23-04-2010, 09:10 PM
[attachment=3370]
BIOMETRICS
Presented By:
A. Sumithra
06M11A0246
4/4 BTECH
ABSTRACT
Biometrics is the development of statistical and mathematical methods applicable to data analysis problems in the biological sciences. It is a new method of verifying authenticity. Biometrics uses biological traits or behavioral characteristics to identify an individual. A Biometrics system is actually a pattern recognition system that utilizes various patterns like iris patterns, retina patterns and biological traits like fingerprints, facial geometry, voice recognition and hand recognition etc. What makes Biometrics really attractive is the fact that the various security codes like the passwords and the PIN can be interchanged between people but the physiological traits canâ„¢t be.
The current applications of Biometric authentication are Entry control, ATMs and Government programs. The most obvious use of biometrics for network security is for secure workstation logons for a workstation connected to a network. The main use of Biometric network security will be to replace the current password system. The most popular biometric authentication scheme employed for the last few years has been Iris Recognition. Many companies are adding biometric authentication features to their products for e.g. Key ware Technologies LBV (Layered biometrics verification) Internet toolkit provides high-level security to e-commerce applications. This toolkit finds use in the area of Internet Banking.
There are various pros and cons to Biometrics that ought to be considered .The advantages mainly are the high levels of security it provides when compared to conventional methods, the uniqueness of biometric attributes makes them an ideal candidate authenticating users, problems associated with passwords can be avoided and that a Biometric characteristic canâ„¢t be stolen as opposed to passwords etc. The various disadvantages are the low acceptance rate, high costs associated with Biometric authentication due to the integration into the current network and the acquisition of the hardware and the software, the danger of an individualâ„¢s biometric data can be exploited and there are instances especially in voice recognition where the individual is restricted access due to a change in Biometric characteristics due to a cold etc. So, all these disadvantages have to be worked upon to ensure that this brilliant technology be incorporated into all the security systems to ensure safer transactions and restricted access to them to prevent any kind of breach of security.
INTRODUCTION
Biometrics is derived from the conjunction of the Greek words bios and metrics that mean life and to measure respectively. Biometrics has been put to use in computer and network security settings. It is defined as the development of statistical and mathematical methods applicable to data analysis problems in the biological sciences. Biometrics is an accurate method of authentication that uses the physiological and biological traits of a person to verify and establish their identity. It has its roots in the ancient methods of authentication and finds use in many areas like Internet Banking, e-commerce and network security settings etc.
PAST:
There were various methods of authentication used earlier .The Chinese were the first to use Biometrics in the form of a fingerprinting method. This was later followed by a method called Bertillonage that sought to identify people on the basis of certain characteristics like the length of their fingers and the size of their skull. Later on Scotland Yard detectives then began using the method of Fingerprinting analysis, which was initially put into practice by the Chinese.
Pros and Cons of these methods:
These methods used in the past had various flaws in them like:
There could be two people with the same measurements and having the same kind of measurements would be convicted and this was gruesome. So, the development of sophisticated methods was necessary for identifying the real culprits.
So emerged the technology of Biometrics!!!!
Emergence of Biometrics:
Biometrics has found its application in many areas like Network authentication, Internet Banking, Entry Control and Government programs.
Biometrics works by taking into consideration certain parameters that are unique to each person like their facial geometry, iris recognition, hand geometry, voice recognition and fingerprinting analysis etc. The main advantage of using these physiological traits is that though other kinds of authentication like passwords and tokes can be presented by anybody, physiological traits canâ„¢t be replicated and thus form the main reason why these Biometrics systems are used.
Biometrics: How??
Biometrics is basically a pattern recognition system that utilizes the uniqueness of certain physiological patterns like iris patterns, voice recognition patterns, facial geometry, hand geometry and fingerprint patterns etc.
Each method has its own pros and cons and is used depending on the level of security desired and the various areas where they have to be implemented.
The Biometrics system works on the following principle:
First, it checks whether we are who we claim we are i.e. It sets off to verify our identity
Second, it tries to find out who we are, i.e. It sets off to establish an identity
Thus, Biometrics goes far from the traditional systems and thus helps in tightening Internet security to create safer workplaces and thus increasing the confidence of many like the bankers who are involved in e-commerce.
Avenues where Biometrics is used:
1. In Network security and authentication
2. Computer networks
3. Cellular phone industry
4. In Automatic Teller Machines
5. Internet Banking
Biometrics in Network authentication:
Network security relies on one of three approaches for identification - what you have, what you know or who you are.
The previous forms of authentication are:
1. Personal Identification Numbers (PINs),
2. Physical tokens e.g. Smart cards.
What lead to the use of Biometrics in Network authentication?
1. Passwords can be forgotten.
2. Tokens can be lost.
3. Passwords can be reused
4. These can be presented by anybody who is not genuine.
That is when the uniqueness of a physiological trait was established and Biometrics was put to use.
How Biometrics is implemented in Network security:
It is used to secure workstation logons for a workstation that is connected to the network.
This requires the setting up of the appropriate software required to enable authentication and the related hardware that would vary depending on the kind of Biometric trait being used. It helped in reducing the necessity to remember passwords etc that were frequently lost and thus overburdened the IT helpdesk with work.
Biometrics in computer networks:
Biometrics is used to authenticate an individual based on this unique biological trait.
This kind of security gives people immense confidence and relief in areas like e-commerce etc .The network can be exploited fully without a security breach.
Biometrics tighten the security in the areas of banking intelligence and secure Banking data and credit card numbers, medical information and other personal information.
Biometrics in the cellular phone industry:
The cellular phone industry faces the problem of cloning these days where new phones are created using a stolen number and a new subscription fraud takes place where a phone is obtained by claiming a false identity.
Biometrics exploits the unique biological trait like fingerprints or hand geometry and thus the people committing the fraud could be identified and convicted.
Biometrics in banking:
It is used to secure transactions in Automatic Teller Machines (ATMâ„¢s) thus no loner requiring the person to present the ATM card.
These Biometric traits can be used even during a sale to verify the authenticity of the individual.
Biometrics finds important application in the areas of internet banking and telephone banking and is widely used because the physiological traits can never be interchanged between two people even though other means of authentication like passwords etc can.
The latest in Biometric authentication:
There are many companies that are incorporating Biometric features into their products.
A few of them are Novell, Baltimore technologies and even Microsoft.
Key ware has come up with a unique system that integrates many Biometric features into one i.e. many biological traits are used for the authentication of the individual. This LBV software integrates many Biometric features and is compatible with the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher and with Microsoft's Information Server.
It has been said that layered security levels provide high security in areas where high “ value transactions etc take place especially when it comes to banking and these high levels of security are needed to protect highly precious data in order to prevent it from getting exploited.
How the LBV works:
The LBV software finds an important application in the field of Internet banking where a bank would require the authentication of an individual during high value transactions and that is when key ware LBV software comes into the picture. During these high value transactions, the bank would ask the person to speak a pass phrase and give his fingerprints that would be scanned by the Key ware LBV server that would help in establishing the authenticity of the individual. This way, the security during high value transactions is tightened using Biometric techniques.
Biometrics: The pros and cons:
Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages and Biometrics is not an exception to this rule. It has its own pros and cons. It is when these disadvantages are completely corrected then Biometrics can be exploited completely and be accepted by one and all.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Biometric attributes are unique and these canâ„¢t be faked or interchanged so, this uniqueness imparts a high level security to these systems. Using an inherent trait of the individual ensures that the person is who he claims to be he is.
2. There is no need for remembering passwords, PINâ„¢s etc and this convenience gives an edge to Biometrics. Thus, biometric logins ensure that the person who has logged on is not assuming a fake identity.
3. Though someone elseâ„¢s user ID and password can be stolen, his unique biological attributes canâ„¢t be and this gives an extra boost to this new technique.
4. This reduces the problems of the IT helpdesk at many workstations because passwords can be done without and these are the ones that overburden the helpdesk with work.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Biometric systems are very expensive because, not only the costs for the acqusition of the software and hardware costly but the integration of these in the networks are even more costly. These high costs are coupled with the fact that the returns arenâ„¢t highly encouraging. So, people are not ready to pool in so much money to utilize the latest technology that is available in the market.
2. It is an all or none technology, i.e. we set up biometric authentication features etc but if we permit the person for a remote login then there is no use incorporating this technology in the network.
3. Like every new technology, Biometrics has a low user acceptance rate.
4. People consider it to be an invasion of their privacy and thus, it hasnâ„¢t been exploited to its full potential. They donâ„¢t realize the fact that a Biometric system does not copy their fingerprints or any other attributes but goes for a mathematical representation of these attributes that are unique to each person.
5. Even though full secrecy is maintained regarding these attributes, even if they get leaked out once, they can be used in exploiting various other areas, like to get credit card and medical information, in banking security systems etc. Even though different biometric systems are highly incompatible with each other, their exploitation may ruin the life of the person who trusted this technology.
6. Sometimes, a genuine person maybe restricted access to the network and this is very commonly seen in voice recognition patterns where something as small as cold could have the personâ„¢s access rejected.
7. Like all systems, even a Biometric system is not foolproof and has its own flaws and can sometimes allow a person who has assumed a fake identity into the network.
8. Biometric template data consume more space than the conventional user ID/password combinations.
Different kinds of Biometric systems and their pros and cons:
There are a variety of Biometric systems available in the market and each one of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly used Biometric systems are:
1. Fingerprint readers.
2. Hand scans.
3. Voice authentication system.
4. Retina Scans
5. Iris scans
6. Facial scans
FINGERPRINT READERS: These use a unique biological trait i.e. a fingerprint in this case to verify the authenticity of the individual. These have been used in novel methods like incorporating them in the mouse so that the person doesnâ„¢t feel uncomfortable with the idea of having to give his fingerprints.
Finger Scanner Certified Finger Print
Advantages and Disadvantages:
It has found low acceptability rate because people associate fingerprinting with criminal activity and the incorporation of a Biometric system inside each mouse is painstakingly expensive. People are uncomfortable with the fact that their fingerprints are with the company and if they come out, their lives may be put in jeopardy due to the exploitation of other Biometric systems that use their fingerprints etc.
An advantage of this method is that the storage space required for this biometric template is not much compared to other ones.
HAND SCANS: These use another biometric trait like hand geometry or other hand patterns that are unique to each individual.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
This method has the advantage that it has low data storage requirements for each template.
It also suffers from a major setback i.e., these are not unique to each individual and thus, there are times when an intrusion may take place, so, the safety factor is quite low in this case.
VOICE AUTHENTICATION SYSTEMS: This system goes in for the voice analysis of the person to be authenticated. This method has many flaws compared to the other methods.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
The advantage of this method is that it has high acceptability rate compared to the other systems.
It is also cheap to install voice recognition software but, if one wants to go for highly sophisticated software, acquisition and installation costs are really high.
There are a number of disadvantages to this system.
1. Even a genuine person maybe prevented from entering because of simple issues like cold etc that change his voice
2. It also doesnâ„¢t work properly if there is any kind of background noise.
3. It also requires a lot of template space between 2000 and 10000 gigabytes.
4. For remote access phone lines may not be able to transmit the voice clearly and thus his/her entry may be restricted.
So, this method has more number of flaws compared to advantages.
RETINA SCANS: These scan the retina to authenticate the identity of a person. This method has many advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
The main advantage of this method is that it has high accuracy in identifying users and templates also require less storage space.
It also suffers from a major drawback and that is it has extremely low acceptance rate because the users find it really intrusive and this coupled with the fact that they are really costly has caused less number of people opting for this system.
IRIS SCANS: Eye recognition is the best method to identify a particular individual and these days, the iris is being scanned from up to twelve inches away and this has stopped the complaints of people that they were intrusive. This is by far, the best method of authentication. There are numerous advantages to this method.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
1. It has high accuracy in identifying users.
2. The iris can be scanned from up to twelve inches away.
3. It has low data storage requirements for template.
FACIAL SCANS: This kind of a biometric system utilizes the uniqueness of a personâ„¢s facial geometry.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
It has the advantage that it is extremely non-intrusive in nature.
It suffers from many drawbacks.
1. The data acquisition is very difficult because the user has to place his head in the same manner each time he has to verify his authenticity and this many not be possible.
2. The background lighting is very important for proper authentication of the person.
3. Users feel very uncomfortable using this system and consider it to be a violation of their privacy.
Thus, the various Biometric systems available in the market have been examined.
Biometrics can achieve its purpose only if the proper biometric is installed in the network depending on the amount of security needed. Depending on the type of network and how tight the security should be, the different type of Biometric to be used may be identified.
CONCLUSION
Just like every other technology, Biometrics will take some time to be incorporated into networks all over but first, the flaws that it has got ought to be corrected so as to make this technology useful and available to all. The massive disadvantages like pricing, lower acceptance rate etc should be corrected and this would lead to more use of this system to impart high-level security to the network. If all these things are worked upon, then Biometrics could be exploited completely. It will take some time for it to catch up with the customers but as they say. EVERY GOOD THING HAS A LONG GESTATION PERIOD. We only have to wait and watch!!!
BIOMETRICS
Presented By:
A. Sumithra
06M11A0246
4/4 BTECH
ABSTRACT
Biometrics is the development of statistical and mathematical methods applicable to data analysis problems in the biological sciences. It is a new method of verifying authenticity. Biometrics uses biological traits or behavioral characteristics to identify an individual. A Biometrics system is actually a pattern recognition system that utilizes various patterns like iris patterns, retina patterns and biological traits like fingerprints, facial geometry, voice recognition and hand recognition etc. What makes Biometrics really attractive is the fact that the various security codes like the passwords and the PIN can be interchanged between people but the physiological traits canâ„¢t be.
The current applications of Biometric authentication are Entry control, ATMs and Government programs. The most obvious use of biometrics for network security is for secure workstation logons for a workstation connected to a network. The main use of Biometric network security will be to replace the current password system. The most popular biometric authentication scheme employed for the last few years has been Iris Recognition. Many companies are adding biometric authentication features to their products for e.g. Key ware Technologies LBV (Layered biometrics verification) Internet toolkit provides high-level security to e-commerce applications. This toolkit finds use in the area of Internet Banking.
There are various pros and cons to Biometrics that ought to be considered .The advantages mainly are the high levels of security it provides when compared to conventional methods, the uniqueness of biometric attributes makes them an ideal candidate authenticating users, problems associated with passwords can be avoided and that a Biometric characteristic canâ„¢t be stolen as opposed to passwords etc. The various disadvantages are the low acceptance rate, high costs associated with Biometric authentication due to the integration into the current network and the acquisition of the hardware and the software, the danger of an individualâ„¢s biometric data can be exploited and there are instances especially in voice recognition where the individual is restricted access due to a change in Biometric characteristics due to a cold etc. So, all these disadvantages have to be worked upon to ensure that this brilliant technology be incorporated into all the security systems to ensure safer transactions and restricted access to them to prevent any kind of breach of security.
INTRODUCTION
Biometrics is derived from the conjunction of the Greek words bios and metrics that mean life and to measure respectively. Biometrics has been put to use in computer and network security settings. It is defined as the development of statistical and mathematical methods applicable to data analysis problems in the biological sciences. Biometrics is an accurate method of authentication that uses the physiological and biological traits of a person to verify and establish their identity. It has its roots in the ancient methods of authentication and finds use in many areas like Internet Banking, e-commerce and network security settings etc.
PAST:
There were various methods of authentication used earlier .The Chinese were the first to use Biometrics in the form of a fingerprinting method. This was later followed by a method called Bertillonage that sought to identify people on the basis of certain characteristics like the length of their fingers and the size of their skull. Later on Scotland Yard detectives then began using the method of Fingerprinting analysis, which was initially put into practice by the Chinese.
Pros and Cons of these methods:
These methods used in the past had various flaws in them like:
There could be two people with the same measurements and having the same kind of measurements would be convicted and this was gruesome. So, the development of sophisticated methods was necessary for identifying the real culprits.
So emerged the technology of Biometrics!!!!
Emergence of Biometrics:
Biometrics has found its application in many areas like Network authentication, Internet Banking, Entry Control and Government programs.
Biometrics works by taking into consideration certain parameters that are unique to each person like their facial geometry, iris recognition, hand geometry, voice recognition and fingerprinting analysis etc. The main advantage of using these physiological traits is that though other kinds of authentication like passwords and tokes can be presented by anybody, physiological traits canâ„¢t be replicated and thus form the main reason why these Biometrics systems are used.
Biometrics: How??
Biometrics is basically a pattern recognition system that utilizes the uniqueness of certain physiological patterns like iris patterns, voice recognition patterns, facial geometry, hand geometry and fingerprint patterns etc.
Each method has its own pros and cons and is used depending on the level of security desired and the various areas where they have to be implemented.
The Biometrics system works on the following principle:
First, it checks whether we are who we claim we are i.e. It sets off to verify our identity
Second, it tries to find out who we are, i.e. It sets off to establish an identity
Thus, Biometrics goes far from the traditional systems and thus helps in tightening Internet security to create safer workplaces and thus increasing the confidence of many like the bankers who are involved in e-commerce.
Avenues where Biometrics is used:
1. In Network security and authentication
2. Computer networks
3. Cellular phone industry
4. In Automatic Teller Machines
5. Internet Banking
Biometrics in Network authentication:
Network security relies on one of three approaches for identification - what you have, what you know or who you are.
The previous forms of authentication are:
1. Personal Identification Numbers (PINs),
2. Physical tokens e.g. Smart cards.
What lead to the use of Biometrics in Network authentication?
1. Passwords can be forgotten.
2. Tokens can be lost.
3. Passwords can be reused
4. These can be presented by anybody who is not genuine.
That is when the uniqueness of a physiological trait was established and Biometrics was put to use.
How Biometrics is implemented in Network security:
It is used to secure workstation logons for a workstation that is connected to the network.
This requires the setting up of the appropriate software required to enable authentication and the related hardware that would vary depending on the kind of Biometric trait being used. It helped in reducing the necessity to remember passwords etc that were frequently lost and thus overburdened the IT helpdesk with work.
Biometrics in computer networks:
Biometrics is used to authenticate an individual based on this unique biological trait.
This kind of security gives people immense confidence and relief in areas like e-commerce etc .The network can be exploited fully without a security breach.
Biometrics tighten the security in the areas of banking intelligence and secure Banking data and credit card numbers, medical information and other personal information.
Biometrics in the cellular phone industry:
The cellular phone industry faces the problem of cloning these days where new phones are created using a stolen number and a new subscription fraud takes place where a phone is obtained by claiming a false identity.
Biometrics exploits the unique biological trait like fingerprints or hand geometry and thus the people committing the fraud could be identified and convicted.
Biometrics in banking:
It is used to secure transactions in Automatic Teller Machines (ATMâ„¢s) thus no loner requiring the person to present the ATM card.
These Biometric traits can be used even during a sale to verify the authenticity of the individual.
Biometrics finds important application in the areas of internet banking and telephone banking and is widely used because the physiological traits can never be interchanged between two people even though other means of authentication like passwords etc can.
The latest in Biometric authentication:
There are many companies that are incorporating Biometric features into their products.
A few of them are Novell, Baltimore technologies and even Microsoft.
Key ware has come up with a unique system that integrates many Biometric features into one i.e. many biological traits are used for the authentication of the individual. This LBV software integrates many Biometric features and is compatible with the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and higher and with Microsoft's Information Server.
It has been said that layered security levels provide high security in areas where high “ value transactions etc take place especially when it comes to banking and these high levels of security are needed to protect highly precious data in order to prevent it from getting exploited.
How the LBV works:
The LBV software finds an important application in the field of Internet banking where a bank would require the authentication of an individual during high value transactions and that is when key ware LBV software comes into the picture. During these high value transactions, the bank would ask the person to speak a pass phrase and give his fingerprints that would be scanned by the Key ware LBV server that would help in establishing the authenticity of the individual. This way, the security during high value transactions is tightened using Biometric techniques.
Biometrics: The pros and cons:
Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages and Biometrics is not an exception to this rule. It has its own pros and cons. It is when these disadvantages are completely corrected then Biometrics can be exploited completely and be accepted by one and all.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Biometric attributes are unique and these canâ„¢t be faked or interchanged so, this uniqueness imparts a high level security to these systems. Using an inherent trait of the individual ensures that the person is who he claims to be he is.
2. There is no need for remembering passwords, PINâ„¢s etc and this convenience gives an edge to Biometrics. Thus, biometric logins ensure that the person who has logged on is not assuming a fake identity.
3. Though someone elseâ„¢s user ID and password can be stolen, his unique biological attributes canâ„¢t be and this gives an extra boost to this new technique.
4. This reduces the problems of the IT helpdesk at many workstations because passwords can be done without and these are the ones that overburden the helpdesk with work.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Biometric systems are very expensive because, not only the costs for the acqusition of the software and hardware costly but the integration of these in the networks are even more costly. These high costs are coupled with the fact that the returns arenâ„¢t highly encouraging. So, people are not ready to pool in so much money to utilize the latest technology that is available in the market.
2. It is an all or none technology, i.e. we set up biometric authentication features etc but if we permit the person for a remote login then there is no use incorporating this technology in the network.
3. Like every new technology, Biometrics has a low user acceptance rate.
4. People consider it to be an invasion of their privacy and thus, it hasnâ„¢t been exploited to its full potential. They donâ„¢t realize the fact that a Biometric system does not copy their fingerprints or any other attributes but goes for a mathematical representation of these attributes that are unique to each person.
5. Even though full secrecy is maintained regarding these attributes, even if they get leaked out once, they can be used in exploiting various other areas, like to get credit card and medical information, in banking security systems etc. Even though different biometric systems are highly incompatible with each other, their exploitation may ruin the life of the person who trusted this technology.
6. Sometimes, a genuine person maybe restricted access to the network and this is very commonly seen in voice recognition patterns where something as small as cold could have the personâ„¢s access rejected.
7. Like all systems, even a Biometric system is not foolproof and has its own flaws and can sometimes allow a person who has assumed a fake identity into the network.
8. Biometric template data consume more space than the conventional user ID/password combinations.
Different kinds of Biometric systems and their pros and cons:
There are a variety of Biometric systems available in the market and each one of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly used Biometric systems are:
1. Fingerprint readers.
2. Hand scans.
3. Voice authentication system.
4. Retina Scans
5. Iris scans
6. Facial scans
FINGERPRINT READERS: These use a unique biological trait i.e. a fingerprint in this case to verify the authenticity of the individual. These have been used in novel methods like incorporating them in the mouse so that the person doesnâ„¢t feel uncomfortable with the idea of having to give his fingerprints.
Finger Scanner Certified Finger Print
Advantages and Disadvantages:
It has found low acceptability rate because people associate fingerprinting with criminal activity and the incorporation of a Biometric system inside each mouse is painstakingly expensive. People are uncomfortable with the fact that their fingerprints are with the company and if they come out, their lives may be put in jeopardy due to the exploitation of other Biometric systems that use their fingerprints etc.
An advantage of this method is that the storage space required for this biometric template is not much compared to other ones.
HAND SCANS: These use another biometric trait like hand geometry or other hand patterns that are unique to each individual.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
This method has the advantage that it has low data storage requirements for each template.
It also suffers from a major setback i.e., these are not unique to each individual and thus, there are times when an intrusion may take place, so, the safety factor is quite low in this case.
VOICE AUTHENTICATION SYSTEMS: This system goes in for the voice analysis of the person to be authenticated. This method has many flaws compared to the other methods.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
The advantage of this method is that it has high acceptability rate compared to the other systems.
It is also cheap to install voice recognition software but, if one wants to go for highly sophisticated software, acquisition and installation costs are really high.
There are a number of disadvantages to this system.
1. Even a genuine person maybe prevented from entering because of simple issues like cold etc that change his voice
2. It also doesnâ„¢t work properly if there is any kind of background noise.
3. It also requires a lot of template space between 2000 and 10000 gigabytes.
4. For remote access phone lines may not be able to transmit the voice clearly and thus his/her entry may be restricted.
So, this method has more number of flaws compared to advantages.
RETINA SCANS: These scan the retina to authenticate the identity of a person. This method has many advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
The main advantage of this method is that it has high accuracy in identifying users and templates also require less storage space.
It also suffers from a major drawback and that is it has extremely low acceptance rate because the users find it really intrusive and this coupled with the fact that they are really costly has caused less number of people opting for this system.
IRIS SCANS: Eye recognition is the best method to identify a particular individual and these days, the iris is being scanned from up to twelve inches away and this has stopped the complaints of people that they were intrusive. This is by far, the best method of authentication. There are numerous advantages to this method.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
1. It has high accuracy in identifying users.
2. The iris can be scanned from up to twelve inches away.
3. It has low data storage requirements for template.
FACIAL SCANS: This kind of a biometric system utilizes the uniqueness of a personâ„¢s facial geometry.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
It has the advantage that it is extremely non-intrusive in nature.
It suffers from many drawbacks.
1. The data acquisition is very difficult because the user has to place his head in the same manner each time he has to verify his authenticity and this many not be possible.
2. The background lighting is very important for proper authentication of the person.
3. Users feel very uncomfortable using this system and consider it to be a violation of their privacy.
Thus, the various Biometric systems available in the market have been examined.
Biometrics can achieve its purpose only if the proper biometric is installed in the network depending on the amount of security needed. Depending on the type of network and how tight the security should be, the different type of Biometric to be used may be identified.
CONCLUSION
Just like every other technology, Biometrics will take some time to be incorporated into networks all over but first, the flaws that it has got ought to be corrected so as to make this technology useful and available to all. The massive disadvantages like pricing, lower acceptance rate etc should be corrected and this would lead to more use of this system to impart high-level security to the network. If all these things are worked upon, then Biometrics could be exploited completely. It will take some time for it to catch up with the customers but as they say. EVERY GOOD THING HAS A LONG GESTATION PERIOD. We only have to wait and watch!!!
