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Strengthening Alliances & Partnerships
- SETAF-AF discusses joint theater forensics at ALFS 2026
Lydia Benyam, lab manager of the Joint Theater Forensics Analysis Center, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), joins Ricky Muenzer, an electronic exploitation analyst with JTFAC, and Greg Sansom, the JTFAC liaison officer to SETAF-AF, speak to participants about the lab’s forensic capabilities during the African Land Forces Summit 2026 in Rome, Italy, March 23, 2026. SETAF-AF, on behalf of the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, will host ALFS 2026 in Rome from March 22–24. The event brings together senior African military leaders, global industry innovators, and investors to strengthen regional security through new partnerships and technologies.
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- Niger Launches Biometric National ID Card to Boost Digital Identity System
The initiative is designed to improve the security of official documents, enhance public service delivery, and reduce identity-related fraud through advanced digital systems.
https://techafricanews.com/2026/03/30/niger-launches-biometric-national-id-card-to-boost-digital-identity-system/
Building a Resilient Joint Force and Defense Ecosystem
- NIST updates biometric data exchange format standard
NIST releases an updated standard for exchanging machine-readable biometric data, which government agencies aligned with law enforcement and border control use in their automated biometric identification systems (ABISs).
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202603/nist-updates-biometric-data-exchange-format-standard
- Phoenix Sky Harbor advances seamless travel with biometric Enhanced Passenger Processing
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport deploys Enhanced Passenger Processing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to streamline international arrivals using biometrics. Touchless, enrolment-free process for U.S. citizens reduces processing time and enhances security through facial recognition. Part of a wider digital passenger journey strategy including biometric security, eGates and reservation-based screening.
https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2026/03/phoenix-sky-harbor-advances-seamless-travel-with-biometric-enhanced-passenger-processing/
- Lawmaker: Biometrics ban would put law enforcement back in the Stone Age
(The Center Square) – An Illinois state lawmaker says a proposal to ban law enforcement from using biometric information systems would put crime-fighting efforts back in the Stone Age.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_a97a0e0f-8be9-4b9c-9b09-36cc07afc788.html
Establish Integrated Deterrence
- Senegal confirms breach of national ID card department after ransomware claims
A cybersecurity incident in Senegal forces the closure of a government office that manages sensitive data, including national ID cards and passports.
https://therecord.media/senegal-breach-national-id-agency
- Shufti warns that lab‑tested deepfake tools are failing in the real world
Most detection models train on clean, predictable datasets. These bear little resemblance to the bandwidth‑limited, device‑variable environments in which identity verification occurs.
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202603/shufti-warns-that-lab-tested-deepfake-tools-are-failing-in-the-real-world
Upcoming events and training (next 30 days)
- International Workshop on Biometrics and Forensics (IWBF), 23-24 APR, Côte d’Azur, France https://iwbf2026.github.io/index.html
- AFCEA's Spring Intelligence Symposium, 28-29 APR, Springfield, VA, USA, https://www.afcea.org/events/2026-spring-intelligence-symposium
- Protection & Maneuver Support Industry Exposition, 28-29 APR, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, USA, https://protectionandmaneuversupportindustryexpo.com/
- Modern Day Marine, 28-30 APR, Washington, DC, USA, https://marinemilitaryexpos.com/