The System Architecture Behind BioTracker

What started as a small project in the UVic research labs over a decade ago has evolved into a dynamic software application capable of continuously authenticating users in real time. From the beginning, BioTracker, which measures user’s mouse and keystroke patterns, was designed with the end in mind. With system architecture that enables simple integration and customized application development, the software is designed in a way that leaves the doors to future development open to almost any new application that revolves around continuous authentication.    

The idea to develop BioTracker was conceived back in early 2000, as it was becoming increasingly obvious even then that the traditional username and password system was not strong enough to protect our most important networks and computer systems going forward. While network security was the obvious application back then, the software was always designed around the prospect that new uses would be found in the future. Our partnership with NTT to develop Key Touch Pass for e-learning institutions in Japan confirmed this idea. 

Because BioTracker uses tools that are ubiquitous for all computer users, a mouse and keyboard, its scalability is essentially limitless. While the proprietary algorithms and artificial intelligence enable the key functionality of the software, it is the system architecture that makes it scalable, across networks, platforms and devices. 

As dramatic shifts in computing create new models of working, collaborating, and communicating, we believe that applications like BioTracker will be essential to ensuring that the integrity of users is maintained; with the traditional username and password system, that is not possible. Based on the architecture of the software, we can integrate BioTracker into other platforms and software applications through customized API’s to create robust applications that offer real-time security. 

With NTT, for example, we worked to develop a customized application through an API that runs the Key Touch Pass application developed by NTT in the front end, and BioTracker in the back end. E-learning institutions in Japan are able to roll the application out for their students with ease, as a simple software client transparently sits on their machine while they perform their work online. 

So what does the architecture of BioTracker look like?

BioTracker is based on service-oriented architecture (SOA) which allows integration with other systems through standard web service interfaces. Moreover, the interface between each individual service in Biotracker is defined with a standard web service contract. This makes it convenient for application integrators to implement and debug their integration of Biotracker server to their own IT infrastructure.

From day one, BioTracker was designed to be open and extensible to other platforms, ensuring that the core functionality that enables continuous authentication is not limited only to certain uses, like network security. We would have never imagined that the first large-scale use for BioTracker would be in e-learning classrooms, but the system architecture enables that type of flexibility through customized API’s and applications. We are interested to know if you have any ideas about how BioTracker can be integrated to produce more powerful application; if you have any ideas, drop us a note at info@plurilock.com. 

Read More: The Next Level of Biometric Authentication