Pocket-sized, portable, private: the plusID Personal Biometric Token

a Blackberry connection, or wirelessly over Bluetooth.”

The same secure device, then, goes seamlessly across physical and logical access, giving biometrically assured identity verification for logging onto a computer, a VPN, an application, signing e-mails, encrypting files, and so on. It is set for two-factor mode automatically, but can also be used in three-factor mode upon entry of a PIN as part of the log-on process. Petze observed that this universal solution reflects a major trend in security: convergence. He said, “The point of convergence is that the boundaries between physical and logical access really don’t make sense any more. Here’s an example. It’s Monday morning and you come into your office, and your computer’s not on your desk. It’s gone. Is that a physical security problem? Or is that a logical security problem?” Obviously, it is both, and Petze proposes a solution for both species of emergency: the plusID. He said, “When you start thinking about biometrics as something in your pocket instead of something on the wall, it really opens up other modes of use.”

One of these modes of use is gate access, and the Privaris technology is under consideration for large-scale deployment at the myriad entrances and exits of U.S. government facilities. Many former military bases have essentially become office parks for the many employees of contractors doing work for the government. As people are vetted for entry, traffic backs up at the gates. The usual problems ensue: congestion in the neighborhood, long delays, waste of fuel, carbon dioxide pollution, etc. The only solution, historically, has been more gates and more guards - a hugely expensive remedy. “Think of this,” said Petze. “Of the people coming onto a base in the morning, probably less than 1 percent of them are problematic. Some 99 percent of them belong there. Our device provides a way to create a fast lane for the authorized people. They pull up to the gate, verify their identity, and don’t even have to roll down their window.” The plusID communicates over a long-enough range to talk to the gate control system. The back-end system brings up the driver’s photo, and the gate opens. The biometrically verified arrival goes through. At the base where Privaris did a pilot installation, the cars in this lane went through at an average of ten miles an hour, without stopping. “It’s like a very good toll road,” said Petze.