Fujitsu Looks To Secure Card Payments With Biometric Data

Steve McCaskill,
credit card security combination lock chip and pin @ padlock © nobeastsofierce Shutterstock

Fujitsu PalmSecure ID Match adds two-factor authentication capabilities for retailers and organisations in regulated environments

Fujitsu says its new PalmSecure ID Match device will make identity verification and card payments more secure by combining a chip and PIN system with its palm-vein scanning technology for multi-factor authentication.

The unit is similar to current point of sale systems and comprises a multi-card reader, its PalmSecure sensor, a touchscreen and a processor board powered by an ARM chip. It will be available from early 2015 and the Japanese manufacturer is targeting companies in the finance and retail sectors and organisations that handle sensitive data, such as those in the public sector.

An SDK will be released allowing customers to integrate the ID Match device into their custom applications, providing an additional layer of security for access control software, timesheets and could allow businesses to abolish some passwords altogether.

handprint palm vein biometric scan security identity © Claudia Perez Leal ShutterstockPalmSecure ID Match

“This is not only a PalmSecure sensor but a two factor authentication device,” says Fujitsu CTO Dr Joseph Reger at the Fujitsu Forum in Munich, promising a “very high level of authentication” and that the technology would adhere to any data protection legislation in Europe by checking biometric information directly on the device.

“In some EU countries it is not legal to store biometric data on servers so there is a need to do biometric security on the device itself without the need to contact a central database,” he added. “What you need is ‘ID Match on the device’ without a network connection.”

In a bid to dispel any lingering security fears, Fujitsu also announced the availability of PalmSecure truidentity, which offers the same protection afforded to Germany’s electronic ID cards, IT promises to secure corporate data against unauthorised access attempts and to provide robust protection against all known attack scenarios.

The idea of using biometric data for payments and accessing data is gaining traction, with both Apple and Samsung including fingerprint sensors in their newest smartphones. Apple’s Touch ID can be used by third party developers to unlock applications and make payments thanks to the launch of the Apple Pay payment system and a new API.

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