Home Fingerprint Scanner Secures OnlineBanking

NEW ORLEANS - (02/16/05) – U.S. Biometrics, one of theleading manufacturers of biometric identification devices forfinancial transactions, is poised to roll-out a hand-held devicethat will allow credit union and bank customers to authenticateusers of their home banking program at their desktops. Users willsimply plug the hand-sized biometric reader into their personalcomputers then slip their index finger into the indentation on thereader in order to log on to their online accounts, according toAnita Mettille, regional sales manager for the Napervill, Ill.,company, who showed the portable scanner at the Texas CULeague’s TechMecca conference. “Any time you log on youjust slide your finger into it,” she told The Credit UnionJournal. “All identification will take place behind thebank’s or the credit union’s firewall.” The tinydevice, known simply as ‘the Q,’ will sell for just$50, with the necessary software costing $25. The home fingerprintscanner is expected to be available in the next fewweeks.