Hedging Risk in Biometric Identification Management Deployments

As biometric identification management deployments continue to evolve around the world, the scope and complexity of administering these projects continue to grow as program administrators begin to expand the technology’s reach to more and more segments of society. A technology once used exclusively by government entities mostly in a military capacity has expanded to include virtually all classes and cultures thanks in large part to advances in system inefficiencies, lower costs and wider acceptance and understanding of the benefits by the public.

The intricacies and conditions of biometric identification deployments from initial set up to enrollment to identification/verification and the ever-present push to achieve near 100% identification accuracy has been a key motivator for biometric identification management vendors who design and build the software and hardware that power deployments. There is little doubt that biometric systems have become more user-friendly, customizable, ergonomic, and efficient, however, end users don’t assess the effectiveness or develop opinions on the use of biometrics based on these factors. They are much more in tune with the basic tenet of just about any piece of technology they come in contact with — does it work and do I trust it? Faith and trust in a biometric identification system are largely defined by the ability of the technology to accomplish what it promises and that is to accurately identify individuals, no matter what the conditions.

End users expectations are that biometric identity management systems will be able to identify them regardless of the condition of their own physiological attributes or the environment where the system is used. After all, the effectiveness and security of a biometric system hinges on its ability to enroll as many eligible end users as possible, and accurately identify them on subsequent use of the system. Unfortunately, limitations in the ability of certain biometric hardware modalities to effectively capture individual biometrics due to problems like skin integrity, or climate, as well as the use of unimodal (biometric systems that comprise one hardware modality) systems for larger scale deployments, raise the risk that the technology will not perform as expected.

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Iris Recognition vs. Retina Scanning – What are the Differences?

In biometrics, iris and retinal scanning are known as “ocular-based” identification technologies, meaning they rely on unique physiological characteristics of the eye to identify an individual. Even though they both share part of the eye for identification purposes, these biometric modalities are quite different in how they work. Let’s take a closer look at both and then explain the similarities and differences in detail: Retinal Scanning: The human retina is a thin tissue composed of neural cells that are located in the posterior portion of the eye. Because of the complex structure of the capillaries that supply the retina with blood, each person’s retina is unique. The network of blood vessels in the retina is so complex that even identical twins do not share a similar pattern. Although retinal patterns may be altered in cases of diabetes, glaucoma or retinal degenerative disorders, the retina typically remains unchanged from birth until death. (Source: Wikipedia) ...

Finger Vein Biometrics Identification for Membership Management Software

An article published today in the University of Vermont’s campus newspaper The Vermont Cynic reported that the campus recreation center has adopted M2SYS finger vein technology for student member identification. Tim Lewis, associate director for campus recreation made the decision to use finger vein biometrics for member identification after brainstorming ideas on how to eliminate students carrying ID cards. Happy to see our finger vein biometric identification system used at the University of Vermont through a partnership we have with Vermont Systems, a recreation and parks software provider based in Essex Junction, VT. Modern-day membership management software is designed to help create efficiencies that antiquated methods simply can’t provide. In an effort to eliminate ID cards, prevent identity fraud, and create a more convenient user experience, many membership management facilities are evaluating vascular biometrics (finger vein) for identification because of the distinct ...

Misinformation about Biometric Technology Continues to Fuel Functionality Misconceptions

Today, we came across the following blog post from Guy Huntington at Infosec Island: “What Happened to My Biometric?” In the post, the author discusses the inherent dangers of opting into a biometric identification system by providing your fingerprint and the possible negative privacy and identity theft consequences if a user does not make sure that their biometric template is deleted from the system if they leave or opt-out. Our take: While we are always pleased to see biometric technology pop up in the news or through blog postings, we often cringe when we see these types of articles that essentially do not accurately depict biometric technology, and leave readers with ill-conceived perceptions about how the technology actually works. Anyone who works in the biometric industry can attest to the fact that there is never an image of a user’s fingerprint stored. The truth of the matter is that biometric enrollment templates stored on a server are not actually an image of t...

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