Postal News – using biometrics and technology to improve security and service

Informed Delivery photo courtesy USPS

With 600,000 employees and over 150 billion pieces of mail to process and deliver in a year, improving technology is vital for the United States Post Office (USPS) to manage employees and meet customer needs. Last year, USPS introduced a new service, Informed Delivery, with a cell phone app that gives users digital previews of household mail and easy tracking of package deliveries.

Through new applications and new verification systems – from two-factor, to behavioral, to biometric – the post office has improved delivery accuracy and overall security. 

The USPS is well beyond the manual entry of identification information. For package delivery, postal carriers use bar code scanning/tracking devices with geo-location and frequency distribution analysis that makes sure that the device is in “the right hands at the right location in order to do the right transaction.” A warning message pops up on the device if package activity doesn’t match the delivery plan.

At postal headquarters and in retail stores, two-factor authentication to authorize computer users. Besides password protection, hard or soft digital tokens are used for authentication, such as a 6-digit code sent to a cell phone or other verification device.

The USPS is using fingerprint and facial biometrics in partnership with the State Department and other government agencies. The post office benefits by securely validated employee background checks. On its part, the USPS is working on an identity management strategy that it will offer to other government agencies, as well as expanding its biometric data collection. The post office is in a unique position to gather facial capture data from the 5 million passport applications it processes annually. 



USPS keeping identities safe one delivery at a time

By Steff Thomas, Jan. 9, 2018, for Federal News Radio


New USPS Service Gives You A Peek Into Your Mailbox Before You Get Home

By Cecilia Mazanec, Mar. 27, 2017, for npr.org

Accurate Biometrics

Practical solutions for fingerprint collection and processing.