Compaq releases fingerprint security software

Compaq has launched fingerprint-based security software, which it claims will help cut network management costs and bolster security.

Fingerprint Identification Technology is the first sub-£100 biometrics system to be offered by a large IT vendor, according to the company. It came out of research commissioned by Compaq, which revealed that most network passwords are very easy to guess, and very often not even used. The problem is worsening as users access more facilities, such as remote access and intranets, increasing the number of passwords.

The UK government has taken on Compaq's product in its famous red box laptop that holds highly confidential documents under stringent security controls.

Steve Taub, product manager at Compaq's desktop division, said: "We're not offering guarantees, but any helpdesk manager who gets lots of password related calls will see the advantage of fingerprint-based security."

Fingerprint Identification Technology is being rolled out across Europe in August. It is only available on networks running Windows NT 4.0 and clients running NT 4.0 or 95. According to Taub, it won't be available for networks running NT 5.0 until the end of the year.