Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Nymi have developed a biometric system on a wristband that provides companies and their employees convenient and secure access to their entire workplace. The human-centric approach allows people to go passwordless, contactless, and handsfree at work.
Nymi and G+D have combined biometric and contactless technologies into a wristband wearable format allowing people passwordless and handsfree workplace access. This new enterprise access paradigm is secure, and simple to use by following a Privacy by Design and Zero Trust security framework. Employees wear their Nymi Band, a wristband activated by fingerprint and heartbeat, to authenticate to the Nymi Connected Worker Platform. Unlike conventional systems, the fingerprint is not compared to a centrally stored image for authentication, but to an abstract mathematical template stored directly in the band’s internal chip. Therefore, employees have control over their own biometric data at all times, in contrast to systems with centralized fingerprints, face, or iris recognition that use reference images.
Interoperability with the company’s infrastructure is ensured on the Nymi Connected Worker Platform via components from G+D. The Personal Identity Verification (PIV) applet developed by G+D provides a Secure Element (SE) as the fundamental component of the solution. For example, adding a Legic applet enables contactless access to authorized devices, networks and other resources. Through the Nymi Connected Worker Platform, employees are securely and instantly connected to their entire workplace, across digital and physical environments, and networks. All without the need for passwords that are neither always secure nor convenient.
The long-standing partnership between Nymi and G+D focuses on user-friendly design and aims to provide technology-based solutions that put people first.
“We experience the vulnerabilities of organisations built on password-enabled perimeters every day, in both public and private sectors,” explains Chris Sullivan, CEO of Nymi. “That’s why the collective shift to passwordless systems is inevitable. Biometrics are the strongest security protocol available to us. However, it’s clear that the loss of biometric identifiers would have far more serious consequences than the loss of a password, and therefore the integrity of biometric solutions is a top priority for organizations in all industries.”
“Security management of sensitive company areas takes up a lot of time, financial and human resources every year,” emphasizes Dr. Ferdinand Burianek, Head of Public Sector, Transit and Enterprise Security business of G+D. “The use of biometric data saved on a Secure Element itself can open up completely new possibilities here. After all, it is crucial how and where sensitive data and applications are stored. Beyond users’ control of their biometric data at all times, our solution ensures also a combination of great user experience and high security.”
