Secure Signature Biometric Pen uses strokes for security

This may not be as slick as IBM's bionic, er, biometric touchpad, but the Secure Signature Biometric Pen has one big advantage over that system: it'll work with any PC laptop (Mac users are out of luck). The pen uses software that replaces the Windows login screen with one that requires a signature. The pen connects by USB, and you can sign on any piece of paper or other nearby surface; no touchscreen required (in fact, you'd better make sure not to sign on your screen, since this pen has ink). According to the manufacturer, the pen tracks your strokes as you're writing your signature, making it impossible to forge. Unfortunately, it only works with the login screen; it can't be used as a password-replacement for encrypted files or secure websites.

[Via BIOS]

[Heyuan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Wouldn't it just be a patch away from making it more comptaible with more passwords? I have this feel that this product seemed to be rushed out to catch this wave of biometeric password systems..

[snax @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

lets hope it's not rushed out - i can smell the security holes in the validation software from here

[Rhys @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

So in shops in the UK (and France) we're being encouraged to stop signing for credit card purchases and use a PIN number instead, yet on our computers our signature is more secure? What?

[Peter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Yeah, right, impossible to forge. *cough*
Sorry, but this kind of biometric is neither new nor have attempts to forge it been unsuccessful. It may be easy and cheap, but that's about it.
And if this thing really has ink, credit card fraudsters will surely appreciate the trace of signed papers you leave behind ;)

[Alec @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Isn't it a bit of a security hole if it uses real ink? I mean, every time you login to your PC, it will write your signature as it has real ink, and anyone trying to hack your PC would just have to find a bit of paper near your PC with your signature on (which would probably be easy to find if you have as many scribbled notes around your PC as I do). Surely the only way you could use this is if you shred every bit of paper that you use to log in to your PC. What a complete waste of time.