IoT – Biometric Domain
In this article, we shall try and understand the concept of the biometric domain. Then, we will go through various topics like what biometrics are, applications of biometrics, the role of biometrics in IoT, business applications of biometrics, and the future of biometrics and IoT.
We will conclude this topic by briefly discussing the workings of a fingerprint scanner so that the next time you either see one or use one, you will know exactly how it works. Therefore, pay attention and read till the end of the article.
What is Biometrics?
Biometrics are the unique physical characteristics of humans, like the eyes, thumbprints, and voice. Did you know that no two humans who ever existed on planet Earth have the same fingerprints? – not even twins.
Today, biometrics are used for various purposes. Some include identification systems, security systems, government cards (Aadhar card, driving licence), and many more.
The use of biometrics technology is increasing in every industry. By definition, biometrics technology verifies user login attempts based on characteristics unique to every individual, such as fingerprints, eyes, face, and voice.
A Deeper Dive into Biometrics
We all know that IoT devices are very vulnerable and prone to cyber-attacks because of the private and sensitive information they gather and store. Today, old methods like pins, passwords, and patterns are not enough to protect these IoT devices that contain vast amounts of sensitive information.
There are many reasons why old methods are not enough. For example, users may forget or share passwords, and hackers can easily guess passwords; thus not a great alternative for IoT devices. We could use 2-factor authentication to increase security, but it will cause inconvenience to the end user.
That is why biometrics is our best bet. They use physical characteristics that are unique to every individual. In addition, various biological characteristics, like iris patterns, fingerprints, and vein patterns, are different in every individual, making it difficult to hack a device protected by biometrics.
Applications of Biometrics in Security Technology
As mentioned earlier, biometrics are used for a variety of purposes. However, in the security domain, these are the four types of commonly used biometric applications:
1. Fingerprint Readers
When the iPhone 5S came with a built-in fingerprint reader, the world was taken aback by the leap in security as it presented a paradigm shift in public acceptance of biometric security. But today, the widespread use of fingerprints in day-to-day life has helped reposition biometric security as mainstream, as we use it multiple times in our daily tasks.
2. Facial Recognition
Ironically, again, when the iPhone X removed the fingerprint sensors and came built-in with state-of-the-art facial recognition technology, people asked for the return of the fingerprint scanner. But today, The masses want facial recognition as it is much faster. That is why 98% of all smartphones come with facial recognition technology.
3. Iris Recognition
Iris recognition is another secure form of biometrics as it is very reliable. Most flagship smartphones today come with a built-in iris recognition security system. According to multiple reports, iris recognition will be one of the most used security systems in IoT devices.
4. Voice Recognition
Alexa, Google, Bixby, Siri, Cortana, and other virtual assistants can recognise your voice due to the specific frequencies and pitch that are unique only to you. Voice biometrics enables frictionless and secure access to everything from IVR Menu call centre identifiers, VoIP, mobile and online applications, and IoT devices.
The Role of IoT in Biometrics
In an IoT ecosystem, biometrics ensure that your data transfers take place safely and that the connections between them are protected. Since these physical characteristics are unique to every human, using biometrics to safeguard sensitive data in IoT devices means fewer security breaches exist.
Biometrics makes it extremely hard to fake or duplicate the biometrics of any individual. In recent IoT systems, companies and manufacturers are implementing biometrics in every stage of IoT to create a personalised and more secure experience for the end user in IoT.
Untampered data ensures that the connections are safe. As we go through each stage of an IoT system, biometrics may change, from fingerprint security to smartcards.
Business Applications of Biometrics
Apart from security, there are several other uses of biometrics to ensure both employee safety and competency. With the rising number of regulations and requirements adding up to each job role, measuring data and keeping it up to date is essential.
This is why completing a biometric profile of each employee can be invaluable, as a single location can hold all the info needed for assigning credentials, tracking training progress, and time logs.
Biometrics have also proved to be very useful in preventing time loss as the biometric time clocks analyze how much time a person spends in the office. Using biometrics in offices also eliminates this form of time fraud and ensures accurate compliance with an office’s attendance policies.
What is the Future of Biometrics?
It is powerful and will continue to grow. We all know that there is an incredible amount of data exchange happening around the world every minute, and this process must be safe for end-users.
When we combine IoT and biometrics in such scenarios, we can do some serious stuff! For example, we can trade data between devices while enhancing the security of the whole process. Hence it is safe to say that biometrics will stick around for a long time.
What are the Benefits of IoT?
It is evident that biometrics have a lot of benefits. Let us look at some of them:
1. Smarter security solutions.
2. Advanced monitoring of guarded systems.
3. Customisable features for more personalisation,
4. Instant authentication processing with less complexity.
5. Quicker data analysis.
6. Advanced alerts with better hack-proof systems.
7. Remote access with secure collaboration.
8. Multi-platform compatibility.
9. Removes the need to keep a set of passwords.
10. Unique to each individual.
How Does a Fingerprint Scanner Work?
In this section, we are not going too deep and addressing how the machine reads the fingerprint, but we are going deep enough to understand the general workings of a fingerprint scanner.
First off, the machine scans your fingerprint and records it. Post-scanning, the scanner extracts the intricate pattern of your finger and stores it on a server. The next time the user scans their fingerprint, the machine creates a template and compares it with the one stored on the server.
The person enters the system if the template matches any of the prints in the database. If not, the login fails. This is the working of a fingerprint scanner in a nutshell. Some slightly complex algorithms are involved in matching and detecting your fingerprint.
Summary
As you have seen, biometrics essentially verifies user login attempts based on characteristics unique to every individual, such as fingerprints, eyes, face, and voice.
You have now learned what biometrics is, its applications, the role of biometrics in IoT, other business applications of biometrics, and the future and benefits of biometrics. We finally concluded by discussing the brief working of a fingerprint reader.