What is Biometric Verification?

In the era of the internet, we are doing most of the tasks using the internet like paying bills, online shopping, searching, communicating, etc. So the security of the data is always a major concern for every internet user because so many people on the internet trying to steal the personal information of the users for their own benefit. So, in this article, we will discuss unique IDs and biometrics. 

Unique IDs

A unique ID is a numeric or alphanumeric string that is created by some biometric technology to store the unique data associated with that numeric or alphanumeric string which will give the person a unique identity in the user field. They are used for the identification of the person, computer, machine, companies, and website by allotting the unique IDs in that field. It helps the organization or governing body to easily identify the user and items.

Unique IDs are like the Identifiers that are completely unique among all the identifiers used for any objects or for any specific purposes. This concept is earlier formed for computer science and Information systems but now the concept of unique IDs is used in various fields.

Uses 

Some of the uses of unique IDs are:

• Unique IDs is used in the government issue IDs such as Aadhaar card.
• Used as National Identification number government of different nation used to track their citizens for different govt. schemes such as taxations, their address, health care, etc.
• Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) is generally used in e-commerce to identify the product uniquely and helps in managing the products.
• For tracing the unique items such as their location and behavior.
• Unique IDs are used in Educational Institutions for the unique identification of each student.
• It is also used in the corporate industries.
• Now a day it is also used in mobile phones for user authentications.

Advantages 

• Unique IDs are used by governments for the unique identification of citizens.
• Unique IDs are used in various companies.
• helps in storing the data or fetching the data associated with particular unique IDs.
• Unique IDs are used in the Aadhaar cards.

Disadvantages

• Hackers can steal personal data with the help of unique IDs.
• Issue of privacy is created.

Biometrics

Biometrics is an automated method of recognizing a person based on physiological or behavioral characteristics, the measurement and statistical analysis of a person’s unique characteristics. Biometrics technologies measure a particular set of a person’s traits to determine identity. The certification process of biometrics is fast due to which is most popular in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics, and point of sale applications. A biometric device contains a reader or scanning device, software to convert the scanned biometric data into a digital format, and a database to store the biometric data for comparison. It is the safest source of security because it measures mankind’s traits. These mankind’s traits are unique in every person like:

• Fingerprint – Every person has a different pattern of a fingerprint.
• Facial – Every person has a different structure of the face.
• Iris – Every person has different characteristics in Iris.
• Keystrokes – Every person has different types of typing styles.

How does Biometrics work?

Before moving to the working of biometrics first, we learn the components of biometrics:

• A sensor is used to collect data.
• Signal processing algorithms are used to perform quality control activities and generate the biometric pattern.
• Data storage that keeps information to compare the new biometric process with.
• A match-making algorithm that does the actual comparison.
• A decision process(either automated or human-assisted)that uses the result from a match-making algorithm to make a decision.
• Identification determines the identity of the person.
• Authentication is used to check whether the person is indeed the same who he claims to be.

Now the working of biometrics are:

• First, the sensor of the systems scans your traits (Finger, Iris).
• Then the pre-processing unit makes a map from the points scanned by the sensor.
• After that, a set of algorithms converts this map into a binary number. This process is done by a feature extractor.
• A template generator makes a template of the binary numbers and it is stored in store templates.
• A matcher matches the new trait with all the old stored temples.
• The application device then with the help of the matcher’s result displays the result and whether to give access or not.

Types of Biometrics

1. Behavioral Biometrics: It is used to uniquely identify and measurable patterns in human activities and authenticates the user according to the patterns in their behavior and these patterns produce while doing some actions such as writing, talking and walking, etc. Types of behavioral biometrics are:

• Speech Recognition: Speech recognition listens to voice patterns for verifying humans. A microphone listens to voice patterns and records them than saving them. At the features records time of verification this stored and new voice pattern is compared by application to give results. Speech recognition is used to give commands to your computer, mobiles, and television. The voice of every person is different due to its vocal tract including the mouth, nose and larynx determine the sound produced by the individual. What happens when a person says the variations of the moments, tone, pace, and so on. It is always unique to each individual. For speech recognition, nasal tone, fundamental frequency, inflections, and cadence are used for authentication all these behavioral properties of voice combine together to form the unique Voiceprint.
• Signature Recognition: Signature recognition is a behavioral biometric it can be operated in two different ways.

1. Static: In this, the user writes their signature on paper, then digitizes it with the help of an optical scanner or a camera, and then the biometric system recognizes the signature by analyzing its shape. This data is stored in bits and all the coordinates of the shape are recorded for further future authentications.
2. Dynamic: Some systems also operate on smartphones or tablets with a capacitive screen where users can sign using a finger or an appropriate pen. here the signature is recorded using the digital sensitive pads then the shape, inclination, and speed are recorded, and that information is used for future authentications.

2. Physical Biometrics: It is physiological or structural features of the human body such as fingerprint, iris, and facial pattern used for either identification or verification. It is used in various fields such as smartphones and laptops for giving access control to the genuine user of that device. Types of physical biometrics are:

• Fingerprint scanner: A fingerprint scanner a human finger then processes it to map by the points of loop and ridges of the finger. This map has then been converted into templates. Then matcher compares two temples and gives the result. The final result will be displayed by software (with the help of a matcher). This biometric system is a very old and developed type of biometric recognition, fingerprints are easy to capture and then compare its loop, arches, and ridges in each pattern. and this data is used to create the unique biometric template. The template is then compared to existing scans to either deny or confirm the match.
• Facial Scanner: A scanner (application) scans the geometry (structure) of the application face. Then a set of algorithms convert it into binary numbers and store it in the database. Then at the time of identification matcher compares the new and store face. The application shows the results and gives access.
• Iris Scanner: An Iris scanner scans the iris inwards to the pupil edge. Then the algorithm makes a map by the plotted marks of the iris (usually 173 points). This map is then transferred to numbers and made templates then at the time of identification matcher compresses the new and stored iris. The application shows the result and gives access.

Uses

• Biometric time clocks or biometric time and attendance systems. They are used to control employee timekeeping.
• Biometric safes and locks provide security to homeowners.
• Biometric access control system, providing strong security AI entrances.
• Nowadays it is been used in many smartphones also.

Advantages

• Increase security provides convenient and low-cost additional security.
• Reduces password administration costs.
• Replaces hard-to-remember passwords and pins.

Disadvantages

• High cost, low accuracy, dependence on lighting, high error rate, intrusion of privacy, and size of devices are some of the disadvantages of using biometrics.
• A Biometric authentication system may not work if the user gets injured or scarred. For example – a burn injury to the hand could throw off a previously registered finger scan.