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8
Bloomberg Secure Access Technology (BSAT
)
TM
Technical and Operational Details
In order to provide the most secure service possible and to safeguard the privacy of each user,
Bloomberg has implemented a biometric authentication system as part of its login procedure. This
enhanced security system is known as BSAT.
When a user initially enrolls his biometric data in the system, he will be prompted to place his finger
onto a sensor on the Bloomberg keyboard. This sensor analyzes the general directional characteristics
of the patterns of ridges and valleys on the finger of the user. The sensor analyzes these flows at a
.
relatively coarse level. This process is a correlation-based process and not a minutiae-based process
At this level, the details of the minutiae are not captured or stored. The BSAT process generates a
binary number based on general characteristics of the patterns of ridges and valleys on the user's
finger.
The binary number contains 4 to 10 kilobytes of data. The vendor's software in the Bloomberg terminal
encrypts this binary number using 256 bit AES encryption (the encrypted binary number is referred to
herein as the "template"). Bloomberg does not have access to the key that would permit it to decrypt
this template. The template is then transmitted to Bloomberg's secure servers in New York and New
Jersey using 128- bit SSL and RC4 encryption technology, where it is stored for comparison at the
user's desktop during future log-ins as further described below. The finger image, the general
characteristics of the patterns of ridges of the user's finger, and the original binary number are not
transmitted to New York and New Jersey. Only the template is transmitted.
Following initial enrollment, each time the user logs on to the Bloomberg system, he will be asked to
enter his name and password. The system will confirm that the name and password match and, if they
do, it will retrieve the corresponding stored template for this user. The template is transmitted down to
the user's PC where it is decrypted. The user is then prompted to place his finger on the sensor where
a new binary number is generated. An appropriate score, based on the stored data reference, is
required for authentication. If the new data confirms the user's identity, he will be granted access to the
Bloomberg network.
The data in Bloomberg's possession cannot be reverse engineered to generate an image of the user's
fingerprint or the general characteristics of the patterns of the ridges and valleys of the finger that are
enrolled to generate the original binary number. The data is worthless unless it is used in connection
with a user's login and password. The template collected through the BSAT device will be destroyed
when the user account is terminated.
For 24 hour global customer support call +1 212 318 2000, +44 20 7330 7500, +65 6212 1000,
®
+81 3 3201 8900 or press the HELP key twice on the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL
service.
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