Noticing the recent spate of security breaches gaining noticeable attention in mainstream media and across industries, it's no wonder other security options such as biometrics have of late been receiving similar recognition. There's good cause for renewed interest in security; for instance, 9.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2004 alone, according to the Identity Theft Survey, Javelin/Better Business Bureau. And this is only one aspect of security.

Enterprise security today is increasingly incorporating biometric identifiers as an additional catalyst for security. In fact, New York City-based consulting firm International Biometric Group reported that the worldwide market for biometric devices grew last year to $1.2 billion, a 67 percent increase.

The use of biometrics, or a method of verifying an individual's identity based on physical features such as hand shapes, fingerprints or iris patterns, has emerged in part because of a growing awareness that passwords are oft unreliable for security. There are, in general, two types of biometrics: behavioral, which measures a user's performed activity such as keystroke, signature or voice, among others; and physiological, which examines physical characteristics such as fingerprint, retina, iris, hand, face or DNA, among others. The two most widely used biometrics technologies are fingerprint recognition systems (48 percent) and facial recognition (12 percent).

According to an Oct. 14 Newsday article: "The overall biometrics industry, mostly government and corporate applications, will generate a projected $1.5 billion in revenue worldwide this year and nearly $5.3 billion annually by 2010, said Brian Wong, senior consultant to International Biometric Group."

The firm's analysts further estimate an expansion to $4.6 billion by 2008.

Of note, the first-ever one-day international biometrics Web conference, the Biometrics E-Symposium 2005, held on Sept. 28, brought more than 1,500 viewings from 86 countries — both a success and encouragement for those involved in the maturing technology.

Newsday continued, "companies are moving into the consumer market, focusing on fingerprint readers because the components are cheap and small."

We generally use passwords, passcodes and pin numbers to access a personal computer's highly confidential data and records; or to access financial accounts at the ATM or to highly vulnerable corporate-enterprise systems; or even to gain entry to or start the car — all of which in turn leaves us with a large pool of passwords, passcodes and pin numbers from which to recall during a particular entry/access transaction. For the security of such highly confidential information, biometrics is more often being used.

Integrating biometrics into an enterprise-environment security system may take time and training, but, according to a Top Tech News story, "it is generally not as tricky as bringing together multiple operating systems or competing software."

"As biometrics has grown as a field, there's been an effort on the part of developers to make sure that it integrates with other security technologies," Top Tech quoted Joseph Kim, associate director of consulting at International Biometric Group. "It's easier now to put biometrics on top of security than to take out the security and put biometrics in."

Although, while biometric authentication certainly adds an extra layer of security, as EarthWeb, IT Management noted, "it would be a mistake to implement a high-end system and then feel that break-ins instantly would be consigned to the history books. It takes back-end integration, constant vigilance and consistent user involvement to keep an enterprise secure […] There is little point, then, in adopting a stand-alone biometrics system that cannot easily be assimilated into the organization's existing security fabric."

Already introduced to the consumer market, IBM advertises in commercials the company's biometric laptop computer that can be accessed by merely swiping your finger. Pantech offers a cell phone in which fingerprints provide secure access and allow speed dialing 10 numbers -- each with a different finger. And Adel and Biocert Guardian locks secure doors with a touch.

Biometric technology also has lately been deployed in application areas such as immigration, ATMs and national identification, the idea being that the security advantage lies in that the personal I.D. cannot be lost, hacked or stolen.

However, as the Associated Press noted on Oct. 11, these implementations are slow in the United States and the United Kingdom, and are mostly taking place in South America (e.g., Chile and Columbia), where "citizens already are accustomed to the use of fingerprints for general identification, such as I.D. cards they carry." Airports in Canada and the Netherlands also are using systems that scan the iris of the eye to check passengers going through customs, as are border points in the United Arab Emirates to identify fake work visas.

For biometrics in the UK, see the headline of an Oct. 7 Silicon.com article: "Biometrics not ready for prime time, says Europe; Tech too new for large-scale implementations."

As for the U.S., see again AP's coverage: "Scanning fingerprints or irises to verify an ATM customer's identity has yet to penetrate the U.S. banking market because of concerns about expense and privacy." For now, privacy issues keep biometrics from going full-blown mainstream in the U.S., with some exceptions: finger scans are being used at some grocery stores and locker rentals at airports, train stations and theme parks, as well as the Statue of Liberty. "Biometrics are [sic.] also being used in U.S. airports as part of the 'Registered Traveler' program for prescreened flyers," according to AP.

Like any technology still in its infancy, there are still a number of concerns and imperfections to work out; however, biometrics is no longer such a leading-edge technology as to only appear in such far-fetched circumstances as those found on TV's 24, Alias and CSI. Today's systems are developed at least to the point that biometrics can be incorporated into enterprise systems without too much effort. Ignoring the hype, biometrics should probably be seen as the still-flawed-but-promising technology it really is.

References

2005 Identity Fraud Survey Report
Don Phan (project manager)
Javelin Strategy & Research, January 2005
http://www.javelinstrategy.com/reports/2005IdentityFraudSurveyReport.html

Adding Biometrics to Enterprise Security Arsenal
Drew Robb
EarthWeb, IT Management, Oct. 18, 2005
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/secu/article.php/3557156

The future at your fingertips; Biometric security spreads to consumer devices
Richard J. Dalton Jr.
Newsday, Oct. 14, 2005
http://www.newsday.com/technology/ny-bzbio144468196oct14,0,6102791.story?coll=ny-technology

Biometrics E-Symposium 2005
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/10/emw298582.htm

Biometrics for the Masses
Elizabeth Millard
Top Tech News, Oct. 17, 2005
http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=38457

Privacy keeps biometrics out of U.S., for now
Associated Press, Oct. 11, 2005
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051011/biometrics_USattitudes_20051011/20051011?hub=SciTech

Biometrics not ready for prime time, says Europe; Tech too new for large-scale implementations
Steve Ranger
Silicon.com, Oct. 7, 2005
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39153131,00.htm