Biometrics has emerged as a leading technology in security and surveillance, gaining widespread adoption across various industries and companies. It plays a crucial role in ensuring national security and is extensively utilized as a means of individual identification. Governments issue identification cards based on biometric data, making it a primary criteria or individuals. Consequently, the application of biometrics has expanded to diverse sectors. In this blog, we will provide insights into biometric technology, its applications, and its significant impact on various industries.
Biometrics is a distinctive identification method that assesses the physical traits and behavioral characteristics of an individual under surveillance. What significantly enhances the widespread use of this technology in both surveillance and security is its capability to accurately identify individuals based on intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. This can include facial recognition, fingerprint technology, retinal scans, voice recognition, and various other recognition methods. In certain instances, even ear shape recognition methods are employed.
Identification of individuals through biometric verification has been widely adopted in corporate offices, public security systems, point-of-sale applications, consumer electronics, etc. The major driving force behind industries and companies embracing biometric verification is convenience, as it does not require any passwords or other security tokens.
Biometric identification is playing an increasingly significant role in security protocols. Using physical traits that are inherently unique and relatively unchangeable, biometric identity has the potential to replace or enhance traditional password systems even among identical twins. This application extends to various devices, including computers, phones, and access-restricted areas. Once biometric data is acquired and mapped, it is securely stored for subsequent matching. Typically, this encrypted data is stored either within the device itself or on remote servers.
Biometric scanners are specialized hardware designed to capture unique physical traits, verifying an individual's identity by cross-referencing the captured data with stored records. In essence, biometric security transforms the body into the primary key for accessing secure locations or devices, determining whether to grant or deny access to the system.
Biometrics are unique to every individual and are used for identification purposes. Biometric devices are mainly of two types. Either they measure the physiological characteristics, or they measure the behavioral characteristics.
This is the most common type of biometric that is widely used, and it is more accurate than behavioral characteristics. Physiological biometrics involves the measurement of the physical characteristics of an individual. The physical characteristics that can be measured are
Behavioral biometrics, or behavioral identifiers, involve the unique identifiable activities performed by humans or the distinct ways in which individuals act. This includes typing patterns, finger movements, walking gait, or even patterns of engagement on social media or websites for individual identification. Though behavioral biometrics are a newer method with comparatively lower reliability than physiological biometrics, they still have the potential to grow with advancements in biometric technology. The major types of behavioral biometrics are:
Ensuring security at point-of-sale (POS) terminals is crucial for retailers and consumers. Biometric systems, including fingerprint recognition or facial scans, are increasingly utilized to authenticate a customer's identity during payment processes. This eliminates the necessity for PINs, passwords, or physical credit cards, thereby reducing fraud risks and enhancing transaction speeds.
Law enforcement agencies utilize various biometric data types, such as fingerprints, facial features, iris patterns, voice samples, and DNA, for fast and secure identification. This facilitates quicker access to confidential information. Automated systems speed up fingerprint matching against extensive databases within minutes, replacing the manual comparison done by trained human examiners.
Electronic passports, or e-passports, feature a microchip that stores biometric data, similar to traditional passports. This chip holds a digital image of the passport holder's photo linked to their identifying information. E-passports are electronically issued by country-issuing authorities and verify applicants' identities by utilizing fingerprints or other biometric data. The verification process confirms the data stored on the chip with the information provided by the applicant before the passport is issued.
In hospitals, biometric authentication aids in accurately tracking patients and preventing mix-ups. Clinics and doctors' offices utilize it to secure patients' information. This technology enables hospitals and clinics to conveniently store and retrieve patients' medical histories.