First Premier pilots id-Confirm biometric security system

The id-Confirm SecureLink System, an end-to-end biometric authentication system, will enable First PREMIER to test the dramatic enhancements to the security of their network and applications that four-factor biometric fingerprint authentication offers.

Most organizations face increasing pressure to secure access to their network and applications. Company-based passwords used for network log-in remains the weakest link in the security chain. According to Gartner, 70% of offenders who gain unauthorized access to information systems tend to be employees. More than 95% of these intrusions result in significant financial losses. So verifying user identities is the key to all security. SecureLink will, with 100% biometric guarantee, authenticate the identity of each and every employee.

Ranked by the ABA as one of the top-performing community banks in the United States, First PREMIER is among the nation's top 50, S Corp banks. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, the bank decided to test the id-Confirm SecureLink System to bolster security and regulatory auditability.

The Information Technology department was issued an id-Confirm id4u personal authentication device, which is half the size of a small cell phone. The members of the staff "enrolled" a fingerprint on this device under the supervision of management. A mathematical representation of the fingerprint, as opposed to the fingerprint itself, is stored on the device to protect individual privacy rights and the same encrypted algorithm is stored on the id-Confirm Authentication Server, along with the customer's last name and password. Once the employee is enrolled, he or she will be asked to authenticate his or her identity whenever network access is initiated.

The employee is authenticated by scanning the enrolled finger over the id4u device, which generates an eight-digit alpha numeric one-time password (OTP) each time an individual swipes a finger. The OTP is verified against the backend authentication server and the transaction is approved or denied. The entire process requires 3-5 seconds to complete and offers a more robust, secure solution than alternative authentication options.

"Verifying user identities is the key to all security and biometrics seems to provide a simple, non-invasive way to benefit from the heightened security of biometrics without compromising personal privacy," said Dave Geiver, First PREMIER VP of Technology. The SecureLink pilot will be implemented in several phases. The first phase includes internal network authentication. The second phase will be targeted at the bank's mobile computing environment, where laptops and data will have secured access via biometric authentication. Other desired phases include remote VPN use and file transfer.

"Identity theft costs business and consumers billions of dollars each year and disrupts the lives of thousands," said Tom Breen, id-Confirm President and COO. "SecureLink gives financial institutions an economical, easy to deploy solution that's 100% biometrically secure, and market research shows that banking customers are highly enthusiastic about tools that can help them protect their hard-earned financial assets. We're very excited about working with First PREMIER to provide the authentication tools they need in today's electronic age."