Biometric Access Control Systems in the Work Place
Biometric access control is the use of unique physical characteristics to identify an individual to deny/grant access to users. Biometric security systems are particularly recommended where high security is necessary, requiring an irrefutable method of authentication for access control – e.g. in airports, military bases, police, hospitals, banks etc.
Biometric access control readers scan a unique part of your body to create a digital template. Most common readers scan fingers or hands, but face, retina, iris or vein pattern recognition are also possible - although less common.
Biometric technologies use two types of authentication: verification (1:1 matching) or authentication (1:N matching). Verification is the process of entering a pin or using a card and comparing the current scanned image against a stored biometric template. The response time is 1 second.
With identification, the biometric template is used for comparison against a larger database of individuals. No need to enter a number or use a card. The response time is only 2 seconds.
Biometric readers are very dependable. For example, fingerprint readers use an algorithm to match templates and authenticate the user’s identity; therefore false acceptance and rejection rates are remarkably low – 0.00001%.
It is also important to know that the use of biometric technology does not affect users’ privacy rights: no images are stored within the templates; data conversion from the scan to the template is a one way, non reversible process and all templates are encrypted to prevent tamper.
Biometric technology is becoming the new standard for verifying employees’ identities in the data collection process, which in turn contributes to more secure work environments.