KIJK (LOOK) is a Dutch magazine that centres ground-breaking science and innovative technology. Biocryptology, a Dutch-Spanish identity solutions provider, was featured in KIJK’s October issue in the magazine’s NederTech (DutchTech) section, which highlighted the start-up’s biometric identification app and UP Device, which herald a world without passwords. 

The article points out that using body parts as identification is nothing new, but Biocryptology’s app allows users to use their fingerprint to log in everywhere, and most people prefer to log in without a password.

Normally, users must enter a user name and password to gain access to sites, which is unsafe, as hackers can intercept the information and sell it.

With Biocryptology’s app, users only need to identify themselves once by typing in their name and scanning their fingerprint on their telephone using their device’s touch sensor. If they want to log in to a website, they scan a QR code on the site in question and “the app knows who you are because you’ve already identified yourself,” says CEO Ted Oorbals, “and it tells the site: it’s ok. You can let this person log in’”.

In terms of security, which is of paramount importance in this digital age, Oorbals says that:

“We don’t give away the biometric data; that’s only stored and checked on your telephone. Our system works with certificates, small documents that identify you to websites. When you log in, we send the certificate, and this confirms you’re who you say you are. This makes it difficult for hackers to steal your information.”

As it stands, not many companies are using Biocryptology’s solution, but the company is in talks with “many international parties”, says Oorbals, such as banks, telecom companies, IT concerns, and online stores.

For users concerned their telephone will be hacked, Biocryptology’s UP Device comes in handy. It’s  a piece of car key-like hardware users can use to log in to websites, make payments, and in the future even gain access to your car or use as a housekey.