Startup sesame launches free app to enable authentication with fingerprint or facial recognition

Austrian authentication startup sezame has launched a free application to enable biometric authentication to log in to websites and confirm payments on smartphones and desktop computers, according to an announcement.

The sezame app is available for Windows 10 and Mac OS 10.11-10.13, providing fingerprint or facial recognition to replace passwords and other personal identifiers.

“We hope the addition of this free service to our product portfolio will greatly accelerate the transition from password-based authentication to biometrics,” says sesame Managing Director Florian Randa. “Given the hassle associated with keeping track of an ever-growing number of passwords and the inherent security risks, this transition is probably long overdue. After all, biometrics has fully matured and unlocking through biometrics is both safer and more user-friendly than through traditional means.”

The company will participate in several upcoming events as it spreads the word about its new product, including TNW, Mobile 360, MoneyConf, and IoT World Europe.

“(Sezame) also alleviates people from having to worry about data safety and integrity,” says Arnout Klaassen, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Sezame does not store any – and by that, I literally mean nothing at all – biometric information. That info stays where you want it; on your own smartphone. As a result, our product is very safe. Stolen passwords, skimming at POS terminals, stolen cars due to illegal keyless entry: it will all become relics of a bygone, less secure, era.”

The technology can also be adapted to other applications, such as door locks and ATMs, in the future, the company says.

Software expanding the capabilities of biometric sensors is a growing market, with browsers implementing the WebAuthn standard to enable biometric log in for websites.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  online authentication