Biometrics 101 - Biomet Start

Biometrics 101
Why Choose Biometrics?
What Are Biometrics?
Biometrics are technologies that automatically confirm the identity of people
by comparing patterns of physical or behavioral characteristics in real time
against enrolled computer records of those patterns. Leading biometric
technologies accomplish this task by scanning patterns of the face, fingerprint,
hand, iris, palm, skin, or voice, with fingerprints and biometric fingerprint
technology being the most reliable.
Biometrics are far superior to other common means of confirming identity, such as tokens
(something one possesses) or passwords (something one knows). Tokens (drivers' licenses, for
example) and passwords (Social Security numbers, for example) cannot ensure positive
identification of a person. Tokens are routinely counterfeited and stolen. Passwords are routinely
forgotten, left in plain sight, and stolen. Unlike tokens or passwords, biometric identifiers are
inextricably linked to persons themselves and therefore cannot be forgotten, counterfeited, or
stolen.
How Does It Work?
Biometrics help protect privacy by erecting a barrier between personal data and unauthorized
access. Technically, biometric capture devices create electronic digital templates that are
encrypted and stored and then compared to encrypted templates derived from "live" images in
order to confirm the identity of a person. The templates are generated from complex and
proprietary algorithms and are then encrypted using strong cryptographic algorithms to secure
and protect them from disclosure. Thus, standing alone, biometric templates cannot be
reconstructed, decrypted, reverse-engineered, or otherwise manipulated to reveal a person's
identity. In short, biometrics can be thought of as a very secure key: Unless a biometric "gate" is
unlocked by using the right key, no one can gain access to a person's identity.
Fingerprints are the oldest biometric known. Fingerprints form in the womb and, barring injury,
remain unique and consistent throughout life. For almost 150 years analysis of fingerprints have
been an important part of criminal investigations and identification of individuals. But until
recently, the capture of fingerprints has been more art than science, and their comparison largely
restricted to highly trained specialists. Using small digital imagining devices that can be carried
in police vehicles or even built into computer keyboards, fingerprints can now be captured,
digitized into mathematical descriptions, and compared by computers against databases. Whereas
once fingerprints had to be captured with ink on paper and sent through the mail or faxed to
central repositories for specialized study, the entire process can now be done in near real time.

The uniqueness of fingerprints combined with the convenience and reliability of new devices for
identifying them are the primary reasons for Biometric Technology being used in applications
from computer peripherals, automotive security, passports, and ATMs just to name a few. And
with the development and subsequent release of our flagship product, BIOMET START, we
have taken Biometrics Technology a quantum leap forward with the inclusion of "Live
Biometrics". This integrates detection of pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature, plus one
other unique feature: the capillary pattern under the skin which, in itself is like a second
fingerprint, making BIOMET START the most effective pro-active vehicle security system
available.
Few sectors of the economy are as complex as transportation. Trucking, rail travel, aviation, and
shipping have begun to use biometrics to make sure that transport employees of all kinds –
especially key personnel like drivers, engineers, pilots, and ships’ officers and seamen – are who
they claim to be, and that they are authorized to access the transport system. Truck drivers who
pick up containers at seaports, for example, are being biometrically screened to authenticate their
identities and make sure they pick up the right shipments. Biometrics are also being used to
verify that operators of heavy transportation equipment are not exceeding time limits on working
hours. Taking it to the next level, biometrics are finding their way into controlling access to
individual vehicles from the soccer mom's mini-van to utility company fleet trucks all the way up
to hazardous material big rigs. The list is limitless making biometric vehicle protection the first
line of defense in transportation security.