Most of us might have seen people going through high tech biometric security checks, in several movies, while a few of us might have personally experienced such checks. In either of the cases, you must have realized that you cannot easily break into a security that uses biometric ID. Almost all major organizations, government and private, have switched over to biometric security systems. Benefits of Biometric Identification How do you recognize a person? You just "see" him, and your brain tells you whether you know that person or not. When I say "see", I mean that you study the features of the person, if you know him, then you will already have an image of this person in your brain, if what you "see" matches with the image in your mind, you recognize the person, else you term him as a stranger. Well, a biometric system also works in a similar way. It analyzes the features of a person, and decides whether that person has the authority to enter the secured premises. A biometric identification is generally on the basis of any of the following:

• Voice
• Fingerprint
• Face
• Retina
• Hand geometry
• Iris
• Signature
• DNA
• Finger geometry

Current biometric security systems are configured to identify multiple features instead of just one, and this makes such systems more effective! There are numerous advantages of this technology, which make them better than the traditional methods of authentication. The benefits can be stated as follows: No Duplication Every human being has features that are unique to him. There cannot be 2 people who have exactly the same physical attributes. So, no other person can access a secured area on your behalf. It is not easy to duplicate your features, so these biometric systems provide maximum security. No Need to Renew Your features have the least probability of changing with time, so, once your feature (fingerprint, hand geometry, etc.) has been registered in a biometric security system, you will never have to renew the data entered in the system. Even 20 years after your features were recorded by the system, the system will identify you (unless the system database has been altered!). No Cards or Passwords Biometric ID systems use your features to recognize you, they do not rely on what you have (cards), or what you know (passwords). Thus, you do not have to carry any cards or remember any passwords. So, these systems never face problems like forgotten or hacked passwords, or misplaced or stolen cards. No Documents A biometric authentication system will eliminate the need for any documents to support your identity. Any paperwork is highly susceptible to damage, they can also be lost, but features are never lost (unless you face a traumatic accident!). Biometric identification is perhaps the most reliable way to check the identity of a person. The scope of biometrics is far beyond the scope of traditional authentication techniques. You can always combine the traditional security methods with biometric techniques, to avoid any possible lapses in the security. Biometric ID has a wide range of application, apart from security. They can be used to solve crimes (DNA recognition), identify criminals in public places without creating panic (face recognition) and for many other purposes. The social acceptability of these systems may sometimes restrict the extent of their application. Biometric ID systems are costly, but they are definitely more reliable than traditional means of authentication! Depending on the choice of the biometric technology that you install, the response time and maintenance cost of the system will change. The biometric security industry is booming, and more innovation and advancement is expected in the near future.