Gone are the days when using fingerprint as signature was a mark of illiteracy. Today fingerprints are a critical part of one’s identity and are being used as a major identification and authentication tool across the world. Until a decade back, physical devices and numeric codes served the purpose of authenticating data. But with time, the loopholes in these processes were discovered, and fingerprint biometrics was deemed the best possible tool for the purpose of identification.
The three vital components of biometrics technology are:
- Scanner – To capture an individual’s fingerprint impression, facial and iris image, vein, and voice pattern.
- Software – To convert the captured biometric information into a digital format.
- Database – To store the biometric data for future comparison
What’s on your finger?
We are no palmists, but those crisscross lines on your fingers do hold a lot of information about you. Each fingerprint has a unique pattern and can be used as a secret lock (and key) for all your personal details. Through fingerprint biometrics, all the minute detailing on your fingers can be captured and stored to provide you with one of its kind security tools.
Widely used in the healthcare, law enforcement, education, government, and the BFSI sectors, fingerprint biometrics is a cost-effective and user-friendly security solution. The logic behind using this particular method of authentication is pretty simple:
- Minimizes the incidence of identity theft, fraud, and buddy punching
- Eliminates the problems caused by lost IDs and forgotten passwords
- Is more reliable and capable than traditional security systems such as PINs, smart cards, and one-time passwords (OTPs)
- Can be integrated into smart cards to gain access to secure premises
- Cannot be shared or misused by anyone except the authenticated individual
Perhaps these are the reasons why market analysts at Technavio, expect the global market for fingerprint biometrics to grow at a CAGR of 11% by the year 2021.
Are fingerprints the future of biometrics?
There is no denying the fact that fingerprints are one of the most popular biometric options till date. Especially with EPFL and Global ID developing 3D finger vein recognition system, fingerprint biometrics seems to be the ‘next big’ thing in the area of data security. Both the companies have come together to develop a system which can easily track counterfeit fingerprints.
At the same time, one cannot shy away from the inherent loopholes of fingerprint biometrics. Particularly at the system level, the algorithms and templates are susceptible to hacking. Also, issues like reverse engineering are something which needs to be worked on. As tech giants conduct more R&D activities, we can expect fingerprint biometrics to be one of the most reliable authentication tools in the near future.
For more information on Global Fingerprint Biometrics
