The measure grants legal legitimacy to documents approved or digitally ''signed'' online. That is expected to drive up demand for anything used to initiate a digital signature - such as fingerprint readers and other biometric devices, or ''smart cards'' in which identification information is embedded. Security experts expect biometrics soon will be commonly built into cell phones, handheld computers and anything else connecting to computer networks. Ruehle hopes to strike up partnerships this week to speed that process along. The anonymity and ubiquity of the Internet that make it so attractive to users and the market place are the same qualities that make it difficult to secure,'' said Mike Houlahan, a vice president of Arcot Systems Inc., a Silicon Valley company that makes software designed to limit access to computer files and networks.
Security is a mainstream issue.