Biometrics is the measurement of biological data. The term biometrics is commonly used today to refer to the verification of the claimed identity of a person by analyzing physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, or behavioral characteristics, such as signatures. Because many physical and behavioral characteristics are unique to an individual, biometrics provides a more reliable system of identification than cards, keys, passwords, or other traditional systems. The word biometrics comes from two Greek words meaning life and measure.
Any characteristic can be used as an identifier if (1) every person possesses the characteristic, (2) it varies from person to person, (3) its properties do not change considerably over time, and (4) it can be measured manually or automatically. Physical characteristics commonly used in biometric authentication include face, fingerprints, handprints, eyes, and voice. Biometric authentication can be used to ensure the security of computer networks, electronic commerce and banking transactions, homes, and restricted areas of office buildings and factories. It can help prevent fraud by verifying the identities of voters and of holders of driver’s licenses or visas.
In authentication, a sensor captures a digital image of the characteristic being used to verify the user’s identity. A computer program extracts a pattern of distinguishing features from the digital image. The program then compares this pattern with the one representing the user’s features that were recorded earlier and stored in the system database. If the patterns match well enough, the biometric system will conclude that the person is who he or she claims to be.
