Insight Media newsletters have previously reported on biometric authentication technologies such as those based on fingerprints, voice, the face or the iris. Another category is based on physical characteristics. PalmSecure uses this approach, but is different in that it is a palm vein scanning technology.

Biometric authentication technology identifies people by their unique physical characteristics. To initiate the process, a person would open an account and have their physical characteristics measured and stored in a database. When someone tries to access that account, their relevant physical characteristics are measured and the data is compared to that in the database. A match would assure that the access attempt is valid.

This type of technology is currently used in a number of applications including security, financial, banking, health care and various commercial enterprises and educational facilities.

Fujitsu Computer Products of America’s (Sunnyvale, CA), the developer of the palm vein scanning technology, reports that PalmSecure has already been built into a number of products including full size keyboards. Be that as it may, my unfamiliarity with the technology derives from the fact that, up to now, it has seen little use in consumer electronics products sold in the United States. This situation, however, may soon change. Fujitsu stated that it is now possible to physically shrink the hardware to the point where it can be integrated into smaller devices. In fact, laptops with PalmSecure are now available in Japan and the company is currently "looking at" North America.

PalmSecure technology is described as a "palm vein based strong authentication solution that utilizes vascular pattern biometric technology."

The pattern of blood vessels is unique to every individual. Even identical twins do not have the same pattern. Furthermore, the pattern will not vary during a person’s lifetime. In addition, since the vein pattern lies under the skin, it is nearly impossible to change.

It is worth noting that the pattern of palm veins, unlike fingerprints, are not susceptible to minor trauma such as cuts. Perhaps more interestingly, the palm vein device can only recognize the pattern if the blood is actively flowing within the person’s veins. This means that some of the more gruesome means of tricking biometric authorization systems (I am referring to those seen in the movies…..need I describe further?) will not work with PalmSecure.

To visualize an individual’s vein pattern, the hand is illuminated with near infrared light. Deoxidized hemoglobin within the veins absorbs infrared light. Due to this, the veins in an image captured in reflection appear as dark lines. An algorithm is used to convert the palm vein image into data points. The data is then compressed and encrypted. Finally, the data is stored along with other information in the database associated with the user’s account.

Vascular pattern recognition technology provides highly reliable authentication. In tests using 140,000 palm profiles of 70,000 individuals, the false acceptance rate was less than 0.00008%. The false rejection rate was less than 0.01%.

The system provides a user friendly, contactless form of biometric authentication and can typically generate a result in less than one second.

Fujitsu has also developed PalmSecure LOGONDIRECTOR. The company states that this software works seamlessly with many leading Single Sign-On software solutions and increases security, while significantly reducing the costs associated with password management.

It would seem that PalmSecure and other forms of biometric authentication have come of age and will likely become a routine part of consumer electronic products. -Arthur Berman