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Passwords be gone: Biometric authentication comes to iSeries

By Sarah Kimmel
Monday, October 20, 2003

      Biometric security stands tall where user names and passwords fall short — companies that use biometrics gain strong authentication, and without multiple passwords per user, managers lower the total cost of administration ownership.

      “Technology has moved at a fantastic pace — think of your cell phones, computers, and PDAs just a few years ago — but one thing hasn’t changed; we are still using pins and passwords. This is one of the weakest links in IT security. I think people look at biometrics and think it’s either too clunky or too expensive. That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” says Mark Wade, vice president of sales, North America, Daon, New York, NY.

      Biometrics is a set of unique personal identifiers, such as your fingerprints, your eye’s iris, or your voice. Now the first biometric solution for the iSeries, Daon’s Java-based identity management system — called the DaonEngine — allows iSeries shops to set up and enforce policies that use biometric devices to control access to physical assets (like buildings) as well as logical assets (like ERP systems).

      “More than 90% of those using biometric authentication are using fingerprint scanning. Iris scanning is primarily used in ‘clean rooms’ (where employees must be garbed and gloved). Voice recognition hasn’t really taken off yet. I don’t think people are ready for it and it’s still too resource intensive,” says Wade.

The problems with passwords

      Why do pins and passwords pose vulnerabilities? While in theory they protect, the reality is that:

• Employees share their passwords with others
• With multiple applications and numerous passwords to remember, employees use weak passwords — such as their birthday or partner’s name
• Employees put all of their passwords on a Post-It, in a Word document, or in their PDA, where they are overly accessible
• Employees use a single password for all of their applications

      When a user logs on to his computer with his fingerprint, the DaonEngine knows who he is before logging him on to the network. Using random finger logic — where the user is asked to randomly scan one of eight fingers — companies can further ensure their buildings and their systems.

      “Fingertip identification is exceptionally reliable, and when done correctly, is very cost-effective to deploy and can be ubiquitous — you couldn’t put an iris scanner on every desktop. I say ‘done correctly’ because the technology is the enabler, but there also needs to be some clever business logic behind it. Random finger logic, for example, is a way to put up another wall between the enterprise and the outside world,” says Wade.

      In addition to being less accurate, passwords may also be more expensive. Wade cites a recent Gartner study that shows password management — including fixing lost or forgotten passwords — typically costs a company $280 per user per year. Compared with password management, companies will achieve a return on their investment in fingerprint scanning technology within 18 months, notwithstanding the significant security benefits.

      Right now, biometric authentication is becoming more prevalent in government and in the transportation industry, as well as in the financial, gaming, and life sciences industries. London City Airport, the third largest airport in Britain, has biometric security implemented for all employees, from the air traffic controllers to the ticket clerks.

      “Even in areas like manufacturing, biometric authentication tightens up security, as well punctuality and attendance. Our system does away with ‘buddy-punching’ (when an employees clocks out for a co-worker) because no one can authenticate without their own finger,” says Wade.

      The DaonEngine for iSeries is now generally available. Daon will not publicly reveal pricing for the DaonEngine. For more information on Daon, see www.daon.com.

      Daon and its partner Key Information Systems held a Biometrics webinar on September 16. To view the recording, see www.keyisit.com/websched/.

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