, A. McCabe, A Review of Dynamic Handwritten
>Signature
>	> Verification. James Cook University, Townsville, Austrailia.
>1997.
>	>
>	> "Henry J. Boitel" wrote:
>	> >
>	> > An FBI investigator appears to be claiming that the writing
>	> > style (i.e., use of language) of the Anthrax terrorist may
>	> > be "as unique as DNA", for the purpose of identifying him.
>	> >
>	> > Is he describing a behavioral biometric, and is there a body
>	> > of scientific precedent that supports his view?
>	> >
>	> > Assuming that writing style can provide strong evidence of
>	> > identity against some persons (something like missing a
>	> > certain finger or having a certain tattoo or a certain
>	> > scar), is writing style capable of being used to identify
>	> > most of the population, so as to elevate it to the level of
>	> > being a biometric?
>	> >
>	> > Can writing style survive conscious efforts to distort it?
>	> >
>	> > The following article is from the BBC Aug. 18, 2002
>	> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2196008.stm
>	> >
>	> > Henry J. Boitel, Esq.
>	> > New York
>	> >
>	> > Sunday, 18 August, 2002, 02:37 GMT 03:37 UK  Anthrax killer
>	> > 'is US defence insider'
>	> >
>	> > An FBI forensic linguistics expert believes the US anthrax
>	> > attacks were carried out by a senior scientist from within
>	> > America's biological-defence community.
>	> >
>	> > Professor Don Foster - who helped convict Unabomber Ted
>	> > Kaczynski and unveiled Joe Klein as the author of the novel
>	> > Primary Colors - says the evidence points to someone with
>	> > high-ranking military and intelligence connections.
>	> >
>	> > Speaking about the investigation for the first time, Prof
>	> > Foster told the BBC he had identified two suspects who had
>	> > both worked for the CIA, the US Army Medical Research
>	> > Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and other
>	> > classified military operations.
>	> >
>	> > Controversially, Prof Foster says the killer is likely to be
>	> > highly patriotic individual who wanted to demonstrate that
>	> > the US was badly prepared for an act of biological
>	> > terrorism.
>	> >
>	> > The weapons-grade anthrax was posted in letters just days
>	> > after the 11 September terror attacks, leaving five people
>	> > dead, 18 injured and 35,000 forced to take precautionary
>	> > antibiotics.
>	> >
>	> > The professor says he does not believe the killer will
>	> > strike again as he has achieved his goal.
>	> >
>	> > He explained: "To that end his misplaced patriotism has
>	> > worked. Today millions of government dollars have gone into
>	> > research and anthrax antibiotics are now available to the
>	> > public."
>	> >
>	> > Agency rivalry?
>	> >
>	> > However, he fears the investigation is now being hampered in
>	> > its gathering of vital documents that could lead to the
>	> > killer.
>	> >
>	> > Prof Foster says investigators need examples of the suspects
>	> > writing to analyse their style and use of language - which
>	> > the professor believes is as unique as DNA and could unveil
>	> > the perpetrator.
>	> >
>	> > He said: "It's very frustrating. Ordinarily with the FBI if
>	> > there's some documents needed - known writings - boom,
>	> > they're on my desk the next day.
>	> >
>	> > "My two suspects both appear to have CIA connections. These
>	> > two agencies, the CIA and the FBI, are sometimes seen as
>	> > rivals.
>	> >
>	> > "My anxiety is that the FBI agents assigned to this case are
>	> > not getting full and complete co-operation from the US
>	> > military, CIA and witnesses who might have information about
>	> > this case."
>	> >
>	> > Killer 'diverting suspicion'
>	> >
>	> > Prof Foster was given four letters recovered by
>	> > investigators to analyse for clues to the killer's identity.
>	> >
>	> > "As I worked through these documents it became apparent that
>	> > USAMRIID was ultimately the best place for the FBI to begin
>	> > looking for a suspect," he said.
>	> >
>	> > All of the letters contain the following messages "Death to
>	> > America" and "Death to Israel". All were dated 11 September,
>	> > a clear reference to the terror attacks.
>	> >
>	> > But while investigators searched for links between the
>	> > anthrax attacks and al-Qaeda, Prof Foster immediately
>	> > suspected that dating the letters 11 September was merely a
>	> > ruse to throw the authorities off the scent.
>	> >
>	> > He says: "When an offender gives you some piece of
>	> > information that's just completely unnecessary and that, in
>	> > this case, is inaccurate, it becomes immediately suspect.
>	> >
>	> > "It becomes a statement of 'Here's what I want you to
>	> > believe about this document'."
>	> >
>	> > Prof Foster also says the killer seems to have tried
>	> > implicating two former USAMRIID scientists who had left the
>	> > laboratory in unhappy circumstances by posting the letters
>	> > from near their homes in New Jersey.
>	> >
>	> > He says only someone in contact with a senior insider at
>	> > USAMRIID would have known how the two scientists left the
>	> > lab and that they would then be likely targets for the FBI
>	> > investigation.
>	> >
>	> > He says: "They are looking at someone who's a little bit
>	> > higher up the food chain, who would have to have access to
>	> > personnel information."
>	> >
>	> > Deliberate mistakes
>	> >
>	> > The professor also identified a number of mistakes and
>	> > misspellings in the letters which he suspects are a
>	> > deliberate ploy to confuse investigators.
>	> >
>	> > The author of the anthrax letters tells his victims to take
>	> > penicillin. Not only is penicillin the wrong antibiotic to
>	> > take, the killer also misspells the word.
>	> >
>	> > Prof Foster says: "You mean to tell me this guy is dealing
>	> > with anthrax, a trillion spores a gram, and he thinks
>	> > penicillin is going to be the antibiotic of choice?
>	> >
>	> > "There's something very fishy about that misspelling there,
>	> > that this particular word should be misspelled and it should
>	> > be misspelled in such an unconvincing way.
>	> >
>	> > "It looks like an attempt on the offender to say 'Hey, don't
>	> > think I'm a scientist, don't think I know anything about
>	> > antibiotics'."
>	> >
>	> > The FBI have placed a number of scientists under intense
>	> > scrutiny and recently questioned US scientist Dr Steven
>	> > Hatfill in connection with the attacks.
>	> >
>	> > Dr Hatfill strenuously denies any involvement in the attacks
>	> > saying: "I have never worked with anthrax; I know nothing
>	> > about this matter."
>	> >
>	> > The FBI's investigation continues.
>	> >
>	> >
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>	> > The preceding was forwarded by the Biometric Consortium's
>Electronic
>	> > Discussion Group.  Any opinions expressed here do not
>necessarily
>	> > reflect those of the Biometric Consortium.  Further
>distribution
>	> > is prohibited.
>	> >
>	> > Problems and questions regarding this list should be sent to
>	> > BIOMETRICS-request@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM.
>	> >
>	> > To remove your name from this list please send the command
>	> > "SIGNOFF BIOMETRICS" to <LISTSERV@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM>.
>Please
>	> > do not send the "SIGNOFF BIOMETRICS" command to the
>BIOMETRICS list.
>	> >
>	> > To update membership information (new e-mail address etc.),
>please send
>	> > a message to <bailey@biometrics.org> providing the updated
>information.
>	> >
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>	>
>	> --
>	>
>	> |---- Nicholas Orlans ** The MITRE Corporation  **
>703.883.7454 ----|
>
>	--
>	This is a communication between or relating to an attorney and
>client.  It is
>	intended to be privileged, confidential, and proprietary to the
>fullest
>	extent permitted by law.  If it should come into the possession
>of any  third
>	party, it should immediately be disposed of in a manner that
>insures its
>	confidentiality, and the contents  should not, to any extent, be
>disseminated
>	to anyone.  Henry J. Boitel, Attorney at Law.
>	Phone: (516) 594-1234     Fax: (516) 536-8766    Electronic
>Mail:
>	boitel@mindspring.com
>
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>	The preceding was forwarded by the Biometric Consortium's
>Electronic
>	Discussion Group.  Any opinions expressed here do not
>necessarily
>	reflect those of the Biometric Consortium.  Further distribution
>	is prohibited.
>
>	Problems and questions regarding this list should be sent to
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>
>	To update membership information (new e-mail address etc.),
>please send
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>information.
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>


-- 
Rex Brooks
Starbourne Communications Design
1361-A Addison, Berkeley, CA 94702 *510-849-2309
http://www.starbourne.com * rexb@starbourne.com