Buying Biometric Devices in the Philippines: Tips and Tricks
Published on : May 8, 2019
What are the tips to keep in mind when buying biometric devices?
- Review your demographics
- Remember who has access
- Device features
- Overall cost
- Potential hazards
Biometrics in the Philippines is the next standard for time attendance and security. The development of these devices is the next countermeasure for potential identity theft and fraud. Biometric technology is a reliable and fast method of using unique biological characteristics to identify and authenticate individuals. It is the science of analyzing the physical or behavioral characteristics of each individual in order to be able to confirm their identity.
Deploying biometric technology can offer you the best security optimization and workflow-enhancing output. Shop for your biometric security systems wisely and incorporate some of these key points when inquiring:
Review Your Demographics
Take note of the kind of demographic your company employs. Workers that use heavy tools and chemicals may not be compatible with biometric technology, especially for fingerprints. Dryness and damage on the skin most of the time deter the fingerprint technology. These little scratches can make it hard to enroll or identify employees.
If you’re really set on upgrading, vascular biometric readers that can either read finger veins or palm veins are much better. Aging can determine the elasticity of the skin. Loose skin is not ideal for fingerprint scanning. Older users can also benefit from vascular biometrics.
These may not seem entirely significant, but it can determine the effectiveness of your system.
Remember Who Has Access
Even if biometrics is considered more secure than passwords, storage issues can easily compromise important data. Ensure that your database is secure. The last thing anyone wants is a data breach that can put your employees in danger. However, there is an upside to using biometric data. Unlike passwords and pin codes, biometric data can’t be changed. Fingerprints are unique data that can’t easily be replicated by skilled hackers.
Think about how you’ll store the data. What are the security measures that you can take? Are there existing backups in a secure server or network? Who will have access to this? Ask your vendor about false positives and fail-safes. This can save you so much time in the future in case of a data breach.
Device Features
Not all biometric security systems are created equally. Some devices can only support a set amount of employee data. Other biometric systems have different connections and stored backup power.
There are many machines that can store most of your employee data. This can’t hide the fact that some biometric devices only support a certain amount of logins at a certain time. It’s advisable to place multiple devices to support the influx of sign-ins and sign-outs. Ask about the storage limit of your chosen biometric device. Logs can be built over time and when that moment comes, it’s time to download and clear the memory. Generally speaking, it’s unwise to clear the memory prematurely, as this can cause data discrepancies.
How will the logs be transferred over? Some connection interfaces use expensive and short USB cables. To get the highest quality data from these cables, the reader shouldn’t go over 50 feet away from the computer connection. Skip out on this type of connection if you’re planning to use more than one device.
Network adapter connections are expensive but worth the money. Your devices can be easily placed in multiple points within the facility. Using a network connection will allow you to connect several devices to one network. For remote locations that have no network access, there are devices that can store data on flash drives for manual transfers.
Backup power is another useful feature to consider. Keeping the clock running can reduce ghost working in case of a power outage. Your vendor should be able to enumerate important key features. Knowing these important bits of information can save so much time and reduce user errors.
Overall Cost
Most software, card, and fingerprint readers are generally more affordable than hand reader counterparts. Storage capacity and user support increase the price of the device. Think about your requirements when choosing the most compatible device for you.
Potential Hazards
Biometrics have false accept rates. A skilled hacker can duplicate biometric characteristics stored by the system and produce a fake that can authenticate a login. There are many major risks associated with biometric systems, here are some to remember:
Imposter attacks exploit biometric system limitations. This type of risk can be solved by upgrading the technology used in the system.
Spoof attacks use a replica of the authorized user’s biometric identification. Fingerprint replicas can be made from silicones or similarly flexible materials to bypass security. High-resolution photographs can show the iris pattern and can be used against a facial recognition system. The usage of video clips or masking is another form of spoof attacks.
Key Takeaway
Biometrics in the Philippines is not without risks. Biometric authentication is different from biometric identification. Authentication is comparing characteristic data of an individual. The characteristics are compared to a template to determine the resemblance. The data archived is then cross-referenced to the biometric data. Biometric identification refers to the identity of a person. The aim is to record specific biometric data from a person. This can be facial data, fingerprints, or voice patterns.
Review the demographics. This guarantees that the system you deploy will be compatible with your facility. Keep your data secure and remember who has access. It’s important to remember, especially with emerging technological advances that there is always room for error. The features of your device can decide how secure and how costly your biometric system will be. Be mindful of potential hazards, not all data is proven to be secure, especially against a determined individual.
Knowing your product, manufacturer, and the vendor can prevent problems in the long haul. Hopefully, with these tips and tricks, you can find the right device for your facility or business.