Biowatch is a startup company that’s all about securing your personal assets without compromising your convenience.
We spoke with CEO Matthias Vanoni to learn how it works.Share
What is the background behind Biowatch?
It all started in 1985 when my co-founder Joseph Rice invented vein recognition technology.
As soon as the watch is taken off the user’s wrist, all its functions are immediately deactivated.
Eventually I decided to quit my PhD and launch a company with Joe as a co-founder.
So what is Biowatch exactly?
We are talking about a biometric watch that is only active when worn by the user.
It has a miniature camera that is so small it fits within the watch strap.
We had some challenges taking images of the veins when the watch is on the wrist.
Given this concept, you might further use this trusted rig to authenticate anywhere.
Public or private keys can be stored inside the watch but also make a full encryption-decryption solution.
Biowatch can also be used as a second factor authentication- just having your watch on.
Quite like TouchID for iPhone.
What happens if a Biowatch is lost, stolen or hacked?
It’s not something that is easy to access.
Independently from the biometrics layer, hacking the hardware means hacking a Secure Element with military grade protection.
This is where all user credentials like passwords, cryptographic keys, or credit cards are stored.
Who is your typical client?
The need for simple-to-use and implement cyber security solutions is on the rise.
There’s a huge problem with biometrics mainly due to the way it is done nowadays.
Biowatch is different because we do not store or ask to store a database of biometric templates.
The biometric data are stored locally in the wearable and never exchanged to the exterior.
Anything else you would like vpnMentor readers to know about?
We’re also open for IT experts to give Biowatch a try and get familiarized with the concept.
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