Banks Ponder New Technologies As They Look To Beef Up Security; Protection Of Identities; Financial service firms mulling more complete offerings as risks grow.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: DONNA HOWELL

Why sell security to banks? That's where the money is -- and some danger.

Banks are considering a wider smorgasbord of tech security wares, while security vendors pursue a safety-conscious financial sector beset by attacks.

A device to keeps ATMs worm-free is among the newest bank-tailored products out. Introduced in November by the anti-virus firm Trend Micro, it sells for $325 and plugs right into an automated teller machine.

Other newly released security products targeted to banks aim to better protect customers from ills such as phishing attacks. They include safety means such as one-time pass code tokens, which look like key fobs. This device plugs into a PC to provide extra log-in security automatically, or it displays a one-time-use code that a user types in. It can be required for accessing an account, beyond just a user name and password.

"One of the shifts I've seen over the last several years is in the area of identity management," said James Wade, a banking industry veteran and president of security nonprofit ISC2.

He says banks are looking for more complete security systems, rather than single, narrow-focus products. They want ways to manage account access for their employees, partners and customers alike, not just one or the other.