Biowatch: A wrist Vein biometric authenticator

-80 points posted to Healthcare by joerice50 03/08/07

Biometric Wristwatch

I would like Dell to consider the development of a biometric wrist watch that secures an individual’s possessions and authenticates their transactions. I have undertaken a great deal of research into vein biometry since I invented the technology 23+ years ago. I believe the time is now right for the development and commercialization of a biometric wristwatch that authenticates a user to their PC and digital possessions and validates their transactions. I have discussed the crypto requirements for the system in confidence with Bruce Scheiner and the optical and processing elements required for the products development are now available. I have a great deal of knowledge on how this technology can be developed and will make this available to Dell to facilitate the development of the biowatch.

A third way for Biometrics:

A Blueprint for an autonomous, private biometric future

Second generation biometric systems are under consideration or being developed, which address these security and privacy concerns. Self-authenticating biometrically actuated smartcards, which the

user carries in the purse or wallet or wears on the wrist, are coming to the fore.

The Biowatch a biometric smartcard housed within a wristwatch is one contender. It employs an opto-electronic bracelet to obtain the wrists subcutaneous infrared absorption profile, comparing this profile with a previously recorded template to identify its user. Watch embedded smartcards are currently in use in Europe and Australia. The Biowatch combines biometrics and smartcard functionality to provide a wrist worn biometric agent. It communicates to peripheral devices via standard RF (bluetooth) communications protocols, responding to challenging systems with an encrypted digitally signed authentication signature using standard public key cryptography.

A Biometric Agent.

The use of public key cryptography ensures that the biometric template is secret and held within the watch, merely an authorisation code is transmitted, encrypted by the users private key. No big

brother, no large databases, no large-scale enrolment problems. The individual keeps their biometric identity private.

The Biowatch in conjunction with secure internet communications will allow users to download the key generation software, plus register their public keys with a certification authority of their choice.

For those seeking privacy, only their public keys need to be published with no address or identifying details. If these keys have a good commercial record, pay their debts, have a sound financial history. Then companies and individuals will do business with them. If people are wary, they can take out an insurance policy with the certification authority, The Certification Authority will know who they are but guarantee privacy and secrecy.

Opportunity

The human wrist unlike their purse or wallet is a limited area of real estate. The first to get a biometrically actuated smartcard there will stay and benefit from that user’s patronage for their lifetime. The world is rapidly transforming into a global digital economy. The post millennium business battles will not be for what operating system or what network feeds into your domestic computer, or what biometric API is applied to ATMs and computer systems, these are merely side-shows. The major battle, the major prize is whose biometric smartcard with what software the world will wear on its wrist.

Technical

The Biowatch integrates the three elements of security to provide a comprehensive security solution, it only needs to undertake a biometric verification once per day, upon being strapped to its owner. Thereafter, whilst strapped to the owners wrist it will maintain itself in a biometrically armed state. In addition it will generate and store within a cache, a series of authentication codes encrypted by the users/biowatches private key. Thus there will be no FRRs ( false rejections ) or waiting for the Biowatch to encrypt a new authentication code. Authentication of the user to myriad personal, public secured financial and access services will be fast and transparent. For high security applications, a full challenge response protocol can be applied.

Security

Vulnerabilities are concentrated within generic biometric systems, theft of biometric templates or databases even if encrypted compromise all biometric templates contained within the system. Simpler more secure, proven key management procedures are in place through public key cryptography systems. The Biowatch leverages these cryptographic strengths to provide a robust security solution.

• If they steal your car (hoisted into a removal van) what have they

got? Only you’re public key, which is published anyway.

• If they ram-raid your home and remove your security system what

have they got? Again only you’re public key.

• If they steal your Biowatch what have they got, a watch protected

by a biometric with an encrypted absorption profile of your wrist that

will lapse on a time limit set by you.

• . Phone the certification authority get them to revoke your public

keys. Get another Biowatch and get on with your life.!

A World Biometric Solution

The Biowatch proposal provides a world solution, it provides secure authentication of the individual, their transactions and authorship at any open insecure Internet node or network terminal world-wide.

The future does not lie in large-scale quasi-totalitarian biometric systems. Biometrics needs to meet customer and user requirements for security, privacy, convenience and acceptability. Personal

biometric systems that the people own and control themselves fit these requirements. The Biowatch is a very sensible way forward for biometrics. It enhances freedom, security and privacy for the

individual. Whilst reducing fraud, crime and insecurity for the community.

Vein biometric products are being developed and applied in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Watch embedded smartcards employing bluetooth communications are being used in Europe and Australia.

The Biowatch my vision for many years is now ready for commercialization it needs Dell's organisation, marketing and dynamism to make it a world success.

Joe Rice

See the website at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joseph.rice/ if you want to write to me add 1 to my published email address on the site