Fujitsu Launches High-Security Biometric Authentication Solution for Active Directory IT Environments

Fujitsu today announces the launch of PalmSecure ID Login, a new biometric authentication solution that helps organisations secure their networks against unauthorised access, while also reducing the risk of attack from hackers and identity thieves.

PalmSecure ID Login integrates Fujitsu’s highly secure biometric palm vein authentication technology into corporate network environments using Microsoft Active Directory – helping boost IT security while also making it easier for users to log on to their system without needing to remember complex passwords, which need to be changed on a regular basis.

To log on to their PC, or authenticate for internal system access, PalmSecure ID Login users simply hover their hand over a contactless palm vein scanner – already built in to a number of Fujitsu LIFEBOOK notebooks and STYLISTIC 2-in-1 tablets, and available as a stand-alone USB pluggable device compatible with Fujitsu devices. Enrolled users can log in from any device within a corporate network, since PalmSecure ID Login is connected to Microsoft Active Directory, which centrally manages and stores all access data, including biometrics.

The unique Fujitsu PalmSecure technology works by capturing an infrared scan of oxygen-depleted blood veins within the palm of a hand. The technology combines the convenience of a contactless sensor with biometric security. For users, the system is more convenient and faster than typing a password – with identity verification usually completed within one second. Each palm vein pattern is unique and it stays the same throughout a person's life. Because there is therefore no need to change a password, organisations implementing PalmSecure ID Login can also expect to reduce password reset requests, which are the number one reason for helpdesk calls.

Thomas Bengs, Director and Head of Biometrics at Fujitsu in EMEIA, says: "Passwords are forgotten, lost and get stolen, which makes them a serious vulnerability in any organisation’s security arrangements. Replacing password logins with palm vein biometric authentication technology reduces the risk of misuse from stolen or unsecured passwords, including the worst-case scenarios of catastrophic hacker attacks, identity fraud and large scale data theft. It’s also impossible to forget your credentials, since they’re in the palm of your hand – unlike a smart card, or a difficult to remember password.”

Fujitsu PalmSecure is already being deployed across the world by government organisations, in data centers, by healthcare providers, at airports and in banks for controlling mission-critical site access, time logging, web access, mobile apps and network login. The technology operates ‘live’ in real-time and is resistant to forgery, since authentication includes checking that blood is still flowing.

PalmSecure ID Login joins a growing portfolio of Fujitsu solutions incorporating palm vein technology – alongside PalmSecure ID Match, a two-factor authentication system which combines palm vein technology with ID cards and badges – and PalmSecure ID Access, which adds biometric authentication to existing physical security systems.