Fingerprint Scanning Biometric System

Biometric devices are used to distinguish individuals by the different features in their body, which includes face, fingerprints, hand- geometry, voice recognition and eye (iris or retinal) scans. Every individual consists of unique characteristics, which ensures in providing security because it cannot be copied or shared by another person. Fingerprint scanning is an accurate and common biometric that is used by millions of people worldwide. Large corporations, police, prisons and airports are using this device to identify an individual from another.

Fingerprints are considered unique because no two fingers can have the same characteristics. There are five patterns to distinguish an individual’s fingerprint such as left loop, right loop, whorl, arch and tented arch. In order to determine the exclusiveness of a fingerprint the following are considered minutiae points along with the patterns of ridges and furrows. All fingerprints consist of 60% of loops, 30% of whorls and 10% of arches. Figure 1, shows the many types of characteristics a fingerprint is made up of which makes this device reliable and dependable because not one individual can have the same patterns of another.

Fingerprint systems can be used as an identification mode, where an individual is identified from the entire population. Once the fingerprint is scanned, it is primarily searched in the database for a match based on their individual characteristic. This is known as one- to- many matching. It can also be used as a verification mode where a person authenticates their identity from their prior enrolled pattern, which is also known as one- to- one matching. The scanner can authenticate the user with a simple finger touch. Primarily, the device scans and captures the unique pattern of ridges and valleys that consist in the individual’s fingerprint. The scanning device then processes, stores and compares the collected data with the stored data. Finally, when the fingerprint match has been confirmed, access is granted.

The figure below demonstrates the three simple steps of how scanners record identities.

References
-http://www.questbiometrics.com/biometric-definition.html
-http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_benefits.asp
-http://www.trimso.com/finger_bio.html
-http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/biometrics.htm
-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6170070.stm-http://bizsecurity.about.com/od/windowsdesktopsecurity/a/fingerscanner.htm
-http://uk.gizmodo.com/2006-3-30-fingerprint.jpg
http://www.itgi.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=34319&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm

Fingerprint biometric scanners taking over

There are various different biometric devices available to distinguish an individual based on a particular feature of the body. Some of them include facial recognition, speech recognition, retinal scan or fingerprints scan. The main purpose is to facilitate security measures in a faster, accurate and dependable manner rather than using outdated tools, techniques or technology.

Fingerprint scanning is common among many corporations for time and attendance with employees. The goal is to reduce employee labour hour theft in the workforce because money is at stake when considering the costs and profitability of the company. When employees are paid by the hour, there are times when they are running late and may have their colleague’s punch-in for them. Managers will not be able to recall if that specific employee came on time or arrived late when the system has recorded the time that employees has punched-in. Fingerprint scanning is a dependable device, because this will allow the actual employee to clock in and out from work.

Fingerprint scanning will also replace the utilization of passwords or PINs because this can be copied or shared among people. Utilizing this device will give people security because only the authorized individuals will have access. It is also convenient because people will not have to carry or remember many passwords. This will protect electronic banking and other financial transaction, health/social services and law enforcements. This will also eliminate any cases of bank or credit cards frauds or identity theft. Fingerprints scanning will ensure that every individual has secured their banking and finances.

Securing locks in organizations are costly and there are many cases of break-in entry. In addition, many households may forget their keys or even leave their doors unlocked. An innovated lock has been created to accommodate many people that can store up to 120 fingerprints. Those specific people that have stored their fingerprints in the lock system will be the only ones granted access. With the various tools that exist today, many experts can easily pick complex locks and break in entries. Thus, fingerprint-scanning locks will ensure the safety for many people and prevent any break-in entries.

References
-http://www.questbiometrics.com/biometric-time-and-attendance.html
-http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/biometrics.htm
-http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/biometric_fingerprint_door_lock.php
-http://www.homepages.indiana.edu/040904/images/timeclock.jpg
-www.images.google.ca
-http://img.engadget.com/common/images/7932727738426927.JPG?0.12210584995400187
-http://pplmerchantservices.com/images/FingerPrint2.jpg
-http://www.thetaoofmakingmoney.com/wp-ontent/uploads/images/door%20lock.jpg

Biometric Fingerprint Scanning System Beneficial Advantages

In today’s time, there are many advantages to these innovated devices that are being created. Fingerprint scanning devices are well-established systems and have been used in law enforcement with positive identification of people. Some of the benefits of the system include ease of use, low power, reasonable pricing, and access to large databases. It cannot be shared, copied or lost due to the unique characteristics each fingerprint acquires. Most importantly, there are no two fingers that consist with the same fingerprint. A significant aspect to the fingerprint scanning system is that the fingerprint is not recorded but stored. The scanning system captures the fingerprint image into points that illustrates the layout in a statistical format. This reduces the chances of the fingerprint being duplicated for fraudulent purposes.

In London, police are able to carry a hand held fingerprint-scanning device, which has access to a database with 6.5 million prints. This is beneficial for the police because they will save plenty of time with drivers. They will have access in identifying the person within minutes with the handheld device rather than going to the station for inquiries. Their encounters can be reduced from three hours to fifth-teen minutes. This will also facilitate airports in conducting their security checks in a faster and reliable manner. This will reduce line-ups and ensure the identification of every individual.


An advantage for companies having a fingerprint scanning system is that, employees will not be able to have their colleagues’ punch-in for them if they are running late. It is difficult for supervisors to manage many of their employees while maintaining and keeping track of each employee’s time and attendance. Therefore, having this system, managers will know exactly when the employee has arrived and left work. Furthermore, this will save many companies labour cost as well as establishing the profitability without having employee labour theft.
Biometric fingerprint systems will be soon incorporated with ATM machines and banks to ensure that it is the rightful cardholder getting access to his/her account. The PINs can be easily shared or copied by another person or easily forgotten by the cardholder. This will be beneficial for the banking industry because the fingerprint scanning system will reduce any unauthorized transactions with clients accounts. This will also increase the profitability of the banking industry. In particular, this system will ensure the safety and trust of their clients with the banking industry that their finances are secured.

References
-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6170070.stm
-http://www.questbiometrics.com/advantages-of-biometrics.html
-http://www.itgi.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=34319&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm -http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_benefits.asp
-http://images01.trafficz.com/cache/h3w4/500_1190756036_842938_60675048.jpg
-http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/3752
-http://www.kent.police.uk/Your%20Area/North%20Kent/North_Kent_news/Fingerprinting.jpg

Disadvantages of the use of Biometric Fingerprint Scanning System

Even though fingerprint-scanning systems have many beneficial aspects due to the uniqueness of every fingerprint, there are some disadvantages. There are quite a few issues that organizations encounter when dealing with this system. Many people consider this an invasion of their privacy. They are mainly afraid of the systems that consist of their fingerprint template, which holds their personal information can be exposed to others. The fingerprint template in the system holds the individual’s personal information such as their financial / salary information and employment history. Disregarding any ethical considerations, organizations can sell this information to marketing firms and do whatever they please with the information they hold. Also there are people that are not technology savvy and may not trust new systems with their fingerprints. They may also not know how to properly scan their fingerprint, which can cause complications in the matching process. Therefore, they avoid the association with technology and prefer their traditional ways.

Another concern for organizations that have the fingerprint scanning system is that any scratch, cuts, burns, dirt, or wear and tear can have a tremendous impact on the fingerprint. The distinctive ridge patterns, minutiae points and many more of characteristics can be affected. Therefore, when scanning with high-quality images to distinguish the individual’s unique fingerprint characteristics, can be a problematic task. People with little or no minutiae points cannot use or enrol in the system because it is hard for the system to recognize the specific print. With such issues, many industries such as workers in construction cannot use this system because of their handling with tools and various materials that can alter their fingerprint. Even surgeons due to the strong detergents used to wash their hands are affected. People with special skin conditions or handling of strong chemicals will also face complicated problems too with the recognition of the print. Incorrect results in the matching process, may occur with false minutiae points because of the low quality enrolment and imaging or the lack of detail in the fingerprint ridges.

Other risks associated with some of the biometric devices such as fingerprint, facial and voice recognition is that with the assistance of special tools, they can be copied, duplicated or recorded by experts. In particular, fingerprints can be lifted from objects we touch in our daily lives and used to have access to a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint can be copied or molded with material such as gum, putty, or gooey material. This can create doubts in the security of many individuals because once others have access to their prints, they can be used for many fraudulent purposes.



References
http://www.itgi.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=34319&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
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