NATO has launched an in-house biometrics system for secure data-sharing. The system builds on the existing NATO Automated Biometrics Identification System (NABIS) developed by the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency. It uses a 'ping and ring' where a nation collecting data on an individual can 'ping' the system to query if any other member states have a matching identity, and if so, can 'ring' the other nation to ask for specific data to be shared in a secure manner.