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Integrating Biometrics And Smart Cards
Security Managementn Last fall, IBM Global Services announced that it was working with smart-card and biometric partners such as ActivCard, Bioscrypt, GE, and ImageWare on a secure Identity Management Solution. This system is meant to help organizations roll out smart cards embedded with any of a variety of biometric technologies, as well as software solutions to easily provision identity credentials. I was given the opportunity to be enrolled by the system. In less than five minutes, my fingerprints were scanned, a photo was taken, and a smart card with all these data embedded was issued. A single software program made provisioning easy by using checklists to allow access to certain desktop applications and to various rooms, while other applications and areas remained off limits. The card was both contact and contactless-which would enable the user to gain unhampered access to areas with both technologies. The contact technology was used at a computer terminal. The card was placed into a reader, and I was automatically logged onto the computer. Passwords were read and entered, and I was given access to the desktop. Pulling the card out of the reader automatically logged me off. This type of integrated solution is becoming common, says Ed Schaffer, director, positive identification, access control solutions, and homeland security with Unisys. "I know all the big integrators are working on similar solutions, either internally or with team members to enable them to get into these big integration projects." Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance, says these integrators "are taking a lot of the mystery and complexity out of implementing these strong security technologies that incorporate smart cards." Automating and streamlining these processes represents a huge step forward, he says. "When an end user has to go it alone and secure cards and secure readers and secure applications like biometrics and physical access, then very often they're left to the rather complex job of trying to get all the pieces to work together." |
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