As we enter the mobile era of conducting business, more and more people will transact using mobile phones, making the need for secure transactions a burning issue.
The latest projections point to business-to-business (B2B) commerce set to be worth 400 billion euro by 2003, once again pointing strongly to the need for failsafe security when conducting business via the Internet, or via remote devices like cellular phones.
While wireless communication mediums such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Bluetooth are going to improve the end-user`s ability to transact wirelessly, security technology is also starting to appear. This is opening up a whole new vista for end-users.
According to Clive Handley, security specialist at NamITech, the secure solutions provider with the Nampak group of companies, his company recently unveiled Bio-Cert, a locally-developed non-repudiation server solution - believed to be one of the first of its kind in the world.
Bio-Cert uses both voice and fingerprint biometrics to ensure that any transaction entered into over the Internet - or from mobile gadgets such as cellular phones and PDAs - can be verified and vouched for.
"One of the biggest worries when it comes to e-business and mobile communications is clearly the repudiation of transactions in the e-business world. Our solution prevents this as it ensures that the user who confirms a transaction cannot claim that he did not conduct the transaction. Our system is based on the X509 Digital Certificate Standard and, with its special in-built security features, ensures that every transaction is tracked from A to Z, and is ultimately verified as bona fide - something that can be empirically proven if need be due to the fact that the system can provide a full audit trail of the transaction in question."
Handley said the company`s Bio-Cert is an open-ended non-repudiation solution. While it currently uses voice and fingerprint biometrics, other features and standards are catered for and will be added at a later stage.
"Our Bio-Cert solution works in conjunction with standard digital certificate authorities and we believe it is going to make a big impact on Internet trading in terms of much-needed security - both here and abroad."
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NamITech Ltd is the secure technology provider within the established Nampak group of companies, focusing on a number of key market areas to provide leading-edge technology solutions.
NamITrust is the newly established enterprise security service provider within the NamITech Limited group, specialising in the monitoring and management of security in the digital domain. This focused division offers comprehensive managed security services including managed PKI, intrusion detection and non-repudiation of transactions. NamITrust operates out of the only seven tier secure facility in Africa.
At the heart of the company is the provision of secure end-to-end business solutions and the development and implementation of value-added applications stemming from the intelligent use of smart cards and the latest technology.
NamITech`s core areas of expertise are secure card technology, payment solutions and enterprise security solutions. Trust is embedded in all its business solutions and NamITech brings accountability to the converging world of electronic transacting and commerce.
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