Biometric security seems to be every where these days. In the modern age, most people access their smartphone not by entering a pin or even drawing a pattern but simply by looking at the screen or placing their finger on a virtual scanner.
These practices have become so commonplace that you probably can’t remember when you first started doing this, and almost certainly have no idea where the technology came from.
Well, this is no surprise given just how fast the rise in biometric technology, and biometric security in particular has been over the last decade.
Where did the concept of biometric security come from?
Biometrics in themselves are certainly not a new concept. As you are aware, the police have been using fingerprints to track down criminals for well over a century now, and using unique characteristics of the human body for identification periods is a practice that dates back thousands of years.
Fingerprints were even used to sign clay tablets in ancient civilisations such the technology on your phone is more a reimagining of old practices rather than a revolutionary concept.
How did biometric digital security evolve?
Like so many things in the modern world, biometric technology has evolved beyond all recognition over the past 50 years.
From automatic fingerprint recognition to voice recognition, iris recognition, and even gait analysis, biometrics are now a cornerstone of security procedures and suspect identification.
In terms of personal device security, it was the integration of Apple’s Face ID into smartphones and other digital devices in 2013 that really kickstarted the revolution. Admittedly, convenience and user-friendliness were likely the driving force behind this innovation rather than security, but there can be no doubt that this was a major driving force in the development of biometric security.
What is next?
With the AI revolution in full swing, there is just no telling where biometrics will go next. One thing that is for sure is that biometric data is becoming more and more valuable and it is essential that you protect yours just as much as you would project your bank card or a wad of cash.
Biometric Access Control
One of the biggest developments in the world of biometric security over the last decade or so is an increase in the number of businesses using biometric access control gates rather than traditional keycards or ID badges.
It makes sense. Biometrics are the only real way to fully ensure that only authorised personnel are able to access a business site and gives companies complete control over which individuals are and are not allowed access at any one time.
In business, keeping control of access is the key to avoiding disaster and top security companies Manchester have been attempting to do just that for many many years. Biometric access control technology that scans the fingerprints or retinas of employees before granting them access to the workplace is the solution they have been looking for and has transformed the world of commercial security for ever more.