Biometrics and ID Cards

About a decade ago, the utilization of biometrics for identifying people was only seen in the movies, it was only a fantasy that people dreamed about. On the other hand, today's movies and TV shows, make obvious just how widespread the technology has become, by including some form of biometrics in their stories.

The approximations indicate that the biometric revenues for the International Biometric Group for 2006 will be close to $2.1 billion, with growth in 2007 estimated to be as high as $5.7 billion. At the government, corporate and even consumer level this growth is very visible. For instance, just last year, a Minnesota-based grocery chain, launched a payment system that allowed patrons to pay for their groceries via a finger scan connected to their financial records.

It's obviously clear that biometrics will continue to play a leading role in continuing attempts to enhance security qualifications. However does the propagation of biometric technology predict the conclusion of ID cards interfaces? To say it differently, do you still need to carry an ID card if you have ten fingers, a hand or an eye to scan?

The answer is yes from the aspect of privacy and security concerns. The technology of Biometrics presents a way to enhance the security of a card-based security program, not substitute it. A card holder can be further authenticated using Biometrics technology.

We can authenticate a card holder's identity by using one, two or three independent decisive factor for verification.

These Authentication factors can either be something you are acquainted with, such as a password, or something you have obtained, such as an ID card, or something that forms you, such as a fingerprint, handprint, iris scan, voice pattern or other biometric.

The more elements that we use in the identification of a card holder, the more precise the authentication becomes. A person who has operated an ATM understands this notion. You skim your card through (which is something that you own), type in your PIN (something you are acquainted with), and are approved to complete your banking dealings. This adds a biometric factor to this kind of verification adds another level of supervision. By adding a true personal identifier, Biometrics can turn a weak verification protocol into an advanced one.

The question that arises here is why not utilize a biometric with a PIN, without an ID? The reply is the issue for Match on the technology of Card biometrics. A Match on Card verification program maintains the biometric layout on a secure smart card, rather than on a computer or a server. The model is match up to to a live biometric sample when the cardholder desires access or rights. A biometric, such as a fingerprint, is taken and stored onto the smart chip in order to enroll a card holder.

As soon as a card holder requires to be verified, he presents his smart card to the access management device, and then places his fingerprint on the scanner. The smart card's mainframe compares the two fingerprints to identify a relation. According to the matching system, the smart card makes the decision to deny or grant access.

The Match on Card system relates a live biometric sample to a biometric outline on a smart card interface. The substitute, a one-to-many platform, means the biometric template is saved on a system, or in a records setup, rather than on a card for identification. For example, the FBI, has a one-to-many format in their automatic fingerprint recognition interface. It is composed of forty six million computerized fingerprint records in its rapid, vastly protected interface.

On the other hand, the majority of civilian applications do not have the expertise or funds to set up a system in association with the FBI operations. As soon as a biometric is saved on a network, it's out of the hands of the individual and is potentially accessible to anyone with the proper access to the system. The up to date loss of sensitive data on more than twenty six million U.S. veterans and their families exposes how vital it is to maintain individual management over personal information.

As a result of matching the live biometric model to the one saved on a smart card, additional advantages are achieved:

To start with the Privacy is drastically enhanced. The biometric is sheltered on the card, not saved in a network or a database. Patron card owners manage their biometric regardless of the time of day. It is not carried out into a potentially non-secure setting such as a PC or network.

Furthermore, the Security level is also improved. The biometric information does not actually depart the identification card. At the entrance gates, the biometrics from both the card and the reader are scanned, but not actually saved. In addition to that, there is no verification of the card holder as the biometric comparison is carried out. Admittance is approved by a match of two biometrics; the card holder's identity is not associated.

Moreover the Speed became also more prevalent. By and large, Match on Card is a more rapid substitute. As soon as the fingerprint is saved on a central server as a replacement of a card, the system has to look all the way through all the different fingerprints on file to find a counterpart. The one-to-one match carries out this mission.

Also, let us not forget about Incorporation. Due to the fact that the match is carried out at the point of access, it's easier and less expensive to deploy a Match on Card system into an existing interface. This also demands less memory handling.

Additionally Card Security is also improved. Numerous individuals might be concerned about the level of security provided by the card security. For those concerned that hackers may be able to scan information off a card containing biometrics or other personal verifications, this is a delusion. Despite that, new technologies are presented that block or shunt RFID broadcastings, leaving a card completely immobilized.

Additional Matters
In spite of the numerous rewards of the biometrics, there are other, more realistic reasons to why it will not restore ID cards in the upcoming years. Magnetic stripe and proximity cards still control the identification market In the United States. Biometrics as a means of identification will advance slowly unless the need for security, privacy or efficiency urges the market to full endorsement of smart cards.

On top of that, an ID card normally contains the card holder's picture. This trouble-free visual recognition is important when electronic systems fall short or when disaster strikes. There may not be time or technology available to support an electronic identification of response workers at the scene of a fire, a chemical spill or a terrorist attack. Matching a card to a face by using visual identification may be the only way to supervise whether a utility worker, telecom worker or medical professional is certified to enter the location of the disaster.

The technology of Biometrics offers a clear path to considerably improving the genuineness of identity qualifications. In the best cases, they will improve the existing verification elements to keep sensitive personal data sheltered.

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