Biometric technologies increase security, reduce risk and make us safer because knowing “who” matters if you are really serious about life safety and security.
For many applications the use of biometric technologies is the most effective, secure and private means of identification available today. Biometrics ascertains or verifies the identity of an individual based on physiological or behavioral characteristics. Examples include products that recognize faces, hands, fingers, fingerprints, signatures, irises, voices and skin characteristics.
Determining what constitutes human identity is evolving and becoming more nuanced than our understanding even five years ago. Biometrics technology can quickly determine a person’s identity by matching data from a live person, such as fingerprints against a database of fingerprints. These physical features can be quickly converted into mathematical codes to become unique and secure identifiers.
Biometrics can be readily applied to the same niches currently using access control systems, as well as applied to other systems used by organizations to gain business efficiencies beyond securing a facility. Let’s delve a little deeper into how biometrics are being leveraged.
Biometrics Applications Are Varied, Versatile
The big news in biometrics today is the products actually work as advertised. Previously, these devices failed to live up to all the accompanying marketing hyperbole. Understandably, integrators and end users were reluctant to adopt biometric products for their customers.
While this article focuses on access control, biometrics is applicable to all kinds of security applications where the “who” matters. Currently, fingerprint technology is the most popular type of biometric with facial recognition gaining increasing acceptance. Facial recognition is recommended for locations where fingerprints would not be practical, for example, because employees are carrying objects in their hands.
Following are various types of applications for biometrics and associated benefits and efficiencies end users can leverage.
