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Biometric security is an advanced
security mechanism that is now being used to authenticate and provide access to
facilities on the basis of verification. Individuals can get automatic and
instant verification from this system due to the assessment of their physical
characteristics. Since biometric security is based on looking at an
individual’s bodily elements as well as their biological data, it is currently
one of the strongest security techniques available.
The
Types of Biometric Security
Since it is the most foolproof form of
physical security, biometrics use a few different types of identity
verification systems.
1. Eye scanners
The first type of eye scanner is the retina scanner. It uses vessels in the back of the eye for identity authentication. The pattern in the back of one’s eye is unique to the person. This is considered to be an intrusive way of verification and is not accepted globally. It is thought to breach the medical privacy of an individual by making them vulnerable to employment issues.
The iris scanner is the second type of
eye scanner. This is designed to measure an individual’s iris pattern and is
wholly non-intrusive. Since each person has a distinct color pattern in their
iris, and thus the scanner is used to measure these characteristics.
A replay attack happens when a person
uses someone else’s credentials without receiving permission. These scanners
lessen the chances of an event like this taking place. This is because it is
nearly impossible to copy someone else’s retina and irises for impersonation.
These systems ensure the safety of information but they are very costly to
acquire and set up.
2. Fingerprint scanners
These scanners are designed to comprehend the unique pattern of the ridges and valleys on a person’s finger. Smartphones and laptops have started to use this technology as well as a password to unlock a device.
3. Voice recognition
These systems measure unique sound waves in an individual’s voice as they speak to a device. Banks tend to use voice recognition to verify customers’ identities when calling about their accounts, and Amazon’s Alexa receives instructions through a smart speaker.
Issues
with Biometric Security
Issues with biometric security systems have a lot to do with leads. Some authentication credentials like fingerprint scans and voice recordings can leak easily from devices. This can happen in company servers or even from software used to analyze them. Furthermore, there can be a high potential for false positives or negatives. Facial recognition might be disrupted ifs person is wearing makeup or glasses. Besides this voices can also vary. People can sound different when they first wake up, or when they are in crowded places. Masks and photos can also be used to fool cognition systems.
Although biometrics seem secure on at the surface of things that does not make them more secure. Even if you’re the only one with your ears, eyes, and fingerprints, hacks can happen easily. Brute force attacks, phishing and being public makes biometrics stand out as a fault. There is a revelation of your eyes, your fingerprints, and even your voice recordings. Essentially, it easy to access to all these identifiers.
Using
Biometrics as a Service
There is a basic concept that has motivated behind biometric technology being offered as a service. SaaS (Software as a Service) is a method of software delivery and licensing, where software is accessed online through a subscription. It does not need to be bought or installed on individual computers. SaaS is where BaaS (Biometric as a Service) has originated from. Inherently both of these are subsets of cloud environment, and they offer a wide array of other cloud services like networks, servers, and even applications.
In
The Workplace
Biometrics in the workplace performs mostly as document security systems. They are taking over traditional methods of security and access control. They are run to consider identification and authentication. The biometric technology used in the workplace can improve the efficiency of operations and reduce time constraints in redundant processes.
Since biometric authentication in the workplace has replaced password-based approaches to security of networks and servers, it is now extensively being used by companies for attendance and time tracking of their employees’ hours. This has led it to become one of the most common applications of functional biometric tech in workplaces. Organizations have improved their payroll and efficiency due to these biometric attendance machines.
But the role of biometric security in the workplace has not been entirely successful. In some cases, this biometric tracking may not be possible, especially with regards to the traditional standalone security systems. Employees from large organizations work at different office locations and even in the field. BaaS can hence help with biometric tracking in the workplace by taking remote attendance by using smart devices.