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Biometrics Make it Easy to Be High-Tech
If you have always wanted to keep up with the latest, most innovative technology on the market, then you must already know about biometrics. If you haven’t, don’t feel bad, now’s your time to catch up!
Biometrics are the newest way to enhance a lifestyle of convenience. They work to increase security – data, personal – you name it. What the term ‘biometrics’ actually refers to is a particular type of security. You.
Gone are the days of passwords and keys, and here to stay is the era of using human characteristics to maximize your security. For example, using your fingerprint to open a computer file.
Many businesses have been using biometrics for years because the benefits are overwhelming. They combat fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized access, to name a few. But the sudden downpour of security concerns in the last few years has encouraged consumers all over the world to embrace the idea of a password-free environment.
Many companies in the industry are working hard to make biometrics a household standard. One of these companies is onClick Corporation in Houston, Texas. onClick was founded by CEO Wasif Khan in1998.
Khan was born and raised in Pakistan, and decided to take his talents abroad
and start his own IT company. He settled in Texas, and for the first year
his established headquarters was ran out of his bedroom. Within 12 months
onClick expanded globally, extending its reach to business beyond the Texas
market.
Based on needs and market analysis, onClick gave birth to its biometrics
division in 2001. The developing awareness of the shortfalls in physical and
computer security has made biometrics a viable player in the search for key
solutions. By 2002, onClick announced several hardware and software product
launches geared toward home and business for those reasons.
One of these products is the onClick BioMouse. It is an optical mouse for use with any PC with a USB port. BioMouse is popular because it takes a required computer tool and turns it into a high-tech weapon. A fingerprint sensor rests on top of the mouse, just below the scroll wheel. Whenever you logon to your computer, or wish to access accounts online, you just press your finger to the sensor instead of typing a password. Just like that you have increased your security while making life that much easier.
onClick’s data security biometrics include encryption software to limit file viewing to those that are authorized. You can encrypt any files on your computer, and simply decrypt them later with a touch of your finger.
BioScan is the laptop equivalent to BioMouse. It houses the fingerprint sensor in a PCMCIA card so as to be discreet and durable for the mobile laptop. A considerable advantage to having encrypted files on a laptop comes when the computer is stolen. Even though someone has taken your expensive equipment, they still won’t have access to your financial accounts you save on your desktop.
Computer security is always being tried and tested, and therefore must always be improved upon. Biometric security has been a big improvement for computer access because of the extreme limitations it puts on people who want to steal information. This type of technology works well with data protection, so it makes sense that it could be easily incorporated into other areas as well, such as physical security.
onClick developed a few devices based on the same fingerprint method. BioLock takes a traditional door lock and makes it that much more advanced. No keys included, because you don’t need them! As long as your fingerprint is stored in the database, it will verify you in moments and automatically unlock the door. All attempts of entry can be recorded to see who used the lock and when. BioLock can run on batteries, or even be networked so they can be controlled from one location.
Biometrics are not just limited to fingerprint devices by no means. The whole concept is defined as using human characteristics to identify someone, so that can be anything from the way you walk to how the veins appear in your hands. Industry professionals are even working on a way to detect unique body odor! onClick manufactures fingerprint products mainly because they are so widely accepted and can be used in almost any scenario. They do make other devices that use signature as verification, helping to prevent identity theft and fraud by how someone signs their name.
Many people wait until something actually happens before they implement a better security method. But even with protection against theft aside, biometrics still bring so much more to the table. They are definitely convenient; you have no keys to loose and no passwords to forget. And of course, you’ll look cool using it!
If you would like to learn more about biometrics or purchase some yourself, visit
Ayesha Yazdani