The Fundamentals of How Biometric Systems Work
Published on : December 6, 2018
What are the foundations of a biometric system?
The Processes
- Enrollment
- Storage
- Comparison
The Components
Level of Security
In the Philippines, biometrics is becoming one of the most popular and necessary security measures for every establishment. Its precise identification method and almost nonexistent variation make it the ultimate security procedure! There are different kinds of biometrics—some of which include fingerprints, iris scans, veins, face, voice, and even hand geometry.
The use of a unique, physical attribute of your body makes it very easy to detect and verify your identity. This also makes it extremely hard to falsify, reducing the chances of any security breach for things and places that are secured with biometric means. The use of bodily parts also ensures that you won’t need any other separate physical object such as keys or cards, which also have their own security risk of getting lost or stolen.
In essence, biometric systems are not only used for strong and efficient security protocols, but also for a stricter and more convenient access control program. With that being said, this technology, though seemingly quite complex in its firmness and effectivity, is composed of simple mechanisms and processes.
With that in mind, here’s a short preview on how these biometric systems work!
The Processes
It may not seem like it but the whole biometric mechanism can be summarized in three simple steps. In fact, almost every type of biometric system functions with just these three basic procedures!
You can’t use a biometric system unless you’re registered into its database. When you’re not registered, it automatically sees you as an outside force or threat. That’s why for every company that has a biometric system such as an iris scanner or a fingerprint scanner, the first thing that every employee does is to register themselves into the system.
The basic information that is recorded is their name and identification number. Sometimes they include other personal information such as your government ID nos., address, age, and the likes. Afterward, they pair it with the recorded biodata it uses (your fingerprint, iris, etc.)
This information can then be shared among other systems. In the Philippines, door lock systems and attendance monitoring systems are the most popular devices that share the information!
The recorded information is then stored in various means. Your personal information will be put into a database wherein only the HR department has access. The biodata, however, is rarely stored in its entirety. Rather, the biometric device analyzes it and translates it into a code, graph, or any other logical data. This creates the unbelievably strict recognition system wherein only the same fingerprint from the same finger can be used.
The next time that you use the system, the code provided by your biodata will be compared with the collection of codes it has in store. The device will then accept or reject you depending on whether or not you match one of these codes.
The patterns and codes that a person’s biodata, for example, their fingerprints, create are comfortingly unique to them alone. Making the falsification of identification very difficult and close to impossible. And that makes this system of comparison almost foolproof.
The Components
Again, assuming that a biometric device is filled with a load of complicated parts is acceptable, but just like how the process is relatively simple, so are its components. In fact, there are only three main components that make up the standard biometric system. These are listed below:
These are the devices that are used to read the biodata. They would usually specialize in only one specific characteristic.
As with most systems nowadays, a computer is necessary as it is used to store information and read that data.
Of course, a computer can only go so far. It will need software to bring the biometric system to life. The software is the key to analyzing the characteristics, translate them into logical data and perform all the comparisons. In essence, the software is the brain of a biometric system!
Level of Biometric Security
As mentioned above, the steps and parts of a biometric system are rather simple. With that information, you would think that all of these systems have the same level of security—that’s where you’re wrong. Although they all make use of a type of biodata, the level of security that they provide varies. For example, elements such as handwriting, fingerprints, and hand geometry are standard. However, utilizing more unique bodily characteristics such as iris scans, voice recognition, and vein geometry provides a higher level of security!
The level of security provided by different bodily characteristics varies depending on the complexity and uniqueness of those patterns.
Key Takeaway
In the Philippines, biometrics can be found in almost every corporate establishment. Many companies have accepted its strength in keeping the workplace along with various assets safe from harm’s way. Moreover, its potential to be integrated into things such as access control or door lock systems in the Philippines makes it more vital and versatile!