Remember, how everyone lost their mind when Apple announced that their latest iPhone would feature face recognition? Well, that was not the first of its kind. A lot of smartphone brands have integrated face recognition as an additional unlocking feature on the phone. Apple only perfected it. And that was only the beginning.
Nowadays, almost every smartphone brand offers devices with biometric technology. And even though some people still prefer 4-6 digit pin or pattern lock for the security of their devices, most people prefer the fingerprint scan or face recognition as the unlocking option. But the question remains – “Is the biometric technology really that effective as we believe it to be?”
The application of biometric technology transcends beyond the mere use of smartphone unlocking. This technology is currently being used to add a layer of security to personal banking as well. In fact, a report from US-based research and analysis firm Goode Intelligence suggests that by 2020, around 1.9 billion bank account holders will choose biometrics for a variety of financial services, including mobile bank app authentication, ATM withdrawals and others.
What are the advantages of biometric technology?
The recent trends suggest that biometric technology is growing as a popular personal security option. However, it is getting massive exposure in the area of commercial security as well. Since the technology offers strong security through accurate validation of individuals, it is safe to say that it is only going to get bigger from here.
Here are some of the most significant advantages of biometric technology that make it the best security option in today’s date.
- Efficacy:
Biometric security systems save both time and money. As you may have already noticed, accessing certain details through biometric security takes only a fraction of second. Also, installing a biometric security system is absolutely easy and manageable. In other words, biometric technology can speed up the authentication process while ensuring a higher level of security.
- Accuracy:
Biometric systems do offer the most accurate identification in today’s world, reducing the risk of unwanted breaches. Unlike the other forms of security options like the passwords, pins and even the smart cards can be accessed by multiple people if they get their hands on the details. In case of biometrics, there’s no scope for that as it requires the biological characteristics (like the iris scans, fingerprints, etc.) of the individual to pass through the security.
- Convenience:
As mentioned previously, biometric security options are quite convenient both the person using it and the organization (like a bank or an office) who is managing it. It is a lot easier for an individual to use biometric identification as it does not require the person to remember a particular pin or carry a badge of identification. Also, the management of such security system is a lot smoother, given the fact that it does not require password resets or loss of ID badge.
- Scalability:
Another great thing about the biometric security system is that it is quite flexible and easily scalable. If your business is growing, which is a great thing, you may need to add more employees to the organization. Also, you may need to secure more areas of your facility as your company grows. Biometric security can grow alongside your business. All it requires is the inclusion of the new details to the system, and you are good to go.
- Better ROI:
The return on investment (ROI) for biometric security is quite overwhelming. Firstly, it is very much effective in avoiding the infringements. That saves an organization as well as an individual from a massive monetary loss. Also, it is over the time, the return on investment on this security option is much higher than other forms of security option.
Clearly, there are enough reasons for the popularity of biometric technology in the area of commercial and personal security. But the million dollar question remains – “Is the biometric technology completely error-free?”
How safe is a biometric security system?
Well, like any other technologies that are available in today’s world, even the biometric technology experiences some errors in its operation. If the server is bugged, there is a high chance that there will still be breached even with biometric security. The Hollywood spy movies have already shown a number of ways to bypass the biometric security. Even though some of them seemed ridiculous, it will be wrong to believe that biometric security system is absolutely invincible.
The Indian government had urged the citizen to link all their bank accounts, mobile numbers and other crucial documents like the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card with the Aadhar Card which carries the biometric data of individuals. In the past few years, the Aadhar card database was breached multiple times, allowing the hackers to access personal data of millions of citizens.
Another issue that was raised by a number of critics against the biometric security system is that if a person is getting mugged or being interrogated by any powerful organization, accessing his bank account, mobile phone, personal locker and other things that are protected by biometric security can be breached against the person’s will. In the case of pin code or passwords, the person can choose to remain silent.
Also, if a person forgets to set any alternate method for access except biometric login, losing the eyes or the hand can keep them from getting past the security. It may sound a bit far-fetched, but such incidents can happen in real life.
Conclusion:
Having said all that, you need to acknowledge the fact that biometric technology is by far the best security option that we have right now. It certainly has a few concerning issues which need to be looked into immediately. But if you choose to overlook those drawbacks, it can offer the strongest security to not only mobiles or bank accounts, but also to other significant areas that require an impenetrable layer of security.
Author bio: Ava Lee is a marketing analyst who is working for a multinational organization. She has pursued his MBA from Australian National University. She is also working for MyAssignmenthelp.com as an academic expert and provide essay help