Biometrics:
the state of play
Face, fingerprint, iris, vein,
signature, hand geometry or
even voice. The unique
biological features that each
of us have or present can
now play a role in the
security process. No longer
does an old passport
photograph have to be
matched against the traveller
at the check-in by visual
inspection alone. Passports
and other documents can
now incorporate biometric
identifiers. And, as Daniel
Walsh reports, we’ve only
just begun…
D
ue to significant advances in the
What are Biometrics?
verification solutions. As the incidences of
field of computer processing,
Biometrics, or bio-identification, is the
security breaches and transaction fraud
automated biometric systems have
practice of measuring physical
increases, the need for ever-more highly
gradually become increasingly available
characteristics of a person to verify their
secured identification and personal
over the last few decades. Many of these
identity. They come in many forms: DNA,
verification solutions becomes necessary.
new automated techniques, however, are
face, fingerprint, iris, vein, voice, gait and
Biometric-based solutions are able to
based on ideas that were originally
signature to mention but a few. Each of
provide for confidential financial trans-
conceived hundreds, even thousands of
these identifiers is UNIQUE to each of us.
actions and personal data privacy. The
years ago.
Biometric identifiers provide for
need for biometrics can be found in
One of the oldest and most basic
automated methods of recognising a
federal, state and local governments, in the
examples of a characteristic that is used
person based on a physiological or
military, and in commercial applications.
for recognition by humans is the face.
behavioural characteristic; the associated
Enterprise-wide network security infra-
Since the beginning of civilisation, humans
biometric technologies are becoming the
structures, government IDs, secure
have used faces to identify known (familiar)
foundation of an extensive array of highly
electronic banking, investing and other
and unknown (unfamiliar) individuals. This
secure identification and personal
financial transactions, retail sales, law
simple task became increasingly more enforcement, and health and social
challenging as populations increased and services are already benefiting from these
as more convenient methods of travel “…bio-identification technologies.
introduced many new individuals into once Biometric-based authentication applic-
small communities. The concept of human-
can come in many
ations include workstation, network, and
to-human recognition is also seen in
behavioural-predominant biometrics such
forms: DNA, face,
domain access, single sign-on, application
logon, data protection, remote access to
as speaker and gait recognition.
fingerprint, iris, vein,
resources, transaction security and Web
Individuals use these characteristics, security.
somewhat unconsciously, to recognise
voice, gait and
Trust in electronic transactions is
known individuals on a day-to-day basis. essential to the healthy growth of the
Other characteristics have also been used signature to name but global economy. Utilised alone or
throughout the history of civilisation as a integrated with other technologies such as
more formal means of recognition.
a few…”
smart cards, encryption keys and digital trianglert
Aviationsecurityinternational April 2007 37
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