Biometrics
...ce locates the beginnings and ends of the ridges. These points are then assigned an xy coordinate which is stored in a data file for later retrieval. The correlation method takes a high quality photo of the fingerprint and stores the image in a data file. Hand geometry is a less popular but quite accurate (95%) method where a 3600 rendering of your hand is made. Over 90 measurements are taken of the hand. The length, width, thickness, surface area etc. are captured using high quality digital camera. The data is stored as a template and stored for comparison. This method does not rely on the minor details of the skin and is more practical in an industrial setting where scars or blemishes affect the small details. Voice recognition is a less secure biometric process, since we can all change our tone of voice. It is useful in that it allows users to utilize their voice as an input device or to give commands. The new voice software remembers the way each word is said per user so it becomes more useful for people with speech deficiencies or foreign accents. The programs also allow for fluent speech where as older software needed each word pronounced clearly and a space between each word. The new programs also record word combinations that are used often and predict the next word before it is said in order to narrow the word search when a user inputs. Voice recognition has a ninety percent accuracy rate, ranking it fifth in the most accurate biometric processes. Perhaps the most accurate biometric is iris scanning. With a 99.99% success rate it beats fingerprinting. Reason being that a high quality infrared photo is taken of the colored area surrounding the pupil. The whole process takes only seconds and this photo can take place from as far away as three feet, making it a non intrusive method of obtaining user identification. An iris can have over 400 distinguishing spots and is developed before birth. Since the iris is not subject to change, it beats the fingerprint which is more easily altered (i.e.: scars, burns) . Another eye related biometric is retinal scanning. It is very similar to iris scanning but a bit more intrusive. It requires users to be within one half inch of the capture device. An infrared camera maps the capillary pattern of the retina while the user is required to focus on a small green or red circle. Remaining perfectly still for five seconds is also essential to ensure a superior photo is taken. Perhaps the most accepted of the biometric procedures is signature verification. Widespread use of signature confirmation occurs at bank and other institutes around the world. Computerized signature confirmation analyzes shape of letters, speed of writing, stroke, pen pressure and timing to verify a user. Facial recognition is being used at airports today to find faces of known terrorists in the crowds. The computers can match at a rate of 60 million per minute at a 95% accuracy rate. A person’s face must be within 350 of the capture device and the computer checks six points on the face. The distance between the eyes, the chin shape, jaw line, cheekbones, width of nose, and depth of eye sockets are all recorded and transferred into a numerical code and stored. The face points checked make facial hair, skin color, eyewear and other disguises obsolete. Some present day applications of these biometrics include prisons in the U.S. using iris scanning instead of fingerprinting to catalog prisoners. In Fort Worth, Houston and Dallas National Bank United installed the first iris detection ATM’s. Airports across the U.S. are starting to research iris scanning during the boarding process to identify passengers. In Europe the Nationwide Building Society is using iris scanning instead of PIN’s. Microsoft has announced that it will incorporate biometrics into Windows Operating Systems. This year our Commander In Chief, George Bush, has made it mandatory to have biometrics incorporated into every passport and visa issued. Biometric devices are being introduced as security devices for access to networks. A keyboard or a mouse can now have a fingerprint scanner built right in. There are also stand alone fingerprint scanners that connect via USB 2 or parallel port. In 2002 fingerprinting dominated the market but the potential is unlimited. The biggest concern about future implementations of biometrics is the willingness of users to accept the scans. Some are more intrusive that others causing acceptance among the general public to fall. Perhaps the disappearance of bulky key chains, credit cards and passwords will be enough to persuade users of the inevitable. The biometric systems work very much like any other system. First a user account is set up. A series of samples are taken and averaged to produce a template, which is then stored. The data can be stored locally in the device itself. This may make retrieval faster but if that device fails, ...