Bio-metrics and the security behind it
Computer security is very important in today’s times, we rely on computers to do our taxes, to perform buy and sell orders for stocks and we even rely on computers to monitor ICU patients in hospitals. In order to protect these computer we implemented passwords that prevent unauthorized people from getting that information. These passwords helped protect important data, but it was not long until hackers started to crack these passwords and make them no longer secure. Since password cracking was getting easier and easier, companies were scrambling to find new ways to make computing more secure. In this race to make computing safer, someone came up with the idea that instead of remembering a password, someone came up with the idea of making a person’s DNA the password. Biometrics was born with this idea.
Biometrics in its simplest form is the idea that the user can be the password in the way of a fingerprint, iris scan or even a voice pattern. With this new technology computing was becoming safer again and easier in the way of swiping a fingerprint instead of trying to remember a 15 character password. Since its conception, biometrics is a fast growing industry within the security sector. With advances in fingerprint, voice and even iris identification, it is becoming the go-to source for securing the machines that contain important information.
Biometrics was born on the idea that the more complex a password is, the more likely a user may not remember it or they may write it down and post it on their desk. Biometrics made passwords easier to remember, who is going to forget their fingerprint at home, and more secure. Since passwords were getting way to complex, users were writing their passwords down and sticking them to their monitors. This was becoming an issue because people can walk by and remember them for later. The purpose of biometrics is to provide a complex password that is almost impossible to replicate. Biometrics use a person’s fingerprint as a password, a person’s voice patterns as a password and even the iris patterns in a person’s eye. According to Stephen Coleman “Biometrics serves two purposes, identification and authentication” (Coleman, 2000). Identification is the process that makes sure a person is who they claim to be.
If a user is Tom Franke, then the process makes sure that the person trying to get in is Tom Franke. Authentication is the process that happens after identification, this process makes sure the user is allowed to enter the location or see the protected data. It is not impossible but very hard to replicate another person’s DNA, this makes biometrics very hard to crack and break in to. According to Drew Robb, “Biometric authentication devices validate user identities based on biological characteristics of the user” (Robb, 2002). Biological characteristics such as ones voice pattern or iris pattern are saved in the systems database so that it can be compared when a user wants to log in or enter a location.
Biometrics was tailored to help corporate businesses that have very important data to protect, it was also made to protect locations in very secure areas such as the pentagon or white house. This technology thrived in the corporate world but it was not long until it debuted in the consumer markets. Laptops are starting to come standard with fingerprint readers and webcams that can scan facial structure to allow the user to log in to the computer. Another great use is the fact that businesses are using biometrics to allow or deny access to buildings.
With more and more consumers getting their hands on this technology, it is also being adapted to be used in specialty situations. According to Stephen Coleman the technology is already deployed in protecting our borders. When crossing in to Mexico, people are fingerprinted or go under camera for facial recognition, this helps the US catch wanted fugitives or people entering the country illegally. According to Kirsti Marohn, “A growing number of childcare centers are turning to biometrics to keep kids safe and secure” (Marohn, 2012). Child care centers need to keep kids safe and secure so the installation or biometrics to allow or deny access to the building and certain rooms help make parents feel better.
With most technologies, they provide a great service that helps people but they also come with drawbacks and biometrics is no different. Biometrics is still in its infancy in regards to what it is capable of and how developed it really is. The voice recognition side is still in its infancy. According to Andy Kemshall, “Voice recognition is still young, we are not at a stage where computers can reliably recognize what we are saying, let alone who is saying it” (Kemshall, 2013). There is some well-known software that allows users to talk aloud and it translates that to the computer for word processing but it is very finicky and has trouble understanding. If commercial software has that trouble, then expecting security software to be bug free is kind of a long shot. Facial recognition is just as bad sometimes. Facial recognition is very much prone to error.
According to Andy Kemshall, “In the case of face recognition, completion of a transaction relies on a shop assistant verifying a customer's face, which could easily be subject to human error. However, using a real person here is still far more reliable than using a computer” (Kemshall, 2013). There are a lot of factors that determine if a camera can read a person’s face. The relevant angle of the head to the lens is a factor as well as the amount of light in the room in contrast to the head. Another issue with biometrics is the accept and reject rates. False accept rate, or FAR, is when someone is authenticated and allowed entry when in reality they should not have authenticated (Biometrics Security Considerations , n.d.). False reject rate, or FRR, is when someone is not authenticated but in reality they should have been authenticated (Biometrics Security Considerations , n.d.). As you can tell both of these could be major issues. If a CEO needs to get in to get to a shareholder meeting and he is rejected, then that could be an issue. If a hacker gains entry and steals data when they should not have been allowed in then that could be disastrous.
With the introduction of biometrics, the world of security has become much more secure and safe. Companies have adopted this technology to help secure important documents, protect buildings and rooms and have even implemented the technology to keep children safe at daycares. This extra security also comes at a price as some have stated that there are false acceptance rates and false reject rates. As this technology ages, we will see these flaws grow smaller and smaller due to better advances in the biometric industry. With all the good this can bring us, many believe that biometrics is here to stay for the long haul.
Biometrics Security Considerations . (n.d.). Retrieved from nsa.gov: https://www.nsa.gov/ia/_files/factsheets/i73-009r-007.pdf Kemshall, A. (2013, September 09). Fingerprints and faces: How biometric authentication is still far from secure. Retrieved from itproportal.com: http://www.itproportal.com/2013/09/09/fingerprints-and-faces-how-biometric-authentication-is-still-far-from-secure/ Marohn, K. (2012, July 25). Child Centers Turn to Biometrics. Retrieved from ProQuest Sirs: http://sks.sirs.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SDE19901-0-2663&artno=0000343440&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=Biometrics%20%28Identification%29&title=Child%20Centers%20Turn%20to%20Biometrics&res=Y&ren=N&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=N Robb, D. (2002, April). Spotlight on Biometrics . Retrieved from ProQuest sirs: http://sks.sirs.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SDE19901-0-2663&artno=0000152527&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=Biometrics%20%28Identification%29&title=Spotlight%20on%20Biometrics&res=Y&ren=N&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=N Stephen Coleman, P. (2000, June). Biometrics. Retrieved from Pro Quest Sirs : http://sks.sirs.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SDE19901-0-2663&artno=0000120572&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=Biometrics%20%28Identification%29&title=Biometrics&res=Y&ren=N&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=N
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
