Wednesday, 26 July 2006

Is Biometric a Security Solution or Threat?

Biometric security systems, using fingerprints, iris scan and facial recognition, are still concentrated to a small population. Biometrics-based security systems have been suggested as a practical solution...

Biometric security systems, using fingerprints, iris scan and facial recognition, are still concentrated to a very small population. However, in few years it is expected to be widely used.

Biometrics-based security systems have been suggested as a practical solution for the financial services, healthcare, immigration, IT security and law enforcement sectors.

The use of biometric solutions is expected to rise in the years to come as industry leaders plan to move towards the technology for products as e-passports, travel and customs applications, healthcare verification records, financial data, law enforcement and other situations.

Governments and businesses are looking at biometric from fingerprints to irises to gait as a solution to make certain whom they are doing business with.

Biometric is regarded as a secret. But it is a highly vulnerable secret. Crooks would always find ways to break security codes. The system will give birth to next generation biometrics password breakers, exposing security to a much higher risk than ever.

We are leaving our prints everywhere so the chance of someone lifting them and copying them is also real. In offices, employees leave their fingerprints on the mugs, files, keyboards etc. It is very easy for the crooks to break the security codes. Our faces and irises are visible and our voices can be easily recorded. Fingerprints and DNA are left everywhere we go and it's been proved that these are real threat.

Researchers have proven that it is possible to trick fingerprint systems with fake fingers made of gelatin. Similarly, spoofing facial recognition systems with photos, videos or facial disguises, is not a difficult task.

However, The benefits of biometric security cannot be totally unruled. Several research conducted on the use of biometric have revealed that people prefer biometric because of speed, convenience and accuracy. Also people approved of the system because they do not have to remember separate passwords or other login data and the fact that biometric identifiers are less likely to be lost or forgotten.

It has tremendous benefits but at the same time it could be easily misused by a new generation of identity thieves looking to break into accounts, which are secured with the biometrics passwords.

Definitely biometric systems will be linked to a token for safety measures to cut down on identity thief. But users always have to on alert, maybe more than writing typing down the password.

But the biometrics vendors are exploring various other ways to make it full-proof – for example use of real iris instead of a photograph.