Biometric – Balanced Convenience and Security

The use of username and password for authentication will soon become a thing of the past. Technology has enabled financial institutions and e-commerce payments to have innovative payment methods which are secure and seamless. Biometrics is the latest cutting-edge technology that is being used for robust verification against hackers who use various tricks to wean away personal information from people. Biometric technology like the fingerprint, facial recognition, and iris scanning integrates seamlessly into various applications and provide great security against identity theft. They are simple to use, as all you need to do is touch the screen or look into the screen but difficult to steal as it is based on physical appearance and DNS.

A Balance between Security and Convenience

It is always difficult to find the right balance between security and convenience. It has to be least disruptive to the customers and yet provide great security against identity fraud. With biometrics, higher security is not equal to higher hassle; on the contrary, it is less hassle as opposed to password authentication as there is no need to remember the password.

Factors to Consider for Authentication:

Any organization that is considering implementing biometric technology is going to get rich dividends. There are many different types of biometric systems and are used to secure different items. An audit of the current verification system will answer the question of whether it is secure or not. Also, businesses need to determine whether the current security measures in place have any hassles. It is essential for businesses to know that there is more than one biometric modality which is suited and many factors need to be considered when implementing a biometric device. These include location, acceptability, security, cost, anti-spoofing capability and ease of use. Some businesses may need multiple authentications to ensure better accuracy. Sometimes, the introduction of new security measures seems like friction to the customers and is more likely to have a negative impact especially in retail than in banking so there has to be greater balance between security and convenience.

Right Implementation:

There has to be better usability and security, for that to happen easily, the solution has to be dynamic so as to switch seamlessly from lower security to higher as and when needed. It is essential to pay attention to solution design and it’s architecture as that will ensure that there are right prompts to users on what to do when and the reason for it so that there is less frustration. A good design will ensure intelligent solutions which are simple for users to understand. It should not be a scenario where a company wants a biometric solution to be implemented, there should be a specific goal or objective which needs to be defined and achieved by the means of biometric implementation, and else it would not be robust.

Storage Security:

Apart from the above two consideration, secure storage is also extremely critical and vital. The database that stores biometric information should be secure enough as any leak in data will have not only have a major impact on the business but at the same time, it is a threat to the individual credentials. And it is difficult to fix the same as opposed to changing passwords.

Conclusion

When considering implementing biometric technology in a business, it is important to achieve the right balance between strong security and convenience. Biometric is the future of authentication mechanism and only those providers who can leverage the technology effectively by providing user convenience and greater security will be successful.