March 1998, Vol. 15, No. 3

The security system is based on Sony's Fingerprint Identification Unit (FIU), which is a small, self-contained fingerprint scanner. Installing the system on a PC involves plugging the FIU into a serial port, and enabling the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) extension. Access to information on the floppy drive and hard drive is then blocked without the correct fingerprint. Because the code will be contained in the system BIOS, the preboot security system works with any operating system, including Windows 95, Windows NT, UNIX, and DOS.

The BIOS extension software will be made available as a firmware upgrade to existing PCs, or on an add-on card.


CAST

CAST (Centrax Audit Strategy Tool) for Windows NT is an information security software application from Centrax Corp. (San Diego, Calif.; www.centraxcorp.com) that enables companies utilizing Windows NT environments to implement event log policies across an entire enterprise, and as a result improving enterprise security. Audit policies are system configurations that define the user, event types and scope of monitoring required for a given computer. Current methods for developing audit policies in Windows NT require hundreds of screens using the native toolset. CASE enables administrators to develop policies using a common central editor interface that requires only three screens.

Incorporating the expert knowledge of Centrax's engineers in detection and response technology, CAST is designed to focus on relevant events, reducing the amount of data collected and the subsequent disk space utilized to monitor the enterprise. CAST provides system administrators with 10 predefined auditing policies for system, file and registry key auditing, and also allows administrators to create custom audit policies to address enterprise or organizational-specific information.


TrueFace Web

TrueFace Web from Miros Inc. (Wellesley, Mass.; www.miros.com) uses biometric technology to secure Internet access. Employing face recognition, it compares a previously-stored image to a live video image of a user's face while accessing the World Wide Web. Web sites, on-line activities and e-commerce functions can be securely accessed and used.

TrueFace has two elements: an Active X client and a Web server component. The TrueFace Web client automatically downloads to the browsers of the user attempting access to the Web site or page. The client captures an image of the user and securely returns it to the TrueFace server where identification takes place. If the user is authenticated, the desired Web pages are downloaded in the normal way.

Miros' face recognition software is based on neural network technology.


AIMS

Automated Inspection & Measurement Station (AIMS) from Intelligent Reasoning Systems Inc. (Austin, Tex.; www.irsinc.com) is an adaptive automated optical inspection (AOI) system. AIMS detects and classifies defects in highly complex printed wiring assemblies (PWAs) using software technology that mimics human reasoning.

AIMS incorporates a new vision technology to address process improvement in PWA manufacturing. AIMS learns from its interaction with operators and engineers, adding to its knowledge base, and virtually eliminating false call recurrence. For instance, if AIMS finds a defect that is not similar to one it has seen before, it alerts an operator for help. The operator confirms or corrects AIMS' decision. The system then learns from the experience and will not make that call again.


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