Biometrics Come of Age

Biometric security -- the bane of civil libertarians -- has never been associated with convenience, and has been relegated to a reputation of being cumbersome and inconvenient. By recording certain biological characteristics such as facial patterns, fingerprints, or even the iris of an eye, biometrics has been billed as an end all solution for "locking out" unwanted visitors. At the Partner Pavillion during last week's Windows XP launch events, DigitalPersona's U.are.U Personal stood out as one of the most innovative products being showcased on the floor by defying the conventions that surround biometric technology.

Both Microsoft and DigitalPersona were demonstrating U.are.U Personal's touted fast user switching, a way to change user profiles without logging out and closing applications – minus the need to type in passwords. Ideally, a USB finger sensor allows instant recognition that transcends user switching by using DigitalPersona's special software to interact with Web sites, replacing passwords on the fly. The software package includes a utility to encrypt selected files with one touch as well.

BetaNews had the chance to evaluate U.are.U Personal in person. Rather than watch the pre-fabricated dog and pony display show, we asked to create our own user account on the sample machines.

There is a four step process to create a user account. Someone with administrative rights must initiate the process that loads a wizard to guide a new user through the registration process. Four fingerprint samplings are required in order to create an accurate model for recognition. A new account was created without a hitch, and we were able to access our Windows session instantly by touching the sensor pad.

One obvious characteristic of the software was that it bypassed the start menu by loading a clone that floats around on the desktop. Although seemingly benign, this fact alone raised questions about the level of integration the company has able to achieve with the operating system. Chief Technology Officer Vance Bjorn remained unfettered, telling BetaNews that U.are.U Personal is native code compatible with Windows XP.

According to Bjorn, both companies worked hand in hand to develop biometric technology for Windows. "We are excited to see DigitalPersona's innovation in making biometric authentication affordable for all PC users," said John Frederiksen, general manger of marketing for Windows at Microsoft Corp. "Because U.are.U Personal is optimized for Fast User Switching in Windows XP, the logon procedure is more secure, faster and easier, especially for homes and small businesses where multiple users share PCs."

Fabio Righi, President and CEO of DigitalPersona weighed in, "U.are.U Personal is the latest in our line of personal security solutions, and it is a significant step forward in providing convenient security for home and SOHO users of Windows XP. Even if you share a PC, your files, bookmarks, Internet history, email and all your personal data, are available with a touch of your finger to you alone."

The product is available exclusively through DigitalPersona's Web site, and is listed among the special offers aimed at sweetening the deal to upgrade to Microsoft's latest on the Windows XP Web site. U.are.U Personal retails at an introductory price of $69.00 USD. Digital Persona has spent roughly five years developing fingerprinting technology.

Alternative product offerings are available from Cogent Systems, Identix, Fidelica Microsystems, and Veridicom.