Report: E-Verify needs a biometric fix

E-Verify has been a thorn in the federal government's side since Day One. The system allows employers to check an individual's Social Security Number to verify whether the number is valid. However, the system cannot detect stolen or borrowed SSNs.

Now a new report says that while the need for E-Verify has grown, there also is a need for biometrics to fix its problems with error rates, including "false negatives" and "false positives."

To cut down on the problems, the report--by the Brookings Institution and Duke University--recommends starting a secure, national ID system with biometric data that would include secure Social Security cards or driver's licenses with biometric data.

The report said each of the biometric options has "pluses and minuses," but recommends that Congress "adopt one approach, fund it, and make it the linchpin of a reliable workplace verification program."

For more on fixing E-Verify:
- see this Federal Computer Week article

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