Biometrics

Biometrics is used in many places and there is a bright future for them. Finger print scanners are being used in many states of the US. They have been used to trace social welfare fraud. An iris pattern identification system is being used in Cook County, Illinois to ensure that right people are released from jail. ATM machines have been installed with finger scanners to prevent theft and fraud in Indiana (Jain, 2005).

New biometric technologies are being developed using diverse physiological and behavioral characteristics. These technologies are in various stages of development. Vein scan technology identifies a person based upon blood vessel patterns. This technology uses infrared light to detect vein patterns. It is available for commercial purposes. Facial thermograph detects heat patterns which are created by blood vessels that branch. These heat patterns are also emitted from the skin. An infrared camera is used to capture images. The advantage of this system is that it does not require close physical contact. These systems can also work in darkness. However these systems are very expensive to implement (Woodward, 2005).

While government and law enforcement agencies have been using biometrics identification systems, other businesses and even consumer applications are using such systems. In Japan there has been a proliferation of mobile devices with fingerprint readers. No technology is failed safe. Biometrics is continuing to be developed. Multiple technologies carry the benefit of preventing security gaps and leaks. Biometric devices are getting smaller, accurate and more sophisticated. Multimodal applications are being developed to assist in identification and verification (Philips, 2002).

Biometrics can provide security at ports and access points. They can help confirm passengers boarding a plane. Biometric scans would be present at check-in and at the gates. It could help immigration clearance and remove high maintenance costs associated with immigration. Access to restricted areas can be controlled by using biometric identification systems. Known criminals and terrorists can be identified if biometric identification systems are present in public and government places. Finally they could be useful in gathering information on people's travel patterns.

Biometric devices and applications have been growing worldwide. They are expected to be the way for accessing personal computer systems. According to research it is expected that biometric expenditure will reach $300 million in 2008. Biometrics works on the principle that everyone in the world is different. A variety of factors are taken into consideration when implementing a biometric system. Each system has its own set of security risks. Location, how critical data is and numbers of users are some of the factors which are taken into consideration when implementing a biometric system.

Biometric speed varies from application to application. It depends on the hardware and software. It is also dependant on the user training and application in the environment. Finally human involvement is an important factor in some cases to make the final decisions. Biometrics is a security tool which is available for use. It depends on the environment. The operational requirements of the situation are important. Biometrics is part of an entire ...