Biometric Security: Beyond Fingerprints

Our lives are governed by the internet. This would have been an overstatement even a decade or two ago, but now it’s a reality we cannot deny. From shopping to banking and everything in between, a lion’s share of our daily activities take place on the Internet. No wonder, there’s a growing concern among the masses about data and identity theft.  

Even the most nonchalant of Internet users are now fixated on protecting their privacy in the digital domain. This problem takes a whole new level in the modern business world, where data is the most precious asset needing protection at any cost. Enter cybersecurity!  

Here are some stats to show the pivotal role of cybersecurity in 2024: 

• The projected revenue of Cybersecurity Services for 2024 is US$183.10 billion. 

• It is expected to touch US$273.60 billion by 2028. 

• The USA continues to be the highest spender on Security Services – a trend that is likely to continue.  

As computers become smarter and hackers even more so, more and more companies are looking to hire cybersecurity analysts who can outsmart miscreants and keep their IT infrastructure inviolate. The role of software developers has evolved to include the ability to write hackerproof code immune to cyberattacks and interface computer systems with biometric devices.  

 

Biometrics and Cybersecurity  

One of the key ways to make a digital vault watertight is biometrics. Biometrics in cybersecurity involves verifying a user’s identity via unique biological traits like fingerprints, voice recognition, retinal scan, facial recognition, gait, and more.  

We cannot say enough about the benefits of biometric authentication in cybersecurity! Study reveals it beats traditional multi-factor authentication hands down.  

1. Convenience: Biometric authentication, like fingerprints and facial recognition, is faster and easier to use than remembering passwords or carrying tokens. 
2. Security: Biometrics are unique to each individual, making them much harder, if not impossible, to duplicate or steal compared to passwords and codes. 
3. Reduced Fraud: Since biometric traits are unique, there’s almost zero risk of unauthorized access or identity theft. 
4. User Experience: Biometrics provide a seamless experience, often working quickly in the background, so you don’t have to stop and enter passwords. 
5. Consistency: Biometric traits remain consistent over time (it’s not like your eye will change color or you’ll start walking differently all of a sudden!), so you don’t need to change your authentication method due to changing circumstances. 

Here’s a look at the popular biometric authentication systems: 

Facial Recognition 

You are probably using it on your smartphone! Facial recognition is a technology that allows computers to identify or verify a person based on their face. Here’s how it works: First, a camera captures an image or video of a person’s face. Then, the computer uses software to analyze the unique features of the face, such as the distance between the eyes, the shape of the nose, or the curve of the lips. This analysis creates a digital “faceprint,” similar to a fingerprint but for the face. The computer can compare this faceprint with others stored in a database to find a match. If the faceprint matches one in the database, the computer can identify the person. 

Fingerprint Authentication 

It’s the old way of securing gadgets, come to think of it! But fingerprint authentication is still relevant. Fingerprint authentication is a security technology that uses the unique patterns of a person’s fingerprint to verify their identity. Here’s how it works: A scanner captures an image of a person’s fingerprint, usually from a finger pressed against a sensor. The scanner analyzes the fingerprint’s unique patterns, such as ridges and valleys. This analysis creates a digital “fingerprint template.” The computer can compare this template with others stored in a database to find a match. If the template matches one in the database, the computer can verify the person’s identity.  

Retinal Scan 

They say one’s eyes reveal everything about their character. Philosophy aside, The human eye – the retina, to be more specific – is crucial to biometric authentication. Here’s how retinal scan authentication works: A special camera shines low-intensity infrared light into a person’s eye to capture an image of the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The blood vessels in the retina form a distinct pattern, much like a fingerprint. The camera captures the pattern and creates a digital “retina template.” What follows next is similar to fingerprint authentication. The computer matches the scanned image with its database. If it’s there in the database, bingo! The user has access to the digital vault.  

Voice Recognition 

An extremely popular means of identifying customers in the banking sector, voice recognition is at the forefront of cybersecurity measures due to its deployability. From IVRs to home security and even running your personal computer, voice recognition serves as an elegant and effective authentication measure almost everywhere. You don’t have to stick your finger to a scanner or stand in front of a camera to let you in! Here’s how it works: A microphone records a person’s voice as they speak a phrase or word. The system analyzes various aspects of the voice, such as pitch, tone, and speech patterns, to create a digital “voiceprint.” The computer can then compare the voiceprint with others stored in a database to find a match. 

Gait Recognition 

This is a more recent innovation in biometric authentication and involves creating digital maps of how a person walks, how their limbs move, and other nuances of their walking style. Considering that it’s well nigh impossible to imitate another person’s gait, gait recognition comes across as a foolproof authentication measure.  

Vein Recognition 

Although still not widely used, vein recognition is used in places where multiple-factor biometric authentication is part of the SOP. But don’t think it’s any less accurate than retinal scan or fingerprint recognition! In fact, vein recognition proves to be more stringent and accurate than the other popular measures.  

Biometric authentication does have pitfalls, though.  

Here’s a look at the most talked-about disadvantages of biometric authentication: 

1. Privacy Concerns: Biometrics like fingerprints and facial data are personal information, and their storage or misuse can raise privacy issues. 
2. Cost: Implementing biometric systems can be expensive, especially for high-security levels and large-scale use. 
3. False Positives/Negatives: Biometric systems can sometimes incorrectly deny access (false negatives) or grant access to the wrong person (false positives). 
4. Environmental Factors: Conditions such as lighting, humidity, or injury can affect the accuracy of biometric recognition. 
5. Irreversible: If biometric data is compromised, it cannot be changed like a password, making breaches more damaging. 

Summing it up 

Assuming you are here not just as a curious onlooker but as a businessman looking for a cybersecurity solution, we hope this blog has been worth your time. Drop us a line to learn more about how cybersecurity works and how we can make your IT infrastructure bulletproof.