RSA Security and i-Mature Partner on Next-Generation Biometric Technology to Further Protect Children on the Internet

(I-Newswire) February 10, 2005 - The partnership will work towards a unique solution that would genuinely improve the safety of the Internet for children, by enabling both adult and children's sites to restrict their content more reliably to their appropriate audience.

i-Mature has developed an innovative technology that can determine, through a simple biometric bone-scanning test, whether a user is a child or an adult - and thereby control access to Internet sites and content. AGR technology could help prevent children from accessing adult Internet sites and prevents adults from accessing children's sites and chat rooms.

"i-Mature's solution provides a means of guaranteeing the identity and age of young Internet users today, in contrast to other solutions available which can exacerbate the problem," comments Burt Kaliski, vice president of research and chief scientist at RSA Laboratories. "With AGR, the burden of administration would be removed altogether, and the credential could not be abused if lost, borrowed or stolen."

User authentication would play a complementary role, as it enables a site to provide access to resources only to authorized users. The RSA SecurID® solution is the world's leading two-factor user authentication system, relied on by thousands of organizations worldwide to protect and manage identities and information access. It functions like an ATM card: users must identify themselves with two unique factors-something they know, and something they have-before they are granted access. Millions of people around the world confidently use RSA Security's user authentication solution to securely access corporate and individual assets.

"Validating the identities of Internet users is never more important than when it applies to our children. I salute this concept and the work that RSA Security and i-Mature are leading to reduce the likelihood that age-specific authentication would be compromised," said Howard Schmidt, former cyber-security advisor to the White House. "This is a great way of leveraging the power of biometrics in a simple, appropriate manner that will give confidence to parents, content providers and all Internet users."

The integration of i-Mature and RSA Security's leading technologies would deliver the following benefits to both children and concerned adults:
Unique combination of technologies verifying that the person accessing the age-appropriate site is in fact who they claim to be
Age-specific authentication that can not be transferred - and which removes the danger of users being mis-enrolled
Data privacy through the integration of RSA Security's industry-leading cryptographic solutions

AGR is not limited to certain chat rooms but is open to any site that has chosen to install the solution. It is further differentiated from existing technologies by the fact that it performs a true age group verification online, in real time, does not need or maintain a pre-installed database or list of users, and the biometric test results are not stored anywhere - meaning that users' privacy cannot be compromised.

"The Internet can be an exciting, fun and educational environment for both adults and children, but the risks involved are well known. Our youth should feel confident that when they enter a chat room, everyone logged in will be whom they say they are and of an appropriate age," continues Dr. Kaliski. "RSA Security and i-Mature will explore together a simple, secure and responsible solution that would provide for the safety of our children on the Internet without imposing on third-parties or our over-stretched education system."

"Today's youth is an Internet-savvy group. They grew up with the technology and often are found to be surfing the net freely without adult supervision. Unfortunately, the Internet also provides an outlet for malicious and unsafe behavior," said Mr. Shmuel Levin, founder and CEO at i-Mature. "i-Mature is pleased to partner with the leader in protecting and managing identities, RSA Security. Both organizations recognize the safety concerns associated with using the Internet and look forward to collaborating on a solution that will empower children to protect themselves from inappropriate web content and online predators."

The collaboration will include joint research as well as joint marketing activities around age-group recognition, including market education and engagement with government policy makers.

About i-Mature
i-Mature is a privately held, Israeli company, established in 2002. It has developed the Age-Group Recognition (AGR) Security System, an innovative, generic, biometric technology, based on a new physiological feature. AGR can distinguish between children and adults via a simple test, thus providing an important security solution for controlling access to the Internet. AGR enables the establishment of a new category of Biometrics devices and access control solutions for a large range of applications. AGR can be used at home, schools, wireless LAN locations, libraries, Internet cafés, airports and more.

The protection and safety of children is also required outside the Internet arena. The AGR system complies with this since it is also compatible with mobile phones, television, video and DVD systems that can use AGR technology to prevent children from viewing harmful content. i-Mature can also partner with developers of computer games, online games and video games to block extremely violent and un-educational materials. For more information please visit www.i-mature.net

About RSA Security Inc.
RSA Security Inc. helps organizations protect private information and manage the identities of people and applications accessing and exchanging that information. RSA Security's portfolio of solutions -- including identity & access management, secure mobile & remote access, secure enterprise access, secure transactions and consumer identity protection -- are all designed to provide the most seamless e-security experience in the market. Our strong reputation is built on our history of ingenuity, leadership, proven technologies and our more than 17,000 customers around the globe. Together with more than 1,000 technology and integration partners, RSA Security inspires confidence in everyone to experience the power and promise of the Internet. For more information, please visit www.rsasecurity.com.

RSA and SecurID are either registered trademarks or trademarks of RSA Security Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and services mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.

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