Biometrics

• Biometrics is the technical term for body measurements and calculations. It refers to metrics related to human characteristics. Biometrics authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance.

• Biometric identifiers are the distinctive, measurable characteristics used to label and describe individuals and a group. Biometric identifiers are often categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics. Physiological characteristics are related to the shape of the body. Examples include, but are not limited to fingerprint, palm veins, face recognition, DNA, palm print, hand geometry, iris recognition, retina and odour/scent. Behavioral characteristics are related to the pattern of behavior of a person, including but not limited to typing rhythm, gait, and voice.Some researchers have coined the term behaviometrics to describe the latter class of biometrics.

• Biometrics is the science of analyzing physical or behavioral characteristics specific to each individual in order to be able to authenticate their identity.

      

      How biometrics work

• Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics, and point-of-sale applications. In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience, as there are no passwords  to remember or security tokens carry. Some biometric methods, such as measuring a person's gait, can operate with no direct contact with the person being authenticated.

   Components of biometric devices include:

• A reader or scanning device to record the biometric factor being authenticated.
• Software to convert the scanned biometric data into a standardized digital format and to compare match points of the observed data with stored data.
• A database to securely store biometric data for comparison.

• India's national ID program called Aadhaar is the largest biometric database in the world. It is a biometrics-based digital identity assigned for a person's lifetime, verifiable online instantly in the public domain, at any time, from anywhere, in a paperless way. It is designed to enable government agencies to deliver a retail public service, securely based on biometric data (fingerprint, iris scan and face photo), along with demographic data (name, age, gender, address, parent/spouse name, mobile phone number) of a person. The data is transmitted in encrypted form over the internet for authentication, aiming to free it from the limitations of physical presence of a person at a given place.

• Biometrics is a emerging area with many opportunities for growth.

• Possibly in the near future,you will not have to remember PINs and passwords in your pockets will be things of the last.

          

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        Next week I will post more about AI...so stay tuned!