Global Trend

Biometrics Brings a New Level of Security to Transactions

Every individual has a set of unique characteristics that can be used to confirm his identity. Fingerprints, the pattern of the iris, and DNA can all be captured, filed, and then compared at a later date.

In the words of Mike Kirkpatrick, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal justice services division, “The only way to trace a terrorist is through biometrics. Passports are pretty damn meaningless.”

Kirkpatrick told The Guardian that the FBI has been collecting biometric data from terrorist suspects that are being held in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. “We are obtaining DNA from terrorists around the world as we encounter them. We have set up a terrorist-screening center. In Iraq, the high-value detainees are having DNA samples, fingerprints, and digital photographs taken. The numbers involved are in the thousands. We are doing it wherever it’s appropriate, wherever there’s a threat to the USA.”

However, the effort is not just focusing on people who are known threats to national security. As part of the US-Visit security program, every foreign visitor to the United States will be required to have a digital photograph taken and to have fingerprints recorded on an electronic scanner.

The fingerprints can be checked against the millions of fingerprints in the FBI’s database to keep terrorists and other criminals from entering the country. Since the program started, it has helped the FBI to catch 500 people on its wanted lists.

Thanks to programs like these, the annual global market for biometrics will increase to more than $4.5 billion in four years, compared to $1 billion now, according to the International Biometric Group. The value of the contract for the US-Visit program, which the Department of Homeland Security awarded to Accenture, is estimated at $10 billion.

The European Union is considering a new system in which computer chips containing biometric measurements would be embedded in passports.

According to a report in The Irish Times, “Biometric technology uses an image to create a binary template that captures the distinct characteristics of a person’s fingerprint, face, or iris. For immigration authorities, its appeal lies in this ability to verify parts of the body, rather than simply confirming the presence of a valid document without verifying that the individual presenting it is its rightful owner.

“The question remains of where to set an acceptance threshold. At 95 percent, too many legitimate users are rejected; but set it too low and illegitimate users get through. ‘Getting a high number [of false acceptances and false rejections] is easy,’ says Joseph Kim, a senior consultant at the International Biometric Group, a New York-based research company. ‘Finding that fine line between is really the challenge.’”

For the system to work, a passenger’s biometric data must be compared against a large database. The U.S. government currently has a database of 1.2 billion digital photographs and 150 million fingerprints, according to Joseph Atick, president of Identix, a supplier of biometric technology. Atick estimates that the government only has several hundred thousand images of irises.

There are some less complicated, but equally daunting drawbacks to the existing biometric technology. For instance, when using iris scans, blue or watery eyes can cause recognition problems. Additionally, the widespread use of colored contact lenses further muddies the issue. Also, populations that have large, downward sloping eyelashes ? Asians, for instance ? present real challenges to existing systems.

With fingerprint scanning, some lifestyle habits cause errors. Healthcare workers, who wash their hands frequently, present dry fingers to the scanners, which then have difficulty in reading them. Some security workers encourage some people to rub their finger behind their ear, so as to pick up some natural body oil which will then make their scan registration clearer.

But getting the biometric technology right and having a sufficient database for the results to be effective is just part of the challenge of using biometrics to its maximum benefit. Another issue is putting it to work where it will do the most good. It’s one thing to properly identify someone who wants to enter or exit a country. But it is quite another thing to track him when he actually gets on a plane.

For example, a program at the Baltimore-Washington airport requires travelers to leave a fingerprint scan at a kiosk before they board a plane. But officials have found that unless there’s an exit corridor that compels travelers through a scanning process, making sure people depart when they intend to is very difficult.

Another challenge to biometric feasibility is the number of biometric systems, their inter-compatibility and the sheer size of the programs being envisioned. “There has certainly never been any biometrics or IT system of this size and magnitude put together before,” says Jim Wayman, director of biometric identification at San Jose State University. “You could argue that ATM and credit-card systems are this big, but they carry less information.”

Biometrics is showing up in other applications as well. For example, when the Statue of Liberty reopened after being closed for two years, officials installed storage lockers that could only be operated by touching an electronic fingerprint reader. Similar lockers were introduced a few years ago at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and in Union Station in Chicago and Universal Studios in Florida.

Furthermore, Piggly Wiggly adopted a fingerprint scanning system at four of their South Carolina stores and has plans to expand the program to 116 other venues. The company says the speed, convenience, and protection against credit card theft are some of the advantages their customers recognize.

Dean Douglas, a vice president at IBM who oversees the scanning technology for Piggly Wiggly, predicts, “Within the next five to 10 years, we’re going to see biometrics play an increasingly large part of consumer transactions.”

The U.S. Senate recently delayed deadlines for passports with biometric identifiers, and the EU adopted similar decisions. However, the technology will eventually be included in all the 27 “visa waiver” countries ? whose citizens aren’t required to have a visa in order to travel to the United States.

The delays are not due to the shortcomings of the technology, but because of the challenges involved in implementing and managing the complex systems that would accompany the technology. “Part of the problem seems to be inflated expectations,” says Ant Allan, a research director for the technology consulting firm Gartner.

However, the heightened awareness for security still represents a tremendous opportunity for the biometrics industry. And many players are eager to participate in what has been described as the biggest global technology project since Y2K.

As international systems become operational and compatible, there will be a flurry of implementation. Currently, the biometric industry is largely a cluster of small companies, each seeking to have their products and protocols become market standards. And even though Unisys, IBM, and Motorola offer biometric services, they themselves have very few proprietary products.

Looking forward, then, the biometric future seems secure. “My view is that we will probably see some 70 percent of consumer transactions utilize one or more versions of a biometric technology within three years time,” Tom Manning, a senior partner at Bain & Co Inc., an IT strategy and management consulting firm, told ABC News.

He predicts that we may see a gradual introduction of biometrics, however, starting with voice authentication, and then moving towards a more general deployment of more expensive and more accurate technologies such as iris scanning.

“I don’t think consumers will go through a week without interacting with biometrics,” Manning asserts. “Let’s face it, September 11th put biometrics on the map, creating an immediate recognition of how critical security has become in our connected society.”

We expect to see the following forecasts develop from this trend:

First, biometric authentication will be welcomed by a society increasingly fearful of its security.

Second, this sort of identity authentication will prove to be an efficient safeguard in international travel, as it becomes a feature in most passports.

Third, biometrics will ease the challenge posed by fraud and identity theft for in-person credit card transactions.

Fourth, those who point to the potential misuse of identity information on a worldwide scale will be muted by the advances in cryptology, and the important by-product of increased security and international stability. The databases themselves will be rendered more secure by virtue of the security they offer each host nation.

Fifth, biometrics will not be a cure-all for security. Disposable terrorism ? the recruitment of suicide agents who have no illicit history ? will continue to be a powerful destabilizing force.

Sixth, the practice of profiling will of necessity have to continue. More sophisticated screening software will become available to make the process more exact, but it will remain a lightning rod for civil rights advocates. The debate will become marginalized, however, if security breaches increase.

Seventh, investing in biometrics companies will be tricky. Expect an industry shakeout. Look for those firms that focus on compatibility issues and that have enough capital reserves to weather what will probably be a rocky 12 to 18 months.

References List :
1. The Guardian, June 18 2004, "Biometrics ? Great Hope for World Security or Triumph for Big Brother?" by Owen Bowcott. ⓒ Copyright 2004 by Guardian Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved.2. Irish Times, July 9, 2004, "U.S. Security to Rely on Biometrics, but Challenges Remain," by Sarah Murray. ⓒ Copyright 2004 by The Irish Times. All rights reserved.3. ibid4. Associated Press, August 12, 2004, "Biometrics Creeping Into Everyday Life," by Brian Bergstein. ⓒ Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.5. Irish Times, July 30, 2004, "Biometrics Industry Enters Another Identity Crisis." ⓒ Copyright 2004 by The Irish Times. All rights reserved.6. For additional information on biometric-secured consumer transactions, visit the Bain & Co, Inc. website at:www.bain.com/bainweb/publications/printer_ready.asp?id+17680