Last updated, March 2023
Biometrics is the science of analyzing physical or behavioral characteristics specific to each individual in order to be able to authenticate their identity. In the literal and most simple sense, biometrics means the “measurement of the human body”.
Owners of relatively new smartphones may well be familiar with using their fingerprint to unlock their phone, access online banking services or even authenticate a mobile payment. A fingerprint is an example of physiological biometric data – something that’s related to the specific measurements, dimensions and characteristics of your body.
Here are a few other physiological biometrics:
Hand geometry
The actual shape and dimensions of your hand are sometimes used for access control and time-and-attendance operations in the workplace. However, they are not as unique as fingerprints, so aren’t viable in high-security applications.
Finger vein patterns
Fingerprints, while totally unique, can be at risk of being copied. A similar but more advanced technique looks instead at the veins underneath the fingerprint, which are virtually impossible to copy.
The eye
The unique and complex characteristics of the iris or the retina of your eye can also be used for biometric ID. Eye biometrics are commonly used for automated passport controls and national ID programmes, and are also now starting to appear in most smartphones.
Face shape
Analyzing the shape of your face, as well as its specific features (e.g. distance between the eyes or the height of your ears), is used in CCTV security systems, but can also be used as a commercial identification and marketing tool. With the huge and enduring popularity of selfies, it’s something that we may see more of in low-security smartphone apps.
Fingerprint scanning is a form of physiological biometrics that analyzes your physical characteristics in order to authenticate your identity. Basically, it recognizes that your fingerprint belongs to you and no one else.
Everyone has unique, identifying marks on their fingers which are used to create a fingerprint. These cannot be changed or removed, and so are a preferred indicator of identity for security procedures.
You may have come across a fingerprint reader before. They are often used in border control, at the police station (for fingerprint identification), on the latest smartphone handsets and in many security companies. Fingerprint readers can protect against fraud and identity theft and are a more reliable authenticator of identity than the traditional pin and password method.
So, how do they work?
Fingerprint readers can rely on different technologies to capture the unique features in your prints. The most common fingerprint reader will fall under optical scanners, which use lenses to reflect lights onto complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors which then convert light into electronic signals.
Other readers capture prints using capacitive sensors. Fingerprint ridges and valleys create different electric currents at different areas of the finger. Each fingerprint reader uses the electric current to create a picture of your print.
Each of your finger’s ridges and valleys act as insulators, restricting the flow of current produced by the reader. As this happens, the scanner can use this data to generate a clear picture of the individuality of your finger, or a ‘Biometric Identifier’.
See the image below for a simple example of how this works:
In addition to physiological biometrics, there are also behavioral biometrics which instead look at your own personal movements and gestures.
While biometric security is a valuable tool in authenticating identity, it alone is not enough for strong security. Three factor authentication, which involves something you know (password), something you are (biometric) and something you have (token) is the best way to prevent unauthorized access.
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To find out more about the latest developments in biometrics, check out our dossier on Facial Recognition.
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