New Bluetooth smart card reader released
04 January, 2012
category: Digital ID, Government
Biometric Associates has released its baiMobile 3000MP Bluetooth Smart Card Reader, which is designed specifically for mobile platforms. It supports iOS 4.x for iPhone and iPad and Android OS 2.2 and higher, and it operates with Bluetooth version 2.1 and higher.
Designed to be compatible with government needs, the reader supports ISO 7816 smart cards such as PIV and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Common Access Card. It enables network or client applications residing on mobile devices to access the smart card credentials to enable digital signatures, e-mail decryption and authentication to secure web sites and network servers. Additionally, the reader can be used as a wearable badge holder for visual identification.
The baiMobile 3000MP uses the Secure Simple Pairing’s Numerical Comparison Association Model pairing method to randomly generate six-digit passkeys that are displayed on both the mobile device and the reader’s LED panel. Users then confirm that these numbers match.
The product’s middleware is capable of retrieving public certificates and perform PKI operations on the smart card. This middleware must be integrated with applications such as Good Mobile Messaging in order for it to be enabled.
The baiMobile 3000MP meets NSA and DISA requirements for secure Bluetooth communications and uses Mode 4: service levels of security that are in Bluetooth version 2.1 and higher. Data transfers employ FIPS 140-2 encryption with 256-bit AES encryption tunnels over standard 128-bit Bluetooth encryption. It also operates in the “non-discoverable” mode except when pairing for additional security.
A baiMobile Bluetooth Adapter is available for iOS devices to comply with NSA and DISA requirements for disabling all extraneous Bluetooth profiles.
Biometric Associates plans to add support for other OS such as Windows 7 desktops and tablets in the future.
