Corona Infection Chain @ssistant
CIC@corporate
The perfect solution for companies to trace infection chains
Tracing Covid-19 risk contacts
CIC@corporate, the smart solution for companies, to trace corona contacts and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.
CIC@corporate
- works without smartphone
- does not require an app
- does not store any personal data, no names or phone numbers
- creates no position or movement profiles
- works for 6 months without changing batteries
- uses the Bluetooth LE radio standard
Companies can use the small and mobile CIC@tracer, to support health departments in tracing so called high risk contacts, persons which were in contact to a Covid-infected person closer than 1,5 meters for minutes.
CIC@ stands for corona infection chain @ssistant. This means, companies can handle their infection risk management by implementing CIC@ for safe and secure operations.
Employees can use the small and mobile CIC@tracer to support health departments in tracing so called high risk contacts, persons which were closer than 1,5 meter in contact to an infected corona virus person.
If one contact is infected with the virus, the tracer will be able to figure out in an instant which other people he or she has been in close contact with in the past two weeks. This will help determine which other contacts are at risk of infection, thus preventing the need for closing enterprises and the need that all employees to go into quarantine.
In areas where people come into contact with each other, already known by the HR department, the CIC@corporate solution is particularly well suited. The contact tracer works completely autonomously, does not require a recharging station, and the power consumption is so low that the built-in batteries remain functional for six months before they need to be replaced.
In this way, the CIC@tracer makes it easier to ensure business continuity, even in times requiring lockdowns, social distancing and quarantines.
At the heart of the CIC@corporate solution is a so-called contact tracer. This is a small box with a built-in proximity sensor. It automatically detects other tracers if they come under the safety radius of 1.5 metres (see picture and graphic 1). Each tracer has its own identification number (ID) – similar to a passport. This consists of a sequence of numbers and letters. Only via this device ID the persons who used it can be assigned later on. If the contact tracers meet within a radius of 1.5 metres, a „digital handshake“ occurs, which means the tracers exchange their identification numbers. These are recorded anonymously, additionally encrypted and stored locally on the devices. (Graphic 2)
Graphic 1: A distance of at least 1.5 metres from others reduces the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (RKI recommendation). The sensor in the contact tracer is set to measure this distance every 10 seconds. If another tracer does not maintain this distance, it is detected and its ID is stored.
Graphic 2: The tracers come closer than 1.5 metres. The sensors recognise this and a „digital handshake“ occurs, in which the device IDs are exchanged. Other tracers that keep the correct safety distance are not registered.
The name CIC@ stands for „Corona Infection Chain Assistant“ and is a smart assistance solution for targeted contact tracing in a confirmed Covid-19 case in order to break infection chains in time.
Key facts about CIC@corporate
Privacy first: No smartphone, no app
We do not use smartphones or apps for tracing contacts, we do not store any personal data, no names, no phone numbers, no position or movement profiles. Our CIC@Tracer is a stand-alone device that can be carried in the (trouser) pocket or on a key ring. Tracers can only be read by our CIC@Software, a special biometric protected software. Only authorized person have access to it.
Bluetooth LE technology
Our tracers do not have a GPS chip and employees do not need to install an app. The tracers use Bluetooth LE to determine the distance between devices.
Absolutely safe
CIC@Tracers transmit an encrypted ID. Data from nearby tracers can always be exported for the past 14 days. Decoding is only possible with a special biometric-protected software. Only someone who is designated for this task within a company has access using the CIC@software. Only with that tracing software the device ID of the tracers can be read out and linked to the name of the respective person.
No charging station
The tracer needs no every day charging. It works for 6 months and runs 8 hours a day in active modus. More than a normal day at work. Employees can take their tracer at home. This safe time and money too, as CIC@ tracer switches to a kind of „Stand By Mode“ if it does not receive any signals from other tracers via Bluetooth LE.
CIC@corporate
Components of the CIC@corporate solution:
- Fujitsu Notebook with PalmSecureTM ID-Login
- Windows 10
- CIC@ Corona Tracer with Lanyard
- CIC@Software
- QR Code Label Printer
- 1.000 QR Code Print Labels
- Service-Unit for installation and instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the CIC@Tracer work?
The CIC@Tracer is a small box with a built-in proximity sensor. It automatically detects other tracers if they go below a limit of 1.5 meters.
Each tracer has its own identification number (ID) – similar to a passport. This consists of a sequence of numbers and letters. Only via this device ID the persons who used it can be assigned later on. If the contact tracers meet within a radius of 1.5 metres, a „digital handshake“ occurs, which means the tracers exchange their identification numbers. These are recorded anonymously, additionally encrypted and stored locally on the devices.
Where are the data stored?
The CIC@tracer does only store the IDs of other tracers which come closer than 1,5 meters. The IDs of the tracers are recorded anonymously, encrypted and only stored locally on the tracer.
Only with the special tracing software the device ID of the tracers can be read out and linked to the name of the respective person who received it in order to start the tracing. The IDs remain stored on the tracer for fourteen days before they are overwritten and thus deleted.
What happens, if I lose the tracer?
Nothing, nobody can use the tracer to find out about the owner. The reason is quite simple: the tracer doesn´t store any personal data. Only tracer IDs are stored and all of these IDs are encrypted, too. The tracer is a piece of plastic with a sensor inside, nothing more. If somebody would find the tracer – fine. Don´t worry, nothing will happen and you will get a new one the next day.
What components are part of the CIC@Standard solution?
The CIC@Standard solution includes:
- Fujitsu Notebook with PalmSecureTM ID-Login
- Windows 10
- CIC@Software
- QR Code Label Printer
- 1.000 QR Code Print Labels
- CIC@ tracer with Lanyard
- Service-Unit for installation and instruction
Are you using biometric protection encryption and authentication?
That´s right. Therefore, the CIC@software is the key to accessing the stored IDs and thus the list of people who have had contact with the Covid-19 case. We use a special biometric authentification solution from Fujitsu. This guarantees that only authorised employees literally have this key in their hands. We use PalmSecure ID Login, a highly secure biometric authentication solution, for the authentication process. The solution consists of three software components and a contactless PalmSecure palm vein scanner, which is already integrated on the Fujitsu notebook that is part of the standard solution.
What is contact tracing?
Contact tracing is a prevention method that enables the identification of individuals who have been in contact with a confirmed carrier of the Covid-19 virus or – in some cases – with individuals who are very likely to be carriers. If schools, corporates or public institutions can quickly locate such individuals, they oder the health department can inform them that they may also be carriers of the virus and provide them with the appropriate advice.
Does the tracer works with GPS?
No, the tracer uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology. This is a radio standard that makes Bluetooth connections possible even with low transmission power and low power consumption. Thus, the built-in sensor can send its own signal every ten seconds or receive that of other tracers that move within the critical radius of below 1.5 meters. The contact tracer works for up to six months with an average use of 8 hours a day before the batteries need to be replaced.
Is Bluetooth better than GPS?
Bluetooth is a commonly used technology and it is featured in all smartphones, so it is mainly for practical reasons that we use Bluetooth. Since every tracer is the same, we at least know the behavior of both the receiver and the transmitter, which provides optimal accuracy. The alternative GPS is in any case much less accurate, does not work reliably indoors, is more expensive and consumes more power. Wifi uses the same radio frequency as Bluetooth does.
The Coronavirus mainly spreads via breathing and coughing (aerosol), therefore the hightest risk of infection is the front of the human body.
Is the bBuetooth technology an exact method to measure distance?
In order for the corona tracer to work properly, it is important that all users wear the tracer on the same position of their body, so that we can adjust the signal strength measurement in the tracer accordingly: that is why we recommend wearing it on a lanyard around the neck.
There can not be defined an exact 1,5 meter circle around the tracer. But if everyone wears the CIC@ tracer on a lanyard around the neck, clearly visible to others, the detection is like the red line on the picture. Since the distance on the side and back of the body is smaller than that on the front, we have set the distance on the front at 2.5 meters so that the distance on the side is not too small.