Biometrics

Biometrics is the use of a human’s physical attribute or trait in order to grant privileged access to a secured room, a vault or even to data on a computer system etc.

The use of Biometrics in access control systems is fairly recent as it utilises very advanced technologies that verify the identity of, and authenticate access to, a person.

Advantages of Biometric Access Control Systems:

• Safeguarding of passwords
• Accurate Identification
• Mobility
• High level of security
• Impossible to falsify
• Safe and user-friendly

Unique traits when can be used for biometric access are:

1. DNA
2. Fingerprints
3. Voice Recognition
4. Iris Recognition
5. Facial Recognition
6. Retinal Scanning
7. Vein Matching

1) DNA

DNA as you already know is one of the unique identifiers of human beings as no two people share the exact same DNA (Except for identical twins). How it works in Biometrics is that a tissue or fluid sample is taken from the person who needs to be identified and then cross-referenced with samples which are already in a database. Your uniqueness does not lie in your genes, which make up only 5% of your entire genome, but in your 95% of non-coding (or junk-DNA). There are repeated sequences in your DNA which are called Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR’s) and these are what set people apart and used as a secure identity tool in Biometrics as their repeating forms unique sequences in each person.

2) Fingerprints

Fingerprints were amongst one of the first means of biometrics in access systems introduced. It involves the recognition of two main criteria that distinguish fingerprints, patterns and minutia. Patterns describe the type of flow of the lines in your fingerprint and there are three types: Arches, Loops and Whorls. Minutia defines the individual lines themselves and comprise of three aspects that are looked at: Ridge ending (Where a line ends), Bifurcation (The Y-shaped joining of two lines) and Short Ridges (Or Dots). All of these together form a very unique means of identifying a person’s identity.

3) Voice Recognition

Voice Recognition is calculated by measuring a person’s voice acoustics. Things which affect each and every person’s voice acoustics are things such as throat and mouth size, and things like voice pitch and speaking style. Perhaps not the most accurate of biometrics as ambient noise and other factors can cause incorrect readings to occur.

4) Iris Recognition

This is done by scanning the unique patterns of a person’s Iris. The Iris is the coloured area surrounding the pupil and the scanning process is unobtrusive and can be done at range.

5) Facial Recognition

This form of recognition is done by scanning the features of the face, such as size, position and size of the eyes, nose, cheekbones and jaw. Other features such as skin texture and contours of the eye-sockets, nose and chin.

6) Retinal Scanning

Although this form of biometric scanning also deals with the eyes, it differs in some ways from Iris Recognition. Instead of scanning the area around the pupils, this form of recognition scans the area at the back of the eye called the Retina. It is an intrusive scanning process as you have to make near-contact with a device in order to gain an accurate image of the inside of your eye.

7) Vein Matching

This method of Biometrics is used by the FBI and CIA in the States and involves the scanning and analysis of vascular/vein patterns through the visible surface of the skin. A strong light is shone onto the persons arm and then an image is captured by camera and analysed to establish the unique pattern for the particular individual.