Encryption keeps big brother at bay

Added: (Fri Jun 01 2001)

Pressbox (Press Release) - For Immediate Release

Encryption keeps big brother at bay

Computer security was high on the agenda throughout Europe this week following the publication of a European Parliament committee report urging individuals to encrypt all their emails. The report was published as a result of an inquiry into allegations about the use of the Echelon spy system.

Initially launched as a tool to gather military intelligence during the Cold War, Echelon has recently come under fire from privacy groups and computer specialists who believe that it is now being used for other – more sinister – surveillance activities. Among the rumours has been the accusation that Echelon can read all phone, fax and Internet traffic to distribute secret commercial information between rival corporations.

Elmar Hilgers, Managing Director of Northamptonshire-based biometric company IdentAlink Ltd, commented: "When we send emails to our friends and business associates, we all need to feel confident that what we are saying is not being read by an anonymous third party. For many of us, it’s not just a question of security; it’s also a question of privacy. If I send a letter to a colleague, I don’t expect its contents to be read and discussed by a third person, so why should email be any different?"

Email encryption is the best way of ensuring that only the sender and the intended recipient have access to the contents of a message. By adding biometrics into the encryption process, security can be combined with ease of use to ensure that Big Brother doesn’t have access to individual personal information. As Hilgers said: "Passwords and Pin codes cannot provide all-round security. They are easily compromised either by accident or deliberately. The beauty of biometric face recognition is that you can’t lose or forget your password because your face is your key."

IdentAlink Ltd has recently started shipping its FaceMail™ product, which allows users to encrypt and decrypt their electronic mail using their facial template. For the user, all complex functions and encryption/decryption steps are handled automatically in the background, thus providing the highest possible security with no added inconvenience. In addition to the obvious advantages that FaceMail™ brings to email technology, its software can also be used to encrypt all other confidential data on a PC. FaceMail™ is simple to use. Just by standing in front of a web cam for recognition by high quality software, an individual’s identity can be verified to encrypt his or her documents.

FaceMail™ works under WIN98, WIN ME, WIN NT 4 SP5 and WIN 2000. It can be downloaded from www.identalink.co.uk and tested free of charge for a period of 21 days. The only additional requirement for use of FaceMail™ is the installation of a web cam – which can be obtained for £40 – and can, of course, also be used for other multimedia applications.

Note to editors: For further information, or to test FaceMail™, contact Elmar Hilgers:

ehilgers@biometrics.ws or telephone +44 1536 483000

About IdentAlink Ltd

IdentAlink Ltd is one of the UK’s leading identification technology companies. Founded in 1997, the company initially provided solutions to the UK healthcare industry for staff security and drug control problems. Using facial and fingerprint recognition technology, IdentAlink Ltd now offers secure and reliable identity verification in a variety of global applications. The company’s proprietary technologies – IdentAcard™ and BioUPI™ are used in conjunction with next generation high capacity barcodes, smart cards or proxycards for operation in secure access or monitoring situations.



About biometrics

Biometrics replaces something we know (such as a password or PIN), or something we have (such as a card or token), with something unique to us (physical or behavioural characteristic such as face, fingerprint, signature). Unlike passwords, cards and tokens, biometrics have the advantage of being difficult to forge, steal or abuse.

Elmar Hilgers: ehilgers@biometrics.ws or telephone +44 1536 483000 www.identalink.co.uk