Gemalto NV of Amsterdam announced on Wednesday a new product that secures online banking transactions using a combination of a smart card, secure browser and Adobe reader technology.
The product, called Ezio Plug & Sign, looks like a USB storage device. It is intended for bank commercial clients and high-net worth individuals, Adam Dolby, Gemalto's channel sales and development manager for eBanking Americas, says.
The smart card technology embedded in the device uses Public Key Infrastructure standards and can be used to encrypt a user's identity and banking information. The secure browser also protects against the hijacking of online banking sessions.
The device can be plugged into any computer and, regardless of whether that computer is infected with malware or other viruses, used to initiate secure banking transactions.
It can also be used to encrypt email and the transmission of sensitive documents, Dolby says.
"Anything you want to do with the bank we can do more securely with this, whether it is [automated clearing house] or wire, or email correspondence or secure statement viewing," Dolby says.
Other security vendors offer products that create a closed environment for online banking sessions using a USB stick, such as IronKey Inc.'s Trusted Access product.
Ezio is different because it also embeds smartcard technology, Dolby says.
