Fujitsu, IBM Offer Biometric Security Solution That Replaces Passwords

  • Jan 06, 2010


IBM and Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. recently announced a new security solution that integrates palm vein biometric technology from Fujitsu with IBM's single sign-on solution.

The new offering aims to help companies bypass the hassles of managing multiple passwords for access to critical business information by enabling employees to scan their palms to verify their identities. By integrating the palm vein technology with IBM's single sign-on software, employees can securely access applications, files and websites with a single scan of their palm -- eliminating the need to remember multiple passwords and the threats posed by those lost or stolen.

The solution combines Fujitsu PalmSecure LOGONDIRECTOR with IBM Tivoli Access Manager for Single Sign-On, providing organizations with a comprehensive authentication solution for protecting data while also complying with HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley, PCI DDS and other industry and federal regulations.

For example, an employee simply holds his or her hand over a small scanning device attached to a computer that reads the vein patterns in their palm and instantly recognizes the user's identity and what access that affords them. The Fujitsu PalmSecure palm vein authentication technology uses near-infrared light to capture a person's palm vein pattern, generating a unique biometric template that is matched against users' pre-registered palm vein patterns.

Palm vein identification is an unobtrusive and highly accurate technology, and the International Biometrics Group (IBG), which evaluates biometric products through comparative testing, found that palm vein technology competes well with iris scanning technology in accuracy, and demonstrated extremely low occurrences of both false positive and false negative readings. It utilizes no trace technology which leaves virtually no biometric footprint behind and therefore it is difficult to spoof, especially when compared with cheaper fingerprinting devices.

"A typical organization spends hundreds of dollars per employee per year on lost passwords through help desk support," said E.K. Koh, program director for single sign-on, IBM Tivoli software. "IBM's work with Fujitsu replaces archaic password structures with a single path of access that resides in the palms of the employees' hands, and can be managed more efficiently, saving companies thousands of dollars in IT support while protecting critical organizational data and information."

IBM Tivoli Access Manager for Enterprise Single Sign-On allows a user to log in once to gain access to various systems or applications to do their jobs without being prompted to log in again at each of them. The combined solution from IBM and Fujitsu now uses palm vein technology in place of a user needing to even type a password once.

"The combination of PalmSecure LOGONDIRECTOR and IBM Tivoli Access Manager for Enterprise Single Sign-On validates that strong biometric authentication is a critical component in addressing IT security and compliance requirements," said Jim Preasmyer, director of sales and business development, Advanced Technology Group, Fujitsu Frontech of North America Inc. "We are proud to partner with IBM, one of the leading management and single sign-on providers, to expand PalmSecure LOGONDIRECTOR adoption. This partnership underscores Fujitsu's commitment to partnering with world-class organizations to resolve security issues associated with lost, stolen or forgotten passwords."

As part of this integration, Fujitsu PalmSecure LOGONDIRECTOR has been validated through the Ready for IBM Tivoli Software program, ensuring that the integration with Tivoli products meets IBM's requirements for interoperability and user experience. Validated products bear the Ready for IBM Tivoli logo as an assurance to customers of their compliance.

"For more than seven years, we have helped healthcare organizations, financial services firms and companies in other industries protect sensitive information and comply with various regulations by implementing IBM's security solutions," said Jerry Sforza, president of Encode Inc., a Freehold, N.J.-based IBM business partner. "Integrating the Fujitsu biometric solution with IBM's technology gives our customers a smart security solution that ensures the right people have the right level of access to critical organizational data."

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