NEW YORK, NY /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SmartMetric Inc., manufacturer and marketer of tamper-proof identity cards, says it has the solution to yesterday's story that reported possible voting fraud due to the mysterious disappearance of 12 voter smart cards in Shelby County, Tennessee. The cards, used to activate electronic voting machines, were reported missing at Bishop Byrne High School, a Memphis, Tennessee polling place. Local authorities expressed concern that someone in possession of a smartcard could use 'off the shelf equipment' [equipment that reprograms the card] and alter it, enabling it to be used multiple times to cast multiple votes.
SmartMetric says its card includes a fingerprint reader embedded within its surface. Simply touching the card's sensor causes a digital signature of the fingerprint to be stored permanently; each time the card is used, its owner activates it by touching the sensor. No new or additional equipment is required to read fingerprints on the SmartMetric Card and the company promises "five-nines" (99.999%) accuracy.
"If election officials had used the SmartMetric Card there would not be this problem only days before an important vote," explained Colin Hendrick, president and CEO of SmartMetric, Inc. and the inventor of the card. "Smartcards are dangerous high-tech keys in the hands of the wrong person. Simply picking up a lost card can give someone unfettered access to computer systems and even voting machines. The SmartMetric card is the only card available that cannot be used by anyone other than the person authorized to use it. With the authorized person's fingerprint encrypted and stored inside a micro-processor chip embedded in the card, along with a built-in fingerprint scanner in the card itself, only the authorized person can use the card. The person's fingerprint is what activates the card. No central databases of fingerprints are needed. The fingerprint is stored in the card and the card is the fingerprint reader and verifier. It is the only biometric fingerprint card in the world with a built-in reader that works as a stand- alone system without having to connect to a central database. It's too bad that Diebold hadn't used the SmartMetric Card to assure its voter protection and the integrity of the election."
About SmartMetric, Inc.
SmartMetric was formed to develop, manufacture and commercialize its own advanced embedded fingerprint biometric microsensor technology. With offices in New York, Nevada and Florida, the company is aggressively moving to market with technology that will provide a long-awaited secure solution for both the government and private sectors. Log on to the company's Web site for more information.