What is Biometric Identification and How is it used?
A person's biological and behavioral characteristics are used to verify whether they are the same person they are claiming to be. During the pandemic, cyber threats also increased as people shifted to digital accounts. Hackers are now more advanced, and cyber scams have increased by 15 times. Companies suffer huge losses due to these scams. Therefore, they are now investing more in cyber security. The authentication system compares the user's data with the previously stored data in the database.
In traditional systems, fingerprint impressions were used and treated as passwords. The finger impression of the user was matched with the previously stored appearance. This was a time-consuming process. But now, biometric authentication is done in seconds. The system converts the image into numerical data and compares it with the previously stored data. If it matches the prior data, then the customer is considered accurate.
Types of Biometric Authentication
Following are the different types of biometric user authentication:
Fingerprint Scanning
Voice Scanning
Eye scanning
Behavioral Metrics
Fingerprint Scanning
Fingerprint scanning is the most widely used authentication technique. In this Technique, the finger impressions of the user are matched with the previously stored impressions. It is used to secure almost everything, whether a mobile phone, building lock or car lock.
Voice Scanning
Voice Scanning is widely used in online banking, especially in call centers. A person's vocal cords are matched with the previously stored vocal impressions. This authentication is not helpful when the person is ill and has a sore throat.
Eye Scanning
The pattern of the iris and retina is used in this digital onboarding. Eye scanning is used in high-security areas because it is a complex system; unique cameras are required to perform eye screening, and there should be less light pollution.
Behavioral Scanning
This is a unique type of scanning in which a person's behaviors are scanned, like a person's walking style. This type of biometric user authentication is rare.
Positive Aspects of Biometric Authentication
Biometric security systems are beneficial against fraudulent activities. Hackers easily hack passwords So they should be more secure. They sometimes need the date of birth to decode their password. However, it would be difficult for the hacker to provide a picture or video of the user in a biometric identification system.
If a picture of the user is taken from the internet, they can still not hack the biometric authentication ID because multimodal is used in some recognition systems. This means if the cyber attackers provides them with a picture of the user, the system will demand the video of the user using a password. it would be difficult for them to provide the video of the customer.The second good thing about the biometric recognition system is that it is user-friendly and verifies the user in seconds. Clients usually get fed up with long documentation processes and prefer biometric IDs. Users just have to put their finger on the machine, look into the camera or make a gesture.
Negative Aspects of Biometric Authentications
With the advancement of technology, cyber attackers also develop new tricks to decode the system. Although biometric IDs are unique and difficult to hack, the latest AI Algorithm can be used to generate fingerprint impressions. Presentation attacks are defined as attacks in which silicon fingerprints and 3D masks are used. Presentation attacks are now widespread, and they are making biometric authentication unsafe. In mobile phones, fingerprint scanners mostly use half-print. Even half a fingerprint can open the lock. So your mobile phone lock can easily be opened. In addition to this, biometric identification sometimes needs to be fixed. If the user is wearing glasses, the system will not recognize it. A person's voice must be corrected so the system recognizes it. Above all, these biometric recognition systems are very costly. Most of the companies need help to afford them. They have to spend vast amounts on these biometric systems, and then, for their upgradation, further financing is required.
Conclusion
Biometric authentication is a widely used system due to its positive feedback. Customers find this system easy to use, and it saves their time. Biometric authentication systems provide maximum security; customers can rely on these systems. Businesses hold their customers for a long time because of the trust the biometric ID systems build.