Biometric Technologies vs Traditional Security Methods - Essay Example

? BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES VERSES TRADITIONAL SECURITY METHODS Introduction Companies strive to protect their assets, information, and offer means of access regulation to such vital information. Such a procedure needs identification and authentication to maintain right access of right information by authorized person. For years, traditional security strategies such as personal PINs and passwords have been in use but with various limitations. Currently swipe cards and personal identification numbers have been introduced for increased security. Because of various challenges associated with traditional security methods, a more recent technology – biometric security method has been introduced. Experts suggest that biometric technology is the most viable and efficient security measure compared to traditional methods, therefore, the paper aims to validate this claim. Discussion Biometric is the automatic person identification depending on the behavior or physiological attributes of that person. This authorization strategy identifies and verifies a person based on who he is before giving him access permission. The quest for increasingly reliable method of authorization to protect company information has called for biometric revelation and various companies and businesses have shown increased interest in the method. Commonly used physical biometrics is fingerprints, geometry of palms, characteristics of the face and retina, (Schuckers, 2010, p.89). Similarly, behavioral attributes are things such as voice recognition, patterns of keystroke, peoples’ signatures and gait and these technologies, voice recognition and signature are highly developed. Biometric security methods are indeed most effective authentication method compared to traditional methods such as smart cards and PINS or both. For example, the PIN or password user must remember the password to access vital information and passwords have a date of expiry and need new reassignment, which is an increased workload for support staff. In most cases, businesses, companies, and healthcare providers have found out that in most cases they cannot remember such pins and an attempt to navigate various stages to access required date, which is more tiring and time consuming, (Wayman, 2005, p.67). Technical support managers may have difficult time offering instructions to PIN users who have challenges with more basic associated technologies of signing in to certain network. Therefore, biometric technologies are more promising because they solve such problems and relieve the company of such expensive cost of hiring technical support staff, because in a system that uses one log in, biometric technology will be efficient in user authentication. Increasing number of organizations are recognizing biometric method efficiency in various applications, for example, in hospitals traditional methods are being replaced with biometric methods for authentication of users to ensure patients information privacy and confidentiality. Traditional methods such as swipe cards and passwords can be lost or stolen, and bad password management has left users writing passwords on papers and other materials or choosing general and possible works for faster remembrance, an activity that expose such pins to fraud and intruders. Biometric technologies, on the other hand, can be viable and efficient methods in solving these problems because they have strong techniques of authorization and authentication that can assure users of excellent security, (United States, 2004). Similarly, because biometric techniques uses user’s behavioral and physiological attributes in authentication and authorization, it is easy to detect and trace fraud and intrusion, (Ratha and Jain, 2005, p.85). Unlike traditional methods of authentication based of known characteristics – such as passphrases, smart cards – biometric techniques utilize distinct human traits such as voice recognition and prints of fingers that cannot be misplaced, forgotten, or lost. This is because human beings have different unique characteristics and have physical parts that are very distinct from other people. Biometric methods when combined with traditional techniques offer increased security levels over traditional methods, and biometric methods alone offer viable alternatives to traditional methods of authentication. Biometric methods also have various benefits over traditional techniques such as access cards and security codes because they are free from fraud, cannot be hacked or transferred to an authorized user, (Nelson, 2011, p.52). For instance, cataracts development may strongly prevent access unauthorized access to private information vial confirmation of retinal scan protecting the entire facility from hacking and fraud. Biometric methods are more accurate because when upon system setup biological attributes such as scans of retina and fingerprints offer extensive unique sets of data that cannot be replicate and only offers access to only authorized users, (Pato and Millett, 2010, p.23). Because biometric systems are, extremely automatic tracking of employees’ data is easier to implement because biometric technologies provide supervisors and managers an extensive chances for oversight in regards to routine activities and functions, Nelson, 2010, p.102). Some events, operation, and activities are directed to a certain individual making it easier for managers to track event chains. Unlike traditional techniques, biometric technologies can also essentially cut down on some dishonest practices of workers, which can adversely ruin the bottom line of the firm like punching of friend and other fraud forms. Biometric systems are user friendly because once installed and implemented they can indentify users quickly, reliably and uniformly, (Jain and Ratha, 2004, p.26). In addition, just little training is required to put the system in operation and users do not require expensive administrators to monitor and control the passwords and other access documents. Similarly, biometric systems do not require a lot of maintenance thus reduced cost of production. A biometric system is a crucial information segment of technology industry that people cannot avoid because, unlike traditional methods, they offer security advantages all over the spectrum, from information technology vendors to consumers, and from developers of the system of security to users of the security system, (Lockie, 2002, p.56). Various critical applications utilize biometric technologies over traditional methods, for instance, for years various increasingly secure area, or environments apply biometric techniques to regulate entry access. Currently, there is increased biometric utilization in practical security to regulate entry into protected regions – such as buildings. For instance, biometric hand geometry readers or devices are used in clinics, casinos, lodges and bars as well as office buildings to regulate access and entry because traditional methods cannot perform such tasks, (Gates, 2011, p.69). The last interesting application is for covert surveillance. Employing technologies that recognize face and body biometrics are used to identify common suspects gaining access to buildings or going through crowded security regions like hospitals and airports. Biometric technologies are applicable for increased volume control of access and various promising biometric applications are available, for instance, Eye ticket that links frequent-flyer number of a passenger to a scan of an iris. After a passenger’s enrollment in the biometric system, a manual kiosk does course check-in and ticketing with no luggage. Various airports in the United States apply hand geometry techniques for passenger verification purposes. Irrespective of the above advantages and strengths of biometric systems, they also have some limitations that make many go for traditional measures, (Futuretech and Park, 2012, p.230). For instance, some biometric technologies are complex to use and require efficient training. Similarly, there are some error incidences, for instance, environmental and time conditions may interfere with biometric systems accuracy, – and they may change, as people get older. Additionally, environmental conditions may change affect biometrics directly or affect gathering of information- voice recognition systems. Biometric devices are expensive to install, connect, integrate, and maintain and some people rejects the technologies for privacy issues. Conclusion Biometrics have made great improvements in modern era in that it has efficiently changed passing curiosity to crucial and cheaper options for user identification in many organizations, and despite the advances, experts predict further developments in the future. In other words, biometrics is replacing traditional means in security control and user identification in many fields. Bibliography Futuretech (Conference), & Park, J. J. (2012). Future information technology, application, and service FutureTech 2012. Vol. 2. Dordrecht, Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5064-7. Gates, K. (2011). Our biometric future: facial recognition technology and the culture of surveillance. New York, New York University Press. Jain, A. K., & Ratha, N. K. (2004). Biometric technology for human identification. SPIE. Lockie, M. (2002). Biometric technology. Chicago, Heinemann Library. Nelson, Lisa S. (2010). America Identified Biometric Technology and Society. MIT Press. Nelson, L. S. (2011). America identified biometric technology and society. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press. Pato, J. N., & Millett, L. I. (2010). Biometric recognition challenges and opportunities. Washington, D.C., National Academies Press. Ratha, N. K., & Jain, A. K. (2005). Biometric technology for human identification II. Bellingham, Wash, SPIE. Schuckers, M. E. (2010). Computational methods in biometric authentication statistical methods for performance evaluation. New York, Springer. United States. (2004). Advancements in smart card and biometric technology: hearing before the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census of the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, first session, September 9, 2003. Washington, U.S. G.P.O. Wayman, J. (2005). Biometric systems technology, design, and performance evaluation. London, Springer. Read More