Although biometrics is a word commonly thrown around today, many individuals are unaware of its meaning. According to Wikipedia, biometrics is the “identification of humans by their characteristics or traits.” Biometrics uses traits or characteristics that are unique to every person, such as fingerprints, palm prints, retina scans, facial recognition, and other similar technologies.
In general, biometrics identifiers used within biometrics must be measurable and distinctive. These identifiers come in two categories: physiological identifiers and behavioral identifiers.
Physiological identifiers
These identifiers are directly related to the body’s shape. Some examples of physiological identifiers include DNA, iris recognition, fingerprint, hand geometry, retina recognition, and facial recognition.
Behavioral identifiers
These identifiers are directly related to an individual’s pattern of behavior. Examples include voice recognition, typing rhythm, and gait. Sometimes this type of biometrics is known as behavior metrics.
Biometric identifiers are unique to each person, which makes them a reliable method of verifying identifies. However, some individuals have questions about the use of biometric information and that information affects privacy.
Nowadays, various aspects of human behavior, chemistry, and physiology may be used as a means of biometric authentication. When a specific biometric is chosen for use in an application, several different factors must be considered. Here are several important factors that must be considered when considering the suitability of a biometric trait for biometric identification and authentication.
Universality – This means that every person should possess that specific trait being used.
Uniqueness – This means that the specific trait should be significantly different for each person.
Permanence – The idea that the trait should not change over time.
Measurability – Measurability focuses on how easy it is to acquire or measure a specific biometric trait.
Performance – Focuses on the speed and accuracy of the technology being used with that biometric trait.
Acceptability – This refers to how well people will accept this technology, being willing to have that trait captured and checked for identification and authentication.
How Biometric Systems Work
Now that you understand the basics of biometrics, it’s also important to understand how biometric systems work. No matter the biometric trait being used within a biometric system, the systems generally work in the same way.
The first step these systems use is acquiring the reference model and then storing it in the database of the system. For example, if the biometric system uses fingerprints, the first step would be to capture and store the fingerprints of each individual that will be using the system. This step is known as biometric enrollment.
After individuals are enrolled in the system, the system then is put in identification mode. Individuals must provide their information again and that information is compared with the information that was previously stored during enrollment. The biometric capture is compared with a template that is already stored within the biometric database, verifying that the individual is whom they say they are. So, if the system uses fingerprints, the individual will provide their fingerprint and it will be compared to the fingerprint they originally submitted to authenticate their identity.
Some biometric systems actually use more than one biometric identifier to identify and authenticate users. Certain systems may require a fingerprint and an iris scan. Other systems may use a single biometric identifier along with other methods of personal recognition, including PIN numbers, passwords, or identification cards.
There Are Several Different Types of Biometrics
As previously mentioned, many biometric identifiers can be used along with biometric security devices, both for biometric home security or business security. Here are several of the common types of biometrics used today.
Biometric Fingerprint recognition
The most common biometric identifier is fingerprint recognition. This biometric is specifically based upon the ridges and valleys found on an individual’s finger. Fingerprint biometric systems are extremely popular and they are an affordable option as well.
Biometric Voice Recognition
Voice recognition has become more popular recently and analyzes the tone, cadence, and pitch of an individual’s voice, using this information to identify the individual.
Biometric Facial Recognition
This biometric technology involves analyzing the characteristics of a person’s face. It is often used for identification purposes and is commonly used by the law enforcement industry.
Biometric Iris Recognition
Iris recognition focuses on the iris of the eye, the ring that surrounds the pupil. Each person has a unique colored iris, making it an excellent biometric identifier.
Biometric Hand Geometry
Hand geometry measures the thickness, length, and width of the hand. A special camera is used to capture the image of the hand, recording this information.
Biometric Dynamic Signature
This type of biometric technology focuses on behavioral and anatomic characteristics each individual shows when writing their signature.
Biometric Palm Prints
For palm print technology, the ridge structure and the ridge flow of the palm are combined to establish identity.
Biometric Technology Pros and Cons
As biometric technology becomes more prolific, it also has become more controversial. Currently, financial institutions, airports, law enforcement agencies, militaries, large companies, and even homeowners are using biometric security products. However, some individuals are not convinced that the pros of biometric technology outweigh the cons.
Whether you want to use this technology for biometric home security or you plan to use it within your business, it is essential to carefully consider both the pros and cons before making a decision. Here are several of the pros and cons that come with biometric technology.
The Pros
Biometric technology brings with it many pros. The following are some of the important pros to consider when deciding whether you want to begin using biometric technology within your home or business.
Improved Accuracy
One of the main pros that come with using biometric technology is its improved accuracy over other identification and authentication systems. Since this form of technology makes use of physical or behavioral indicators that are unique to each individual, it is extremely accurate.
Difficult to Forge
It is very difficult to forge biometric information, which is an excellent benefit to consider. Other systems used for identification and authentication can easily be fooled and forging is easy. However, this is not a problem with biometric systems. One example is the traditional time card systems, systems that can easily be fooled. Since it is so tough to forge biometric information, it makes biometric systems an excellent choice for many applications.
Makes Identification Easy
Identification is made much easier with the use of biometric systems. These systems work very quickly, establishing the identity of an individual.
Improved Convenience
Biometric technology also offers the benefit of improved convenience. Instead of having to remember combinations or passwords, individuals can simply provide their biometric information to gain access to an area or system. Key cards, which can easily be stolen, no longer have to be used, which adds to the convenience of this technology.
Reduces the Risk of Identity Fraud
Another pro of biometric technology is its ability to help reduce the risk of identity fraud while helping individuals protect their privacy. This technology actually helps individuals safeguard their personal information. Since these databases and systems can be trusted, it helps keep identities safe, reducing the risk of compromised information.
Easy Identification of Suspected Criminals and Terrorists
One of the most talked-about pros of biometric technology is its ability to offer easy identification of suspected criminals and terrorists. These systems can be used to help identify suspects who are already in the system and noted as members of terrorist or criminal networks. This helps to improve everyone’s security.
Reduction in Profiling
Profiling is a common problem today. When humans observe other individuals, it is easy to be biased. However, with biometric technology, it is possible to use biometric standards for everyone, which is much fairer than needing to rely on humans that may use profiles encouraging ethnic and racial stereotyping or profiling.
The Cons
While biometric technology offers many pros, there are several cons to consider too. Keep the following cons in mind before deciding to use biometric security products.
High Cost
The main con to consider when it comes to biometric technology is the high cost of using this technology. Today, biometric systems and software options are more affordable than ever before. However, they are still cost-prohibitive for many businesses and homeowners interested in improving biometric home security. Employing these systems not only requires biometric devices, but the systems often require biometric software as well.
For businesses, it can be costly to integrate new biometric systems into current networks. Some people find the costs of this technology prohibited, but individuals should note that the technology is quickly becoming cheaper. By comparing prices among different companies, it’s easier to find reasonable deals.
Individual Comfort Levels
Some individuals are not comfortable with biometric technology, which is another con to consider. Many people consider this technology to be an invasion of their privacy. In many cases, this discomfort is a result of being unfamiliar with the technology.
Difficulty Acquiring Reference Points in Some Cases
There are times when it can be difficult to acquire a reference point from certain individuals. Although this only occurs to a small percentage of individuals, it still is a factor that must be considered. For example, for a company that implemented a fingerprint biometric system, it could be a problem to acquire a reference point from someone who had lost both hands or from someone who has severe burns that may have eliminated their fingerprints.
The Technology is Not Completely Foolproof
Last, although biometric technology is extremely accurate, especially when compared to other identification and authentication systems, this technology is not considered completely foolproof. Sometimes devices or software can malfunction can cause a problem. Even though this technology is generally accurate 99% of the time, even a slim false-negative rate can cause problems. When these systems are used on large groups of people, even a 1% failure rate becomes problematic.
Overall, most individuals considering biometric technology for biometric home security or business security find that the pros of this technology do outweigh the cons. However, it is important to carefully consider and fully understand the pros and cons before using this technology.
