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Mobile transactions will need to be safe

As we enter the mobile era of conducting business, more and more people will transact using mobile phones, making the need for secure transactions a burning issue

While wireless communication mediums such as wireless application protocol (WAP) and Bluetooth are going to improve the end user's ability to transact wirelessly, security technology is also starting to appear. This is opening up a whole new vista for end users.

Recently Clive Handley, security specialist at NamITech, the secure solutions provider announced that his company had unveiled Bio-Cert, a locally-developed nonrepudiation server solution - believed to be one of the first of its kind in the world.

Bio-Cert uses both voice and fingerprint biometrics to ensure that any transaction entered into over the Internet - or from mobile gadgets such as cellular phones and PDAs - can be verified and vouched for.

"One of the biggest worries when it comes to e-business and mobile communications is clearly the repudiation of transactions in the e-business world. Our solution prevents this as it ensures that the user who confirms a transaction cannot claim that he did not conduct the transaction. Our system is based on the X509 Digital Certificate Standard and, with its special in-built security features, ensures that every transaction is tracked from A to Z, and is ultimately verified as bona fida - something that can be empirically proven if need be due to the fact that the system can provide a full audit trail of the transaction in question."

Handley said the company's Bio-Cert is an open-ended nonrepudiation solution. While it currently uses voice and fingerprint biometrics, other features and standards are catered for and will be added at a later stage.

"Our Bio-Cert solution works in conjunction with standard digital certificate authorities and we believe it is going to make a big impact on Internet trading in terms of much-needed security - both here and abroad."

For more information: Clive Handly, NamITech, 011 458 0000.

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