The use of biometrics is becoming ever more popular in enterprise environments, because of the problems inherent in remembering passwords or other authentication data. NEC's Touchpass provides a powerful biometric authentication system based on fingerprint recognition.
The system is based on a patented matching algorithm and works by extracting data points from a scanned fingerprint image. These are encrypted and stored in a secure location. With this method, a secure set of data points are held rather than an individual's actual fingerprint images.
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Installation is simple on any Windows NT/2000 or above server running Active directory. It ties directly into the directory structure and adds an extra tab to each user's properties. Each user scans in their fingerprints - a short process - and all 10 digits can be stored.
The client software can be deployed using Microsoft's SMS. Once installed it replaces the usual Windows login prompt, requesting a finger print scan for authentication. This takes a little time to get used to but again is a simple process.
Touchpass works with a number of scanning imaging devices. Each has a varying degree of accuracy-and the choice depends on your environment - NEC can advise on this.
Although it is an enterprise product, it can easily be deployed in smaller environments. Features such as replication to backup domain controllers mean it is fully scaleable. NEC will also tailor the product to suit varying security requirements.
Touchpass provides a relatively simple, if expensive, way of reducing the administrative burden of maintaining passwords.
Apart from improving security, the potential administrative cost savings should be attractive for corporate customers.
Verdict: If you're thinking of adopting fingerprint recognition as part of your security environment, Touchpass is worth investigating for its ease of use.
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