The Registered Traveler credentials -- smart cards with an internal computer and dozens of security features that prove authenticity, prevent fraud and block unauthorized access to protect the passenger's private information -- are supplied by Gemalto, which also makes security technology for the new U.S. electronic passports.
Registered Traveler, which began as a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pilot program in the summer of 2004, permits frequent fliers to obtain a biometric credential -- a unique identifier, such as a fingerprint or iris scan -- that enables them to navigate airport security checkpoints more efficiently without compromising the security standards TSA has implemented. Unisys ran three of TSA's five pilot programs.
