Biometrics is taking over the technology space, spanning across industries to enhance the security posture. Let’s check the top 5 biometric technologies that are wreaking havoc across industries:

1. Fingerprint Recognition

This automated process of recognizing and confirming an individual’s identity based on a comparison of two fingerprints is known as fingerprint recognition. Fingerprint recognition is among the most well-known biometrics and the most widely utilized biometric method for computerized system authentication. A fingerprint recognition system looks for certain features in the line pattern on the finger’s surface. This line pattern’s bifurcations, ridge ends, and islands are saved as images.

The arch, loop, and whorl are the three fundamental fingerprint ridge patterns. An arch is a form in which the ridges enter on one side of the finger, rise in the center to form an arch, and then depart on the opposite side. The ridge of a loop enters one end of the finger, curves, and departs on the very same side of the part of the finger from which it entered. In fingerprints, loops seem to be the most recurring pattern.

Finally, a whorl is formed when ridges form in a circular manner around a center point. Because fingerprint identification has been familiar to a substantial portion of the population, it is widely accepted. The technique is also reasonably inexpensive and simple to operate. It should be emphasized, however, that quality varies greatly from one fingerprint recognition to the next, with large differences in false acceptance and false denial rates between systems.

Whereas this technology will function for the bulk of the population, it will not work for people who do not have fingers, those who have had their fingerprints removed due to injury, or those who are unable to utilize their fingers. Any technology that is going to be broadly used must be accessible. 

If a small number of people are unable to use fingerprint recognition technology, this could be a problem if fingerprint scanners become the primary form of identification. The problem with collecting an image of an outward characteristic is that it can be repeated, even if it is encoded. After all, an image is indeed an image and can thus be compared. In theory, you should be able to generate the identical code. With extremely simple technology, fingerprints can already be impersonated. Another thing to consider is that a finger that has been given for identification does not necessarily need to be connected to a body.

2. Facial Recognition

Facial recognition is a technique of verifying a person’s identification by observing their face. People can be easily identified in pictures, films, or in real-time leveraging facial recognition technology. Face recognition technology is well-known because of FaceID, which is used to unlock iPhones. Facial recognition doesn’t really usually rely on a large database of images to determine a person’s identification. 

To find a match, a facial recognition system examines the form and position of several elements of the face. Surface characteristics, like the skin, are sometimes considered. Face detection technology is being used to identify faces in complicated photos with multiple faces. Facial recognition for security reasons is an extension of face detection technology. Another advantage would be that the technology has allowed for ‘negative identification,’ or the removal of faces, which makes it much easier to screen a crowd for questionable people. 

Some fear that the use of facial recognition, along with artificial intelligence, omnipresent video cameras, and data analytics, will lead to mass monitoring, limiting individual liberty. Governments can use facial recognition technology to track down criminals, but it may also be used to track down ordinary, innocent people at any moment. The most problematic issue is that of ethics and privacy. Authorities have been reported to store photos of residents without their permission. 

The European Commission declared in 2020 that it was proposing a five-year prohibition on facial recognition technology in public spaces to give it time to develop a legislative framework to minimize privacy and ethical violations. The technology is mostly focused on the face, specifically from the hairline downwards. As a result, in order to be recognized, a person must usually stare directly at the camera. Even while the technique is still in its early stages of development, it does not yet offer the same level of protection as iris scanning or vein pattern recognition. 

3. Iris Recognition

The iris is the colorful, donut-shaped part of the eye that surrounds the pupil and is located behind the cornea. The iris pattern of each individual is unique and does not change over time. The iris is also highly protected from harm because it is protected by the cornea, making it an ideal body feature for biometric identification. Iris Recognition is a biometrics way of identifying persons based on distinctive patterns in the ring-shaped area surrounding the pupil. Because each iris is unique, it is an excellent biometric verification tool.

Iris Recognition is a very robust biometric, extremely resistant to false matches, and has a fast search speed against vast datasets, which is one of the reasons it is such a sought-after technique for identifying specific sectors, including law enforcement and border control. Iris Recognition is a very precise and dependable means of identifying people. A scanner reads out the special features of an iris during an iris scan, which are subsequently turned into an encoded. Iris scanning is a well-known security technique, particularly when performed with infrared light.

When any new technology is introduced, one of the most common issues is user resistance. Getting their eyes scanned is an uncomfortable experience for many people. In order for the scanner to read your iris, you must also assume a specific stance, which can be uncomfortable. Another common complaint is that many systems require the user to rest their chin on chin support that has been used by thousands of individuals before them. Optical scanners are more costly than other forms of biometric gear due to high levels of precision.

In some cases, fingerprint recognition and face recognition may be more cost-effective. There is still a limit on how far a user can step from an iris scanner, which can be difficult in some situations. The device relies on the individual maintaining very still possible in order to precisely scan the iris. When using a handheld scanner, the operator must have a steady hand; otherwise, iris scanning can be difficult. It’s crucial to remember that while iris scanning provides a high degree of safety, it can also slow things down. Intriguingly, technologies that can read a person’s iris from a (quite short) distance have lately been developed.

4. Finger Vein Pattern Recognition

Finger vein recognition is the process of identifying a person based on the vein pattern in their fingertips. Vein patterns appear as a sequence of black lines because deoxyhemoglobin in the bloodstream absorbs near-infrared light. The image of the finger vein patterns is captured using near-infrared lighting and a specific camera. After that, the image is transformed into pattern data and saved as a template for a person’s biometric authentication data. 

The image of the finger vein is recorded during authentication and compared to the user’s stored template. The terminating ends and bifurcations of veins in the finger are taken as an image, digitized, and turned into an encrypted code in vein pattern recognition. The technology of finger vein biometric identification is not without flaws. The following are some of the common challenges and limitations of finger vein biometrics: Finger vein patterns, for example, change as a person grows. Because finger vein patterns only remain stable here between the ages of 20 and 50, younger and older persons must replace the finger vein recordings every few years. 

This strategy, coupled with the fact that veins are detected below instead of on the surface of the skin, make this technology far more secure, as well as speedier and more comfortable for the user than fingerprint-based authentication. However, it is a more expensive method. Another thing to remember is that finger vein pattern recognition is difficult or difficult to read on very cold or ‘dead’ fingertips (such as those of patients with Raynaud’s syndrome). The fact that this technology still seems to be relatively obscure is maybe the biggest disadvantage.

5. Palm Vein Pattern Recognition

Palm vein scanning is a novel biometrics-based personal identification method. However, it is not as well-known as face recognition or fingerprint scan technologies; it has the potential to acquire more attention and validation in the near future due to its reliability. Palm vein scanning is a biometrics-based current authentication method. It makes use of people’s unique vein patterns in their hands to act as a kind of personal identification. Palm vein scanners take a picture (scan) of the veins from the inside of a person’s hand and compare it to previously acquired data in a database. 

Along with iris scanning, the technique, which cannot be replicated (or is only very difficult), is now regarded as the finest possible solution in the field of biometric security. Palm scanning is quick and accurate, and it provides a lot of convenience to the user. Palm vein pattern recognition-based access control systems are relatively expensive. 

As a result, such systems are mostly utilized in sectors with stringent security requirements, such as governments, the legal system, and the financial industry. The way deoxidized hemoglobin absorbs infrared light is used in the palm vein scanner technology. Hemoglobin transports oxygen throughout the human body, and veins convey deoxygenated blood to the heart. As a result, hemoglobin in venous blood is deoxidized.

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