biometrics

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Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics and point of sale (POS) applications. In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience.

Biometric devices, such as fingerscanners, consist of:

• A reader or scanning device
• Software that converts the scanned information into digital form and compares match points
• A database that stores the biometric data for comparison

To prevent identity theft, biometric data is usually encrypted when it's gathered. Here's how biometric verification works on the back end: To convert the biometric input, a software application is used to identify specific points of data as match points. The match points in the database are processed using an algorithm that translates that information into a numeric value. The database value is compared with the biometric input the end user has entered into the scanner and authentication is either approved or denied.

Getting started with biometrics

To explore how biometrics are used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:

Biometrics: Banking on secure identity management: Biometrics can be a valuable IAM tool for enterprises but some employees and administrators are confused by the technology's complexity. In this Security School, Joel Dubin exposes several myths and unveils how biometrics can work with Active Directory.

Trends in enterprise identity and access management: The IAM market is constantly changing and the need for enterprise IAM systems is increasing. Keep your systems secure by staying informed on the latest market trends in several IAM areas such as biometrics, endpoint security and enterprise role management.

Avoiding the biggest IAM mistakes: Discover the biggest blunders in password management and maintenance and user access and learn how to prevent them.

Biometric authentication systems vs. token-based systems:Are you contemplating implementing a biometric authentication system? Get tips and weigh the pros and cons of a biometric authentication system versus a token-based system.

Read more about biometrics: - The Biometric Consortium is a U.S. Government-sponsored focal point for information about biometrics, particularly for security uses.

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