Page 58 - Security Today, March 2018

Poised for Expansion Biometrics ready for adoption by all security users
BWy Mark Clifton
e live in a high-tech world where scanning an eyeball can unlock the door to a nuclear facility —or open an email inbox. Biometric technolo- gy is no longer reserved for people with govern- ment security clearance who are on top-secret
mitting a crime. Now scanning fingers and irises is becoming more widespread for both personal and professional use. You could say that Apple took the fear factor out of using fingerprints.
Today, anyone with a smartphone may be using this technology to access information or secure their devices. In fact, if your smart- phone or laptop doesn’t already allow you to swipe your finger or scan your eyes to gain entry, it will soon.
In essence, biometric technology is being used for everything from gaining access to government security operations to unlocking a smartphone to checking Facebook. And now, more people than ever are using it. Iris recognition programs are also available on phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Apple iPhone X has facial recognition, once again placing the technology directly in the hands of consumers.
Embracing Biometric Technology
Now that biometric technology is being embraced on the consumer level, we’re really going to see it take off. According to a Visa survey of 1,000 people, 86 percent of them said they want to use biomet- rics for payments or identity verification. About 70 percent say that biometrics will be easier than passwords or PINs, but only 46 per-
missions. Most of us are using biometric technology in some way, shape or form whether that is at work or in our personal lives. If you are not yet using it, you will be soon.
Most people have some knowledge about biometrics from watch- ing sci-fi movies and other action-packed television shows. For a long time, it was only featured there and felt like some far-off future tech- nology, but then you began hearing about it being used at high-secu- rity facilities. Still, it wasn’t in the hands of the everyday consumer.
When was the turning point for biometrics? Was there a moment in time when it went from being something reserved for classified lo- cations and movie sets to a tool that anyone can use?
Some may argue that biometrics became commonplace when Apple added touch identification to their phones. Others recall seeing fingerprint scanners on enterprise laptops. To me, Apple’s adoption was when the average Joe really started to embrace using biometrics. Prior to that, the only thing associated with a fingerprint was com-
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0318 | SECURITY TODAY
BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY
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