HIPAA News

BioGuard Unveils Breakthrough Palm Vein Authentication Solution

(Aprl 04, 2008)-- BioGuard,provider of biometric solutions for a wide variety of applications, announced the launch of PalmGuard, an advanced biometric authentication system for verifying an individual's identity by recognizing the unique pattern of veins in the palm. Combining Fujitsu's breakthrough palm vein authentication technology with BioGuard's compact product design and powerful management software, PalmGuard maximizes accuracy and ease of use for security-based applications.

PalmGuard is a combination of Fujitsu's PalmSecureTM biometric palm vein authentication sensor and a smart card reader / writer device. Both components are integrated into an attractively designed and compact desktop-enclosure.

If a user positions his hand 3 to 6 cm above the sensor's surface, the sensor emits a near infrared beam to the palm. The near infrared light passes the human skin layers and reaches the veins. The reduced oxygen in the blood flowing back to the heart absorbs the near infrared light. This absorption will be recorded as a raw image by the sensor's integrated near infrared wide angular camera.

This raw image is then encrypted inside the sensor by using the AES method. The encrypted data will be transferred to the sensor's template library software, which converts and compresses the encrypted raw image to a template with a size of approx. 1 KB. This final template will then be again encrypted with AES.

With the related software application, the enrolled biometric user template can be directly stored onto the chip of a smart card, which can be operated and processed by the integrated smart card reader / writer device of PalmGuard™.

PalmGuard is high-level security authentication desktop device, which can be used in various security application environments requiring biometric template-on-card processes to verify the user's identity.

The PalmGuard integrator product (application software is to be added by the integrator) will be available from April 2008 .

The PalmGuard value added distribution product is planned for June 2008. This product will additionally have a client security software, offering Windows log on and single-sign-on feature.

The ease with which traditional authentication systems can be compromised, together with the rapid growth in identity theft and increasing privacy concerns have resulted in a surge in demand for stronger authentication methods. Biometric authentication methods, such as palm vein scanning, use "something you are" as the basis of verification, rather than something you have, like a smart card or PIN. PalmGuard™ is a contactless solution that uses a near-infrared beam to scan the distinct vein patterns deep within each individual's palm, which are virtually impossible to duplicate or forge. This ensures unsurpassed accuracy, security and usability for applications requiring strong authentication.

"Among today's available biometric technologies, PalmGuard provides top level reliability and accuracy, while also offering maximum convenience with respect to ease of use. It addresses the growing scourge of credit card and smart card fraud, as well as helping organizations comply with HIPAA and other legal requirements," stated Ofer Gol, CEO at BioGuard.

Delivering Strong Authentication for a Wide Range of Applications
PalmGuard delivers strong authentication for a wide range of applications:

* Banking - PalmGuard can be implemented to support a variety of banking scenarios including ATMs, walk-in customers, internal bank security and remote banking for business customers.
* Kiosks - PalmGuard™ performs quick and accurate authentication of identity, such as machines in airports that issue airplane e-tickets, kiosks in clinics that dispense medical test results, or automated stands in train stations that check monthly rail passes.
* Hospitals and healthcare - PalmGuard secures access to patient data in compliance with HIPAA requirements. Hospitals need to accurately verify patients ID to protect them from medical identity theft and insurance fraud. This hygienic solution enables authorized personnel to enter restricted areas or log into computer systems in sterile areas without contacting the sensor itself.
* Physical access - PalmGuard™ can be used to manage high security entry control for financial institutions, military facilities, schools and other types of organizations. In addition, it serves as a time and attendance solution, enabling organizations to track employees' arrival and departure times using on-access control.
* Logical access - Organizations can use PalmGuard™ to secure the enterprise's valuable information and protect the privacy of customer and employee information. It supports single sign-on (SSO) to enable a user to authenticate once and gain access to the resources of multiple software systems.

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