Biometrics

Introduction

By Carolyn Anderson & Mary Pilotte

{Introduction} {Technology Profile} {Recent Applications}{Competitive Landscape} {Evolution} {When to Adopt} {Future Developments}{Related Links} {References}

Today’s world of increasing mobility is changing security requirements. In the age of the desktop PC, security was tied mostly to the PC (the front-end) which was resident at a specific location utilized by the user. In today’s more mobile world of laptops and wireless devices, the location of the front-end device is boundary less. This flexibility increases the risk of another user coming into contact with the front-end device and tapping into “secured” systems. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to tie the end-user, rather than the front-end device, to the security system. Biometrics is now being used as a means of this personal identification.

Biometrics is used to authenticate that a person is who he/she claims to be by utilizing individual body features such as fingerprints, voiceprints, facial characteristics and retinal patterns. The technology erects a barrier between personal data and unauthorized access. Technically speaking, the devices create electronic digital templates that are stored and compared to "live" images when there is a need to verify the identity of an individual. The templates use proprietary and carefully guarded algorithms to secure the record and protect it from disclosure. Standing alone, these templates are of no use; they cannot be reconstructed, decrypted or otherwise manipulated to reveal a person’s identity to someone else.

Used this way, biometrics can be thought of as a very secure key, but one that cannot be passed on to someone else. Unless this biometric gate is unlocked by the proper bearer, no one can gain access to that person’s information. Compared to other methods of proving identity — producing a drivers license, showing a birth certificate, or revealing one’s family history — biometrics are the only tools that can enhance personal privacy and still deliver effective solutions in situations that require confirmation of identity.