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Biometric Authentication

SentriNET Smart Cards and Tokens

Smart cards offer an alternative to the problem of access control and authentication. They also offer the additional advantage of being able to store digital certificates. With a smart card reader attached to the PC, the same card which possibly provided access to the building can now provide a first line of authentication for the network.

Fingerprint-scan technology adds an additional security layer to a smart card system. Integrating a fingerprint scanner into a smart card reader increases security by adding “something-you-are” to the authentication process, while smart cards provide the “something-you-have” factor. The highest security level, according to the Smart Card Alliance, would be adding “something-you-know,” which is the password factor, in addition to a biometric smart card solution. Integrating a fingerprint-scan sensor with a smart card reader adds to the privacy and security of authentication, and the scanned fingerprint can be directly matched with the stored templates on the smart card. This process is called match on card. The fingerprint-scan biometric smart card solution is a perfect combination of allowing authenticated and authorized information access.

Corporates, the government and healthcare organizations continue to move towards storing and releasing information via networks, intranets, extranets and the Internet. These organizations are turning to smart cards to make this information readily available to those who need it, while at the same time protecting the privacy of individuals and keeping their informational assets safe from hacking and other unwanted intrusions.

• Secure logon and authentication of users to PCs and networks
• Secure B2B and B2C eCommerce
• Storage of fingerprints, digital certificates, credentials and passwords
• Encryption of sensitive data

SentriNET has been developed to co-exist with PKCS#11-enabled applications, using the PKCS#11 interface in order to load its files onto the card. This allows SentriNET to be used with any PKCS#11-enabled smart card.

The standard is often referred to as the Cryptoki and acts as an API. PKCS#11 sits in between the application and the low-level drivers controlling the smart card or token, thus enabling a controlled and secure flow of data between an application and the token.

Token-based applications function on three main levels with the PKCS#11 interface being placed between the smart card drivers and the application calling the smart card into use, thus enabling greater levels of security when accessing the token-based storage medium.

The PKCS#11 standard brings many benefits over traditional non-standard token-based systems. Under normal PKCS#11 conditions, a unique PIN protects all calls made to private areas within the token. SentriNET installs a further level of protection that will intercept these calls and prompt the user for a biometric. Upon successful biometric authentication, the system populates the PKCS#11 device with the correct PIN number for the card. This process occurs transparently to the user, effectively replacing the PIN with a biometric.

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