Authentication is the cornerstone of a reliable security system. It allows organizations to control and/or prevent access to data by confirming the identity of a person who wants to gain entry to the system or the building. One of the most common and simplest forms of authentication used is the password, but the basic password is often breached, copied or shared, putting data at risk to theft.
This is where biometric technology comes in. These advanced authentication systems are popularly used today in various organizations and companies. Finger biometric system, for instance, can be seen in most workplaces today. And where before they are mainly used to ensure faultless accounting of employee log-in and log-out, they are now increasingly built into laptop and desktop computers to protect data. Of course, like all other authentication systems, biometric devices are not faultless. Let us take a look at their pros and cons.
List of Pros of Biometric Technology
1. Easy to use.
Unlike the conventional password authentication system, biometric systems are fairly easy to use. Just press your thumb on the scanner or position your eye on the retinal scanner, and voila! You are instantaneously authenticated. You do not have to whack your brain to remember some complex passwords, and you do not have to worry about someone stealing or copying your password. In addition, you can easily compare fingerprints or retinal records among the hundreds of records contained in your computer database. Also, your employees do not have to carry identification cards any longer.
2. Minimize, if not eliminate, identity fraud.
Stating the obvious, identification cards can be stolen and duplicated, allowing unauthorized individuals to gain entry to restricted premises and/or access sensitive data. Biometric technology, on the other hand, makes identity fraud less likely to happen, saving organizations and companies more time and money.
3. Provides invaluable resource.
The biometric technology enables you to build an invaluable database of information, which you can easily tap into event of theft and related cases. Government agencies that are fighting crime and terror are currently taking advantage of the database created through the use of biometrics in a variety of situations.
List of Cons of Biometric Technology
1. Errors are still possible.
While the biometric technology is proven to be effective and reliable, errors are still possible. Well actually, most of these devices have an error rate of 1%. Too small, right? However, when security is an issue, a tiny percentage can be a big issue. The error rate tells us that out of the 1,000 people identified, about 10 will be misidentified. Wrongly identifying someone can have a major consequence depending on the situation.
2. Expensive.
In comparison to the use of identification cards in the workplace, biometric devices are more expensive. Many of these, such as iris and retinal scanners, facial biometrics, and voice recognition devices, have a high price tag.
3. Can be easily bypassed by criminals.
As sophisticated as our authentication technology has become, criminal’s strategies has also advanced. This means that criminals nowadays can get around biometric technology no matter how impossible it may seem. A fingerprint captured from a glass, for example, can be used to fool finger biometric scanners.
Conclusion
Biometric technology provides us the easiest way to identify individuals for security purposes; however, it is not fool proof. For this reasons, companies and organizations are encouraged to use a multilayered authentication system to ensure security.