Chapter 1: Exploring Biometric Technology

Companies today are designing devices and computer systems to provide password-free authentication by using biometrics, which are the behavioral or physiological characteristics that are unique to an individual. Devices now include fingerprint technology, facial and voice recognition, and other methods such as haptics to provide authorized access to a device. Today, many organizations are adopting the use of biometrics to enable their employees to enter buildings, access cloud resources, and log in to phones and computers. As a result, IT managers may have to face the prospect of deploying a large-scale biometric system.

But just what is meant by biometrics, and why is the global market share of biometrics expected to double in the next five years? This chapter will answer these and other questions. It will cover the basics of biometric technology and terminology and compare various methods. We’ll see how, in addition to providing...