IT managers will soon have more affordable options for biometric security for PCs.
At Comdex in Chicago this week, several vendors are expected to unveil products that authenticate PC users and protect data using retinal scanning and voice, face and fingerprint technology.
SAFlink will demonstrate a suite of software-based biometric products aimed at the Internet, networks and PCs. Two of the products that will be demonstrated at the show are SAFty Latch and SAFsite.
SAFty Latch is a US$60 software package bundled with a microphone that uses voice recognition technology to protect files.
SAFsite, which bundles voice, face and fingerprint recognition technology, is built for Web developers and site administrators. The product provides two layers of protection: the SAFtyPIN password and a choice of remote facial, voice or fingerprint authentication over the Internet by using a digital camera, a microphone or a customized fingerprint reader. SAFsite starts at US$995.
The company is rolling out an update to SAFsite for enterprises, called SAF2000. The product will start at US$200 per 10-user license.
Dallas-based Citadel Technology is presenting a similar suite of security products, which includes WinShield, FolderBolt and NetOff.
WinShield provides application-, device- and setting-specific lockouts for the PC using password protection. With it, users will be able to control everything from network access to DOS and CD-ROM access through the administrator interface.
FolderBolt is a security application for the PC that uses the Triple Data Encryption Standard to provide security options such as password protection and secure file deletion.
NetOff provides network security for unattended PCs. The software logs off inactive PCs and provides password protection for screen savers and the ability to customize log-off policies per client.
All three products are available now in volume discounts.
Also at Comdex, IrisScan Inc. will update its iris recognition technology, which stores an image of a PC user's eye for authentication. The personal imager, called PC Iris, includes a digital camera, which scans the user's iris while the software stores the data locally or for access over a network.
PC Iris is being revamped with some software fixes that add, among other things, time stamping. The product will be priced at US$500 when it becomes available this week.
Meanwhile, vendors will use the show to give some older technologies a face lift. Microsoft, for one, will launch its digital optical mouse, the IntelliMouse Explorer. While it may look like a sleeker version of the traditional mouse, the IntelliMouse Explorer has no internal moving parts. Instead, it contains an infrared lens that reads gradient changes in the textures it passes over. The mouse works via the Universal Serial Bus and, according to Microsoft officials will work on both a PC and a Macintosh. The US$75 mouse can also be used with older PCs via a PS/2 plug converter, which will come with the product when it hits retail shelves late this summer.
