Needless to say, biometrics solutions are seeing more and more deployment across various verticals. The technology is more accurate and secure as it authenticates by way of a person's unique characteristics, which are hard to be duplicated.
Needless to say,
biometrics solutions are seeing more and more deployment across various verticals. The technology is more accurate and secure as it authenticates by way of a person's unique characteristics, which are hard to be duplicated.
In access control and identity management, authenticating people to physical or even logical assets takes several forms or factors. These are usually defined by “what you know,” “what you have” and “what you are,” and their manifestations are, respectively, passwords, access cards/keyfobs (recently even
mobile credentials carried on mobile devices), and biometrics.
Biometrics are elements that define the physical characteristics of a person. Unlike passwords or access cards, biometrics can’t be known or really duplicated. These characteristics make biometrics an accurate and effective way to authenticate people across various verticals, from enterprises that use biometrics as access control to airports which use multimodal biometrics to register visitors.
Modalities
Currently, several biometric modalities are available which are summarized as follows.
Fingerprint:
Fingerprint by far is still the widest adopted biometric technology whereby the reader scans the fingerprint of a person and forms a template that can be matched against the database in the backend. With new anti-spoofing features in place, fingerprint sensor accuracy and security have been strengthened.
Facial recognition:
Facial recognition works by way of a camera capturing a person’s face and then making a face print, which is then matched against the database in the backend. Facial recognition is now being deployed in more and more end user entities. Recent advances in AI are expected to drive the market further.
Iris scanning: According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, iris scanning is the process of using visible and near-infrared light to take a high-contrast photograph of a person’s iris. “Advocates of iris scanning technology … state that iris scans are quicker and more reliable than fingerprint scans since it is easier for an individual to obscure or alter their fingers than it is to alter their eyes,” it said.
Voice recognition: Voice recognition is the matching of a person’s voice patterns against the database. Applications have become more diverse, including banks where one can authorize the transfer of money from one account to another through a phone call; the transfer can proceed if the person’s voice has been confirmed.
Future prospects
The various advantages of biometrics put them in a good position grow in the mid-term. According to Grand View Research, the global biometrics technology market size is likely to reach US$59.31 billion by 2025, experiencing a CAGR of 19.5 percent during the forecast period.
“Biometrics technology is being increasingly acknowledged for e-passport programs and to keep a check on illegal migrations. Government organizations and defense services are further expected to experience sharp rise in the demand for the technology,” it said. “In addition, it is used in banking and finance to increase efficiency and to prevent frauds. This is further likely to positively influence the growth of the market.”
A
blogpost by M2SYS put it this way: “Biometric verification system … is incorporated in almost every industry and sector to maintain the privacy and security of an individual and for institutions as well. It will surely bring change in judicial and law enforcement institutions by providing them room to have data security by using biometric verification systems and to keep the records of criminals and case file secure. Through this technology, we will be able to share and transfer files and data from one system to another without any threat of being stolen.”