“All Roads Lead to Rome.” This phrase, likely adapted from Chaucer, reflected upon roads built during Roman times that all radiated out of Rome. It came to my mind as I thought about the needs, today, for secure and private access to information. Every conversation that we have at SSC, every article that we read, every legislative initiative dealing with sensitive data – it always comes back to the need and ability to provide secure and private access to information.

While there are many solutions being considered – and sold – that claim to be secure, they tend to fall short. In some cases,  the steps to secure the information and to provide access to it are so numerous and cumbersome that users will become very creative to circumvent them. In others, the security is “a mile wide and an inch deep” providing little more protection than the most rudimentary security tools.

We believe that the time is right for our SHAPE™ solutions. Our Secure Health And Privacy Environment (SHAPE) using our patent-pending biometric match-on-card process provides the ultimate in security and privacy with the greatest ease of use. And, since our solutions wrap around existing systems, the cost of implementation is low.

As everyone struggles with keeping data secure, ensuring privacy of health care and other sensitive data; we’ve got the answer. In the case of security and private access to data with positive authentication of identity – all roads leads to SHAPE.

SHAPE – Secure information at the tip of your finger.

I remember the days when you left your front door unlocked, even when you went on vacation! Sadly, those days are over for most of us. Once we started locking our doors, they often had flimsy locks or the doors were large panes of window glass. So, even with the door locked, someone wanting to gain access to the home didn’t have to be very determined to do so. Nowadays, many front doors are reinforced steel and locks are keyed dead bolts. And, many people have alarm systems complete with intrusion alert systems and motion detectors.

Most of us have valuables in our homes. Not the kind, necessarily, that you’d find in a museum, but they’re of value to us. So, taking greater measures to prohibit access by ne’er do wells makes sense. That being said, shouldn’t we take similar measures to protect our mission critical or highly sensitive data bases?

Think about it. Many businesses have important business data, customer lists, financial records – you name it -unlocked or scarcely protected. I’ve talked with business owners after data breaches. Many times the data was accessible to anyone at the firm, irrespective of their need to access it. And, when it was protected, often it was password protected with the “sticky note” containing the password conveniently attached to the computer screen!

And, business owners with tighter security for their data and information know that a determined hacker or thief is likely to gain access to their data.

As I spoke with business owners, I came to realize that we needed to have robust security at the front door. Our biometric match-on-card, SHAPE Card™, is that secure “key” ensuring that only authorized and authenticated users can gain access to sensitive information.

But, I also realized that once someone is “in the door” we needed to ensure  we have personal security. By that I mean that access must be controlled. A package delivery person may be allowed in the door but not upstairs, for example. Our SHAPE system provides security in that it restricts access based on roles. The business determines the roles and access rights afforded by the SHAPE Card. In a healthcare setting, for example, the clerk may need a patient’s insurance and billing information while the doctor needs access to clinical information.

And, finally, we had to ensure that someone couldn’t make a copy of the “key.” Our SHAPE system uses the MULTOS operating system, the most secure smart card operating system in the world. Despite being deployed to millions of users, MULTOS cards have never been hacked.

Almost every business should review and upgrade their data security. Data security is a harbinger of trustworthiness in many instances. Businesses with credit and other financial records may also be subject to the “Red Flags” Rules published by the Federal Trade Commission as well as a myriad of other laws and regulations addressing privacy and security of data. Healthcare providers have HIPAA to contend with in addition to the “Red Flags” Rules and other privacy and security regulations and protocols.

With identity theft on the rise and data breaches making the daily news, no one can afford to remain innocent. Yes, it is a loss of innocence that we have to lock our doors as well as lock our data. But, the silver lining in the clouds is that data security using the SHAPE Card is affordable, easy to implement and scalable.

Now, if I could only remember where I left my house keys!

SHAPE – Secure information at the tip of your finger.