Basics of Biometrics

Introduction to Biometrics

Biometrics is automated methods of recognizing a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. Among the features measured are face, fingerprints, hand geometry, handwriting, iris, retinal, vein, and voice. Biometric technologies are becoming the foundation of an extensive array of highly secure identification and personal verification solutions.As the level of security breaches and transaction fraud increases, the need for highly secure identification and personal verification technologies is becoming apparent. Biometric-based authentication applications include workstation, network, and domain access, single sign-on, application logon, data protection, remote access to resources, transaction security and Web security. Utilized alone or integrated with other technologies such as smart cards, encryption keys and digital signatures, biometrics is set to pervade nearly all aspects of our daily lives.
Utilizing biometrics for personal authentication is becoming convenient and considerably more accurate than current methods (such as the utilization of passwords or PINs). This is because biometrics links the event to a particular individual (a password or token may be used by someone - 9 - other than the authorized user), is convenient (nothing to carry or remember), accurate (it provides for positive authentication) and cost effective.