The term “paradigm shift” has become a cliché as of late – but if we look carefully, we can still identify the occasional real one. In the world of security, one is taking place right in front of us. Since the ancient times of Greece, a password – that is a “shared secret” – has been used to confirm access rights. That model carried thousands of years forward into the computer age such that every electronic system today uses the same model with a slight twist: instead of comparing the password with another human, we are comparing it with a computer.
This model has always had its failings, and today with the need for secure authentication stronger than ever, a new solution is emerging. Enter stage right: Synaptics SecurePad™. Stepping up to complement its brethren in the mobile space such as that found on the Samsung Galaxy S5 – Synaptics SecurePad brings easy-to-use fingerprint scanning intelligently designed into the corner of a laptop’s TouchPad.
Being a FIDO-ready device, SecurePad supports “password-less” authentication by enabling secure local authentication in a public key cryptography-based authentication architecture. In short – no passwords. No passwords to remember, to mistype, to change, to recover, to be overheard, to re-use, to be thought up, to be written down…no more passwords to be stolen, shoulder surfed, hacked, guessed or shared. This is the paradigm shift. In the new world, we place our finger and lift and we are done.
What does this mean for the consumer? It means a quick finger authentication to log into your PC, to secure or reveal sensitive files or gain Administrator access. To log into your websites you merely drop your finger on the fingerprint sensor – as easy as pushing a button. Want to buy something online? Touch your fingerprint sensor. Secure chat? Touch. Sign an electronic document? Touch.
SecurePad does not stop at bringing unprecedented user value. It enables broad adoption in the PC space by making manufacturing more cost-effective. A single chassis design is now possible, saving OEMs time and money – no longer will an OEM have to stock a separate palm rest design incorporating a fingerprint sensor cutout. SecurePad eliminates the need for duplicate hardware components such as connectors, cables and resistors used for separate modules, as well as excessive inventory requirements and multiple device driver efforts – ultimately lowering the total cost of ownership.
The new world has come, brought to you by Synaptics. Expect to hear much more about SecurePad in the weeks to come.
source:synaptics
