Five worthy reads: Biometric authentication—unrivaled security or a threat to privacy?
Five worthy reads is a regular column on five noteworthy items we have discovered while researching trending and timeless topics. In this week's edition, we will explore what biometrics are and their role in today's digital landscape.
Technology has become accessible to all and is growing at an unprecedented pace. While offering countless opportunities for innovation, it brings with it a fair share of risks and challenges that, if ignored or left unaddressed, could cause massive financial disruptions, irrevocable reputational damage, and losses of sensitive information.
While numerous strategies are available today to tackle evolving cyberthreat vectors and safeguard your digital assets, this blog will delve deeper into biometrics and explore how it has transformed and, more precisely, modernized digital operations. Before we jump into the types, pros and cons, and future of biometrics, let us learn what biometrics are in the first place.
What is biometric authentication?
Biometrics, as the name suggests, are unique physical and behavioral traits of an individual, such as their fingerprints, iris patterns, voice, and facial characteristics, that help authenticate their identity and prevent unauthorized access to systems and data. The adoption of biometrics has become ubiquitous since they offer enhanced security and are extremely convenient for users.
What led to the emergence of biometric authentication? Well, the answer is pretty straightforward! Conventional authentication methods such as passwords and PINs can be compromised easily by threat actors, thus opening the door for attacks. While multi-factor authentication acts as a shield protecting data, biometrics are more secure as they are immutable and linked inherently to the individual. Due to these reasons, the chances of forging or spoofing biometrics are lower, and this improves security.
In addition, verifying an individual's identity using biometrics has a trifecta of benefits: fraud reduction, the elimination of the need to remember complex passwords, and a smooth, frictionless authentication experience. As a result, people around the globe are embracing this revolutionary technology that simplifies their lives and protects their identities, personal data, and finances.
Multimodal biometrics
Multimodal biometrics refer to the types of biometric authentication that individuals and businesses use in their day-to-day operations to verify identities. The four key ways in which biometrics are secured are a fingerprint scan, voice recognition, facial recognition, and an iris or retinal scan. Of these methods, the fingerprint scan is the most prevalent and widely recognized for its ease of use, speed, accuracy, and reliability.
In today's digital era, facial recognition also has gained popularity due to its incorporation in smartphones and various FinTech applications. The other biometric authentication methods are less preferred since they require specialized systems to capture and process data and are often more expensive than their peers.
The 2 sides of biometrics: Unfolding the advantages and disadvantages
From a security standpoint, biometric authentication is decidedly a powerful, robust form of identity verification. It streamlines operations, improves user experiences, reduces authentication times, and minimizes the chance of masquerading. Additionally, biometrics offer remarkable convenience; users can complete the authentication process by just glancing at a camera, talking into a microphone, or placing their finger on a device's built-in fingerprint scanner.
Though they have merits worth mentioning, biometrics carry with them a good number of drawbacks that we must consider when opting for them. As discussed before, biometrics are unique and connected intrinsically to individuals. For this very reason, users have concerns about how their sensitive information is collected, stored, and processed and whether it might be used for purposes other than the intended without their explicit consent. At times, biometric systems can fail and allow impostors while blocking genuine user requests. Even a minor data breach can have grave repercussions for individuals and paralyze business operations.
Is traditional authentication nearing extinction?
With all this considered, will biometric authentication replace traditional authentication methods? Are they thrown under the bus? Or are they just obsolete? A big no to all of these! Though fingerprint and facial recognition methods have become common among individuals, traditional methods like passwords, patterns, physical tokens, and PINs still exist. The primary reasons behind this could be:
Users are familiar and comfortable with these methods.
Users are reluctant to share their personal data as they are highly individualistic and have concerns over their privacy.
Major smartphone manufacturers and FinTech application developers are highly flexible when it comes to identity verification, letting users choose between traditional and biometric authentication. This gives users the freedom to choose the one they trust the most without fettering them or forcing them to transition to these multimodal biometrics.
Now that we have gained knowledge on biometrics and the things revolving around it, here we will share some insightful articles that will add more depth and different dimensions to the topic while also keeping you glued to it.
Given the distinctive nature of your biological characteristics, it is not just advisable to know the ropes; it's indispensable. Beyond fingerprint, iris, and voice recognition, today's biometric systems have significantly evolved. Have you ever imagined your handwriting and veins helping you with your verification? If you're looking for a content piece that is free of jargon and breaks down complex, technical concepts into simple, digestible explanations, then this article is for you.
2. How Does Biometric Authentication Enhance Security Compared To Traditional Password Methods?
Biometric authentication techniques are praised and preferred over traditional authentication techniques for their accuracy and unparalleled convenience. Passwords and PINs can be stolen or guessed easily, whereas biometric systems store information in an encrypted format, making it hard for attackers to decode the data. Although there are a few lingering privacy concerns, the adoption of biometric authentication among businesses and individuals is seeing a steady rise as it has turned into one of the best cyberdefense strategies to combat potential fraud.
3. Biometric Payments: Security and Convenience in the Digital Age
Biometric authentication finds applications in a variety of sectors, including retail, government, healthcare, and aviation. Still, banking is the sector that leverages biometrics the most as it involves large-scale financial transactions. If you are curious to learn more about how financial institutions and payment apps are integrating this technology to keep security at its zenith as well as the pressing challenges posed, then this article is a good read.
4. Biometric laws around the World
Biometrics are sensitive information, and organizations around the globe must be mindful of how they collect, store, and process that information. Laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation, Protection of Personal Information Act, and Biometric Information Protection Act list a set of guidelines on how organizations should handle biometrics. Any misuse or noncompliance with legal mandates could not only cause an organization's reputation to plummet but also result in hefty penalties for the organization regardless of its size and prove disastrous.
5. Exploring the Future of Biometric Authentication
In today's digital realm, biometric authentication remains optional but is on the cusp of becoming mandatory. With identity theft proliferating, verifying our identities with biometrics could soon be the main way of authentication. It is fascinating to know that a system for authenticating your identity by analyzing your body odor is being developed. Liveliness biometric systems could be the next advancement; they would prompt users to perform actions in real time, such as blinking or turning their heads, apart from just looking at a camera.
Moreover, behavioral biometric systems could see a lot of traction since they could precisely authenticate our identities by analyzing our typing speed, pressure, and pattern; our eye movements; our heartbeat; and more. Also, with AI becoming inevitable, biometric systems could be integrated with AI models to identify and prevent spoofing attempts, thus fortifying security.
Parting thoughts
Undoubtedly, biometrics are the new norm in data security and an attractive alternative to conventional authentication techniques. Needless to say, biometric systems are advancing notably and are almost foolproof and infallible, but there are several pitfalls. Unlike passwords and PINs, biometric data cannot be changed, and if compromised, it is outright exposed and stolen. There are also biological limitations, such as aging and physical injury, and the question is whether these systems are capable of adapting to those changes.
With increased adoption comes the associated risk that has to be immediately but carefully addressed to thwart unauthorized or fraudulent entry. With biometrics prevailing as one of the most attractive options for individuals and businesses, we must exercise prudence and understand the concerns surrounding their storage and usage.
By adhering to privacy mandates and following proper data encryption practices, corporations can gain users' trust and circumvent costly fines. For individuals, it is advised to stay informed about the evolving biometric landscape to fight against identity fraud effectively.