With word of new business security breaches, data incursions and losses coming almost every day, security compliance is on the mind of every successful executive. Securing company assets, physical and proprietary, such as access control and server cabinets, is critical to every operation’s success. Biometric technology companies have developed products that can keep a company safer than many “secure” technologies on the market today. A recent article in Encyclopedia Jr. took a hard look at several biometric products in an attempt to gain insight about the effectiveness of new fingerprint scanner technology in protecting a company’s infrastructure. Facial recognition and retina scans are technologies in their infancies but fingerprint scanning is in use in the U.S. in larger percentages and is actively protecting such vital interests as data security centers.
How fingerprint scanning can help a business operation
A fingerprint doesn’t change. That is a scientific fact. Fingerprint scanning captures a portion of an employee’s fingerprints and stores it in a company database that controls access to a facility. Only employees whose fingerprints match those in the database are allowed to access the building . The Encyclopedia Jr. report explained in more detail, how the device works.
“Fingerprint scanning uses specialized devices to capture information about a person’s fingerprint, which information is used to authenticate the person at a later time. Each finger consists of unique patterns of lines. Fingerprint scanners do not capture entire fingerprints; instead, they record small details about fingerprints,” the report said “A biometrics system can identify a fingerprint from its ridge-flow pattern; ridge frequency; location and position of singular points”, along with several other markers which is a relatively simple process but one with pinpoint accuracy and a high-level of protection. By limiting access to only those who are supposed to be in a security center, the company’s security and IT teams are both able to protect business assets from internal or external attack and keep the physical plant safe for staff and executives alike.
Concerns for biometric developers
As with all new technologies, there are upgrades and modifications to be made to biometric protection. One of the areas that product developers are investigating is ROC, or receiver operating characteristics. This area deals with system accuracy under varied conditions and includes looking at false-positive and negative results. These can occur because a copy is made of biometric protection and used to gain access by an unauthorized intruder. Replay and database attacks are also seeing much research by developers as a way to stay ahead of hackers and other, criminal attackers. Product developers are spending money on R&D because criminals are spending money on R&D, trying to find a way to crack the server cabinets and access vital information.
Biometrics in the future
As the need for biometric protection increases, product developers are looking to the future while protecting businesses today. An article at Peter India says making sure buyers have confidence in the technology is paramount to those looking to have biometrics as a vibrant, viable technology into the next decade. By achieving the promised levels of security, the developer exudes the confidence and expertise the business owner needs to have when buying the system that will protect the company. The forecast for biometrics is for substantial growth in FY 2015 and beyond. A SANS Institute paper suggested using flexible strategies in protection schemes that small businesses employ. This helps in a two-fold manner. By diversifying security options, a company eliminates the possibility of catastrophic loss of service and allows for negotiated prices from multiple developers, potentially saving money on an annual basis.
Businesses have a need for increased protection as technology – good and bad – sees unprecedented growth. Biometric solutions are continuing to protect proactively while IT experts develop and market new and stronger products to save companies from financial loss through attacks, fraud and theft.
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