Biometrics Tutorial

Biometrics is a modern technology design to improve the security features across various industries for identification and access control. This technology is developed by combining three different fields, i.e., information technology (digital data), electronics (sensors and measuring tools), and biology (human body measurements).

The primary objective of designing and developing biometrics is to provide highly secure and convenient authentication methods for individuals.

A very common example of biometrics that we see every day is when using the fingerprint (or face) to unlock our smartphones or office doors. Biometrics is developed for making identification and access control more secure, fast, and reliable. When compared with passwords and PINs, biometrics are more secure and convenient, as it is free from issues like forget and steal.

However, biometrics also has its own challenges like any other security technology. One of the major issues with biometrics is privacy concerns of personal data of an individual. Also, if once the biometrics data of someone is compromised, it cannot be changed like a password. Therefore, it is very important to protect this sensitive data from potential risks and breaches.

What are Biometrics?

Biometrics are nothing but measurements and calculations related to human body to determine their characteristics and features. These measurements and calculations are then used for authentication, identification, and access control to electronic systems and are known as Biometric Authentication or Realistic Authentication.

Biometric authentication is widely used in computerized systems like smartphones, laptops, security doors, lockers, and more for access control. In various digital systems like digital identity cards, it is also used for identification of individuals.

Biometric authentication systems use unique and measurable characteristics of individuals for identifying them uniquely. These biometric characteristics are generally categorized as physiological characteristics and behavioral characteristics.

Physiological Characteristics

These characteristics are related to shape of the body. Examples of physiological characteristics include fingerprints, face structure, DNA, palm print, hand geometry, retina, shape of ear, odor, scent, etc.

Behavioral Characteristics

These characteristics are related to pattern of behavior of an individual. Examples of behavioral characteristics include typing rhythm, signature, mouse movement, voice, gait, etc.

Biometric authentication systems are completely different from traditional identification systems like passwords, PINs, etc. as they are unique to individuals and more reliable.

What is a Biometric System?

A technological system that captures physiological or behavioral data of a person as input and process it for identification of the person is referred to as a biometric system. A typical biometric system works as follows −

Step 1 − First of all, the biometric system captures the biological data like fingerprint, iris scan, voice, face pattern, etc. of an individual.

Step 2 − The system extracts the pattern or characteristics from the input data.

Step 3 − The extracted patterns are then compared with the pre-stored data samples in the database.

Step 4 − Finally, the system gives appropriate results or make decisions if the input data matches with the samples.

Process of Identification using Biometric System

The identification using biometric system is a four-step process. This section explains how a biometric system performs identification of a person −

Enrollment − Enrollment is the process of capturing biometric data of a person and store in a database as reference values for future comparisons.
Capturing and Verification − In this step, the biometric system takes the biometric data of a person as input. Then, it compares the captured data input with the reference values stored in the database and verifies the person.
Identification − In this step, the system gives a result to show whether the input data is matched with a reference value in the database and shows the identity of the person.
Authentication − It is the final step of identification process. In this step, the biometric system grants or denies the access depending on the identification results.

Advantages of Biometrics

Listed below are some of the major advantages of using biometrics and biometric security systems −

Biometrics are unique for an individual and they are very difficult to forget or steal as compared to other security mechanisms like password, pin, etc.
Biometrics are more convenient, as users do not need remember these data.
Biometrics are relatively more security as they are unique and cannot overlap for multiple users.
Biometric systems based on behavioral data provide more secure authentication during an ongoing session.

Disadvantages of Biometrics

Biometrics also have certain disadvantages which are listed below −

Biometrics are highly personalized data of an individual. Hence, they can have serious privacy concerns if mishandled.
Biometric systems are relatively more complex and expensive.
Biometric systems are sensitive to environmental conditions like dirty and moisturized area, dark area, etc. These factors can affect the operations of biometric systems.
Some of the biometric techniques like fake fingerprints can be used for unauthorized access to systems.

Who Should Use the Biometrics Tutorial?

This tutorial on Biometric is designed for absolute beginners. Anyone having interest in learning and understanding the biometrics and various biometric systems used for security can enjoy this tutorial.

This tutorial covers all the basic concepts related to biometrics and present them in a simple and easy to understand manner. This tutorial can be used as a valuable resource by undergraduate college students as well as security professionals.

What are the Prerequisites to Learn Biometrics?

Biometrics is an advanced and multidisciplinary concept based on biology, computer science, and electronics. Hence, to understand this concept, the reader must have a basic knowledge of these disciplines.

A background in electronics and computer science will help the readers to understand the logics behind the functioning of biometric measurements and calculations. Readers should also have knowledge of mathematics which helps them to understand the algorithms and pattern recognition techniques used in biometric systems.

For in-depth understanding of Biometrics, one must be familiar with more advanced concepts like data structure, algorithms, and basic programming.

FAQs on Biometrics

In this section, we have collected a set of Frequently Asked Questions on Biometrics followed by their answers −

The following are the four main types of biometrics depending on the physiological and behavioral biometric characteristics −

Fingerprint Recognition − It is the most common and widely used type of biometrics. It is very commonly used in smartphones and digital security systems. It performs authentication by using individuals unique patterns of fingerprints.
Face Recognition − This type biometrics performs authentication by analyzing facial patterns like shape of jawline, distance between eyes, length of nose, size of lips, etc. It is also used in smartphones, door locks, and other security systems.
Iris Recognition − In this type of biometrics, identity authentication is performed by recognizing the unique patterns in the iris of individuals. This biometrics is one of the highly accurate techniques and is used in high-security applications.
Voice Recognition − It is a used type of biometrics used in common applications like unlocking smartphones, voice assistants, security systems. This biometrics technique uses vocal characteristics of an individual to authenticate identity.

The process of authenticating the identity of an individual by using his physiological or behavioral characteristics like fingerprint, facial structure, iris, voice, etc. is referred to as biometric verification.

Biometric verification is used in modern security systems as a more accurate, security, and convenient authentication method.

The main purpose of biometrics is to provide an accurate, convenient, and most secure method for identity authentication of individuals.

Yes, biometrics is one of the safe and secure method for identity authentication. This is because it makes the use of physiological and behavioral characteristics which are unique to individual.

Yes, Face ID is also a biometric technique. It uses individuals facial patterns to recognize and verify the identity. It is commonly used in smartphones, door locks, etc.

We have listed here some applications that showcase the use of biometrics in modern security systems −

Biometrics like fingerprint, face recognition, iris scan, etc. are used to unlock smartphones.
Fingerprint and face ID are very commonly used biometrics in banking and payment applications for identity verification.
Biometric methods are also used for faster passport checks and entry processes at airports.
In corporate offices, biometrics like fingerprint and face id are used to grant access to facilities.

Biometrics is considered an invention of Alphonse Bertillon, a French criminologist and anthropologist. He was performed the first use of biometrics for identifying criminals.

The key features of biometrics are highlighted below −

Biometrics are unique to an individual and can never be same for two persons.
Biometrics are permanent for a person and remain stable over a period of time.
Biometrics are universal and every person have it.
Biometrics are easy to measure and calculate.

The following are some common everyday usages of biometrics −

Unlocking our smartphone using fingerprint, face lock, or voice assistance.
Biometrics are also used to unlock doors in smart offices.
Biometrics is used in banking and payment apps for identity authentication.
Biometrics is also used for daily attendance of employees.

Fingerprint is a type of biometric. But biometric is an umbrella term that includes various types of authentication methods such as face id, iris scan, voice recognition, gait, etc.

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