Security: stop criminals giving you the finger

German biometrics company DERMALOG has announced that its ZF1 fingerprint scanner is now available with software to identify plastic fingers and other means of defeating fingerprint readers.

The company says " The ZF1 is the world's smallest optical fingerprint scanner for capturing individual fingers and was specifically developed for civilian application in fingerprint identification and verification. Its ergonomic design ensures maximum user friendliness, given that fingers are intuitively positioned in the optimum position. Since the fingerprint image comprises a small file size of just 10 kilobytes in the WSQ format, the ZF1 is ideal for combined use with RFID applications, such as used in the German ePassport."

" In the years to come, border checkpoints around the world will be equipped with automatic passport and fingerprint readers, which will make it possible to read the new biometric passports at so-called "Autogates" for extremely fast and effective border control and immigration procedures. Verifying whether or not the fingerprints are those of real live fingers is more and more evolving into a critical factor."

Biometric data can be stored on smart cards and compated to the fingerprint reader. This can then be used for a variety of access controls including computer access e.g. to compliance and money laundering reporting data reducing the risk of unauthorised access to internal reports and their results.

At ATM/Kiosks the system can be used to authenticate users, so reducing the opportunity for accounts to be transferred from the original account holder to an unauthorised third party.

Nigel Morris-Cotterill, Head, The Anti Money Laundering Network said "everyone is focused on the initial stages of due diligence - identification and verification. However, we have for some years been warning of the risks of accounts opened by one person but used by another. Indeed, in recent years we have seen this happening more and more, and in more and more countries. Biometrics is an obvious way of managing what we call Post Identification Authentication. On the face of it, the DERMALOGIC product takes the basics of biometrics to where we would like to see it. It is actually quite simple to produce fake fingerprints that will foil many types of reader. Whilst we have not seen the product in action, the concept is something that is well worth investigating."