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Reinforcing corporate IT security

Advanced security solutions distributor, PowellTronics, is introducing biometric-based protection for corporate IT systems. Available through its partner network, the SuperSign solution uses fingerprints to identify IT users and authorise their activities.

Alastair McPhail of Powell Tronics says that SuperSign gives corporate IT the proven biometric benefits that exist within physical security at thousands of SA organisations: “By replacing access cards, PINS and passwords with fingerprints, the losses caused by unauthorised access and abuse of clocking systems are being minimised.”

According to McPhail, SA is well advanced on the biometric learning curve: “Local organisations have learned two things: fingerprints are the way to go and technology from the French hi-tech conglomerate, Safran, is the one to use. Local investment in this technology for over 2,5 million employees is based on one reason: it works.”

McPhail thinks that although it is time for IT to catch up with advances in physical security, this has not been possible until the introduction of SuperSign: “IT professionals are aware of the huge risks created by credentials like cards, PINs and passwords. They are not secure simply because I can use your password or card and you can use mine.

“Before SuperSign, nobody had a solution that could apply the benefits of biometrics across a range of IT systems and applications.”

Although identity theft and fraudulent EFT payments get a lot of attention, far greater losses are occurring through the cyber theft of secrets such as deal negotiations, strategic plans, operational processes, financials and R&D.

McPhail says research shows that most cyber crime is based on the abuse of normal IT access credentials and that this happens so frequently because it is so easy to exploit cards, PINs and passwords: “They are no longer an effective barrier to unauthorised access. Everything we have learnt from physical security suggests that they should be replaced with biometrics.”

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