Florida City Uses Biometric Technology As Part Of Two-Factor Authentication System

The City of Winter Park in Florida has selected DigitalPersona Inc., a provider of fingerprint identity and authentication solutions, to help address the two-factor authentication component of Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) mandates.

Located in Central Florida, rhe City of Winter Park employs approximately 550 people who serve more than 28,000 residents. The City chose DigitalPersona Pro and DigitalPersona Privacy Manager Pro to help secure access to networks and applications used by employees at city hall; central facilities including vehicle maintenance and the department of motor vehicles (DMV), electric division, and water plants; as well as emergency vehicles such as police cars and fire trucks. DigitalPersona's software tightly integrates into the City's existing systems, including Active Directory Services, Naviline and "green screen" AS/400 applications.

Additionally, DigitalPersona Privacy Manager Pro enables sensitive information to be protected through digital signing and encryption of email and documents.

"CJIS mandates advanced authentication. In evaluating solutions, finding an easy-to-use solution was critical," said George Maldonado, systems administrator for the City of Winter Park. "DigitalPersona fit seamlessly into our existing infrastructure and City employees have embraced the solution. This is especially crucial for our first responders in the Police and Fire Departments which can't be slowed down by a new system that is difficult to use."

Before choosing DigitalPersona fingerprint authentication, the City of Winter Park relied on usernames and passwords to secure networks and applications. According to the CJIS mandate, however, the city needed to implement "advanced authentication" such as biometrics, public key infrastructure, smart cards or token-based devices in addition to typical security methods such as usernames and passwords.

According to the City of Winter Park, DigitalPersona biometric authentication addressed the city's need for a security solution that could not be shared between users and wouldn't get in the way of performing critical public and emergency services. Because of the ease-of-use and widespread acceptance of the DigitalPersona solution by the city's employees, the city's IT department has already met the deadline for compliance with the CJIS Security Policy.

"Strict regulations are being put in place across the United States  to better safeguard confidential information," said Jim Fulton, vice president of marketing with DigitalPersona. "Fingerprint biometrics strengthens security and compliance while remaining easy to use. DigitalPersona Pro software helps a wide range of organizations address compliance mandates without disrupting ongoing operations."

 

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.