IBM Canada Ltd. wants to strengthen notebook security right down to your fingertip. That’s why the company its equipping its ThinkPad T42, part of IBM’s Express line for small-to-medium size businesses, with an integrated fingerprint reader.
This is the first time IBM will offer such a product,
and it is doing so on just a select number of ThinkPad models, said Ryan Wires, national PCD sales specialist for IBM Canada.
The ThinkPad already come standard with an embedded security chip carrying Entrust authentication software, but with new biomentric capability, users can now just swipe a fingerprint instead of typing passwords for personal and financial data, Web site logins, and e-mail.
The biometric reader is located on the palm rest just below the arrow keys. Users must swipe a finger horizontally to trigger the sensor. Users also have the option of what they want protected.
According to Wires, right clicking the mouse can encrypt a file and selecting encrypt or decrypt and then fingerprint swiping the biometric reader.
“”People have between 20 and 40 passwords on average to remember,”” said Wires. “”In security, you have to make it difficult for the hackers, but also easy for the users and a biometric reader is a great authentication device,”” he said. The biometric reader requires the user to scan three times to register the image. It also allows the user to register any finger they want. “”This is just in case you burn off your fingerprint. This way you can still can access the system,”” Wires said.
Currently, there are no plans to add biometrics to all ThinkPad series, but Wires said that could change if there is customer demand.
The ThinkPad T42 with biometric reader sells for $2,339.
The product means resellers can now offer an integrated solution rather than a complex bundled solution, said Wires. He believes that a single offering can be better supported, in terms of security.
IBM also enhanced its hardware- and software-based Embedded Security Subsystem by releasing a new level of client security software with this product. The new version contains a secure password manager, which Wires said helps resellers better protect mobile systems.
Wires added that the biometric reader is just one aspect of security for IBM products. Under the ThinkVantage Technologies suite, IBM has produced a set of tools to better protect ThinkPads, desktops and servers.