31-01-2009, 12:00 AM
Biometrics refers to the automatic identification of a person based on his/her physiological or behavioral characteristics such as finger scan, retina, iris, voice scan, and signature scan etc. This method of identification is preferred over traditional methods involving passwords and PIN numbers for various reasons: the person to be identified is required to be physically present at the point-of-identification; identification based on biometric techniques obviates the need to remember a password or carry a token. The ultimate form of electronic verification of a person?s identity is biometrics; using a physical attribute of the person to make a positive identification. People have always used the brain?s innate ability to recognize a familiar face and it has long been known that a person?s fingerprints can be used for identification. The challenge has been to turn these into electronic processes that are inexpensive and easy to use. Banks and others who have tested biometric-based security on their clientele, however, say consumers overwhelmingly have a pragmatic response to the technology. Anything that saves the information-overloaded citizen from having to remember another Password or personal identification number comes as a welcome respite.
