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How does biometrics work? Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages

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.

What is biometrics?

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.

How does a biometric system work?

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.

The major components of biometric devices include
1.
Scanning: A scanning device or reader is used to capture biometric factors such as fingerprints, iris patterns, facial features, etc.

2.
Identification: Specialized software converts the scanned biometric data into a standardized digital format and compares it with stored information for verification.

3.
Storage: Biometric devices also feature a database for storing biometric data, facilitating comparison and future usage.

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.

The widespread adoption of biometrics is mainly due to two major advantages:
1.
Convenience: Biometrics provide a seamless and user-friendly means of access and are an inherent part of an individual that cannot be misplaced or forgotten.

2.
Security: Unlike passwords or physical keys, biometrics are challenging to steal or impersonate, which further enhances the security measures.

Types of biometrics

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.

Physiological Biometric

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

Facial recognition
Fingerprint scanning and finger geometry
Iris recognition
Voice recognition
Digital signatures
Retina scanning
Vein recognition
Heart rate sensors
DNA matching
In facial recognition, specially designed software is used to measure the features of the face. The data is then stored in the device, and this information is used for the face recognition access control system every time a person is subjected to identification.
The other major biometric that is being widely used is the fingerprint. Information about the specifics of a fingerprint is stored on the device and used for future identification. Finger authentication can be commonly seen in locks to ensure security, and it is also used in certain restricted access areas with a high level of security, ensuring that only authorized persons are able to enter the safe rooms.
During iris recognition, the unique folds of thick thread-like muscles that are seen in the coloured part of the eye are scanned to record the identity of the individual.
Behavioural Biometric

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:

Keystroke identification: The keystroke or the pattern in which a person uses the keyboard, touchscreen, etc. is unique; this information can be recorded and used to identify the individual.
Voice identification: Every individual has a unique tone with differences in voice modulations; this can be analyzed, and the data stored can be used for the identification of the person. Voice-based biometric devices register and identify the voice prints of individuals for identification.
Signature identification: The unique signature of individuals can also be used as an identification marker. The scanner checks for the pattern in the signature and identifies the pressure points, which can be a biometric.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of biometrics?
Biometrics have several advantages, with the major factor being the uniqueness of each individual.
Unlike any other authentication method, including passwords, biometrics are unique, making it difficult to fake or steal them from individuals.
As biometrics are physiological and behavioral characteristics of an individual, they are easy to use and provide a convenient method for identification.
Biometric features, such as physiological traits, are generally the same over the course of life; hence, they can be used for long periods of time.
While other authentication factors like passcodes and pin codes can be shared or stolen, biometric factors are non-transferable and are hard to steal.
Biometrics are an efficient way for identification as they are unique, and the templates require minimal storage space.
While biometrics offer several advantages, they also come with certain disadvantages, and we will explore some of them:
Biometric systems tend to be more expensive to set up and maintain.
System failures in capturing or storing data can result in the failure to identify individuals.
The software used for biometric verification and the database for storage are susceptible to hacking, raising security concerns.
Despite the uniqueness of biometric data, errors such as false acceptances and false rejections can occur.
Biometric authentication may be ineffective in situations where individuals are injured or facing other challenges. For example, in cases of hand burns, fingerprint scanners may not function properly, leading to identification issues.
Applications of biometric authentication in different sectors
Point-of-Sale Security and Payment Authentication

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

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.

Travel

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.

Healthcare

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.