There will always be concern over the security of our files and the ability of technology to protect us from unauthorized access.

Authentication is more challenging than authorization, especially for retailers, with multiple users using the same system and POS.

One of the security challenges retailers face is the sharing of passwords, smartcards and the like. In many retail environments staff members share passwords and log-in information; this can cause severe compromises to the overall security infrastructure. Informally speaking, a system can identify you as an authorized user in one of three ways:

· What you know

· What you have, or

· What you are

The most widely used of the three methods is what we know – passwords or other personal information. A more sophisticated method of authentication is what we have – smart cards and tokens. The last method, which is coming into prevalence, is what we are – which is what biometrics technology is all about.

Biometrics technology is, without a doubt, an infinitely more efficient way of authentication than passwords, smart cards, or a combination of the two. Potentially, the user would not have to remember a password or a series of passwords to access information. Businesses, corporations, and medical providers have found that too many times users cannot remember their passwords and trying to navigate a series of steps to access needed information quickly becomes cumbersome and time-consuming.

Biometrics is a technology promising to be the solution to these problems. In systems that use single sign-on, this particular technology would be a very efficient way to authenticate the user. You save time and resources when you have ‘the ability to authenticate just once and be properly recognized’.

With the release of iVend Retail POS, version 6.4.1 and above, biometric authentication is very much possible. The “Enrol Fingerprint” feature allows the administrator or user to enrol and/or delete fingerprints from the system.

To open the window, choose Administration >> Authorization >> Security User >>  [Enrol Finger Print]

Use following steps to enroll your fingerprint:

1. Make sure that your fingers are clean and dry.

2. The "Finger Scanner" screen will appear as shown in Figure .

1. Select a finger on the screen, and the screen as per Figure  will appear.

1. Press your finger against the sensor to enroll your fingerprint 4 times until the fingertip is recognized and accepted. After each successful scan, a screen will appear as shown in Figure .

1. After successful enrolment, the screen as per Figure  will appear.

Use following steps to enrol your fingerprint:

1. The "Finger Scanner" screen will appear as shown in Figure 

1. Click the finger for which the fingerprint data needs to be deleted. A pop-up will appear as shown in Figure 

1. Click Yes. A confirmation message will appear for fingerprint deletion as shown in Figure

After the Fingerprint Reader has been setup with the machine. Click on the screen saver or press any key to display the Login Screen.  As the login screen appears, place the finger over the reader. After successful authentication using a fingerprint, the user  will be logged into the system.

Digital Persona U.are.U 4500 Reader is the provisionally certified biometric device to be used with iVend Retail POS.

Biometrics has come a long way from the first experimental device to state-of-the-art commercial systems featuring a balanced combination of matching performance and ease-of-use.

However, there is still much to be done: customers are apprehensive of high failure-to-enrol and false non-match rates as well as incompatibilities. Furthermore, system security as a whole needs more care and upkeep.

Future improvements in acquisition technology and algorithms, as well as the availability of industry standards, will certainly assure the necessity for biometrics. Will this be the end of traditional password and token-based security systems? Certainly not – biometrics is not the perfect solution either, it is just a good trade-off between security and ease of use.

One thing, though, is certain. Whatever technology surfaces as the prevalent security of the future, it will have biometrics as its bedrock.