For those unfamiliar with the term, biometrics refers to the measurement or statistical analysis of someone’s physical or biological characteristics (such as a fingerprint, an iris, or even a DNA signature). However, the term is increasingly being used, at least in business contexts, to refer to the application of biometric security.
Although passwords can be guessed and network vulnerabilities exploited, bypassing biometric security protocols is much more difficult. For example, how will a cybercriminal reproduce a fingerprint or an iris scan? It should come as no surprise, then, that the unique aspects that make up our physical characteristics are increasingly being used for authentication methods by companies around the world thanks in large part to recent developments in consumer space. The use of biometrics in smartphones, for example, has contributed to the general acceptance of the technology’s application in everyday life.
People expect to have secure access to very important information and services wherever they are, and the same is true of businesses. How to keep information accessible and secure at the same time is the major challenge, and many companies are looking for ways to upgrade to biometrics while striking that careful balance between utility and security. For companies, biometrics could be a valuable tool to help them manage this challenge while enticing customers who themselves feel that their valuable information is secure.
According to ClearBridge Mobile, with advances in biometric technology and improvements in the general IT infrastructure, there is a growing acceptance of biometric recognition technologies in the daily lives of consumers. Soon, customers will do away with passwords and ID chips altogether signing on the dotted line with a fingerprint or iris scan. The businesses that begin to anticipate this kind of adoption will be better suited to serve these kinds of clients in the future, which is why app design companies like Toronto’s Clearbridge Mobile already have several ways to integrate these advances.
The tech research firm Juniper Research estimated recently that 770 million biometric authentication apps will be downloaded each year by 2019, representing a significant increase from the 6 million downloaded in 2015. May businesses — on a much smaller scale than big banks and government agencies — are already embracing biometric security in several areas — and many businesses are reaching out to app development firms to start building biometric applications for their businesses.
Fingerprint scanning –Fingerprint scanners are already being put in place by many businesses in order to improve security and authentication. Smartphone users, for instance, are now comfortable using this technology because all they have to do is input a pre-scanned image of the authorised fingerprint, a simple action that offers a massive upgrade in personal security. In fact, this technology cannot be hacked as fingerprint scanners do not store actual fingerprint images — instead an encrypted mathematical representation stores unique characteristics of the fingerprint for analysis each time the technology is used.
Iris scanning –Another popular form of biometric security, iris scanning, is also being employed by businesses to deliver authentication in a faster, more secure, and more sophisticated form — though this technology is not quite as consumer facing as fingerprint ID. Used by banks and federal reserves, the technology is also being utilised by the United Nations’ refugee programme, this technology will be available to consumers quicker than one might think. Iris scanning is already used prevalently in ATMs, banks and airports across the Middle East, and will soon be implemented in the West.
The big question is whether or not your company will be quick and agile enough to adopt biometrics before it becomes the new status quo. If your business can benefit from these kinds of security upgrades, you should reach out to an end-to-end, disruptive mobile app development company that can help you reach the next level in secure customer service.
Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.
