Biometrics Essay

Biometrics are defined as systems that are used to verify and identify people using their physical features (such as their faces and fingerprints) and also their behavioral characteristics (such as their handwriting) [1]. The field of biometrics is becoming more and more relevant these days as the need to enhance security systems and to solve crime mysteries has become one of the main focuses in the research industry. Biometrics is a broad field on its own because of its wide range of applications in the real world.
The development of biometrics first started during the 19th century when the chief of the criminal identification division of the police department in Paris named Alphonse Bertillon came up with a system of using body measurements to identify criminals [1]. So, it is very clear that using physical features to identify a person of interest is not a research that started recently but rather a long time ago even before the invention of computers.
Biometrics can be considered to be an enhanced technology in comparison to the authentication technology because unlike authentication technology, biometrics verifies and identifies human beings based on who they are instead of what they possess …show more content…
These methods all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on where and how they are applied. Characteristics of biometrics are classified into three main classes: physical features, behavioral and psychological characteristics [2]. Methods of biometrics that use physical features characteristics are usually used for access control purposes. Behavioral characteristics are used for managing remote authentication and psychological characteristics are used to protect users against spoof attacks or applications with high level of security. Biometric systems that use psychological characteristics are still relatively new and so far have low level of accuracy