South African biometrics group Fingerprint-IT is introducing a product designed to combat identity fraud, phishing, password theft and repudiation, says company director Bryan Kimmel.
Kimmel believes biometrics technology has entered the second phase of its lifecycle in terms of global applications, and is moving away from being solely an access control solution.
Fingerprint-IT`s BioIdentity application is a third-party verification and identity register, which requires that clients submit their identity details to the vendor, which captures these and submits the information to BioIdentity over the Internet or direct connection.
BioIdentity checks for non-duplication and then registers the client along with their details, says Kimmel.
"The client initiates a new transaction when purchasing something or when his identity has been confirmed. He does this by placing his finger on a fingerprint scanner, and BioIdentity then returns a positive, negative or unknown result."
If the result of the verification is positive, Kimmel says, the vendor can then proceed with the transaction knowing the true identity of the client has been established.
Furthermore, the system can be integrated into any transactional system to enable the secure processing of any type of financial transaction that is identity bound. Kimmel claims this eliminates all hacking vulnerabilities, as well as ensures security for the client, merchant and financial institution.
Kimmel says that, apart from eliminating the threat of fraud and skimming, the system also allows for quicker checkouts and customer convenience, and enables customer-pattern tracking and directed promotional advertising. In addition, BioIdentity can be used for age verification for movies, as well as sales of tobacco and alcohol products.
"BioIdentity works with any fingerprint reader, providing it meets our stringent security requirements."
Kimmel points out that vendors do not require expensive server hardware or IT staff to manage yet another system, which means there is a low up-front cost.
"It is available as a standalone system and integrates into any existing application," Kimmel says.
Share