What is one of the things we all dread the most? For me, it’s seeing a pop-up that reads, “Your password has expired, please change it.” And each website or device has different criterias, some like only alpha-numeric, some require special characters, while others require at least one capital letter. Oh, the humanity!
It’s no real surprise when news stories break with details of a company getting hacked because some employee had a simple password or had a litany of passwords written down on a note document in their hard drive. And then there are the less-than-secure password manager apps.
What hasn’t been in the news as much is the release of FIDO Alliance’s v1.0 specifications relating to passwords and authentication. FIDO stands for Fast IDentity Online and is an industry consortium comprised of giants like Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Visa and MasterCard, Netflix, Bank of America, and over a hundred more. (You can read more about the v1.0 release here.)
Lately, Google has been busy implementing some aspects of FIDO. With Lollipop, Google introduced Trusted Devices baked into Android, which allow certain connections like the Bluetooth pairing of your smartwatch to disable your Android device’s lockscreen. Additionally, Google recently added support for the use of USB security keys as a method for its 2-Step-Authentication.
But one of main things FIDO hopes to achieve is the use of biometrics in identity authentication, including among wearables. We have already tasted the first iterations of this technology with facial recognition and fingerprint scanners.
And now, thanks to Nymi, a member of FIDO, we can use our body’s unique electrocardiography as a method of authentication. Nymi, formerly incorporated as Bionym, has just released the developer kit for its biometric wristband purchasable by anyone.
The kit includes the final version of the band, but only in one color, charging cable, and a USB bluetooth dongle. The important thing to note, however, is that it only works with certain Windows PC applications at the moment, with Android and Mac support coming soon in the beginning of 2015.
The band works by reading your ECG over the course of several scenarios, like at rest or after mild exercise. There are two authentication steps with the band: the band itself must be in proximity to your device and the band must be worn by you. As an added security step, there is a circuit running through the circumference of the band, so if the band has been cut off or if not being worn, it will not work.
You can pick up the developer kit for $79 and shipping begins today (12/15/14). Nymi reports that the retail price will be $149.
Again remember, this is the developer kit and though it is the final product, support is limited to three Windows applications. However, because it is the final product, as support broadens to Android, Nymi says you will not need to purchase a new band.
Source: Nymi
Come comment on this article: Nymi Band Discovery Kit Released, Unlock Devices With Your Electrocardiogram
