Addressing customer needs for personal authentication

摘要

Authentication is the provision of assurance of the claimed identity of an entity. Biometrics is the automated recognition of individuals based on their behavioural and biological characteristics. Behavioural characteristics are traits that are learned or acquired, such as dynamic signature verification and keystroke dynamics. Biological characteristics include hand and facial features, fingerprints, and iris patterns. Biometric technologies provide the opportunity for deployment of significantly better security for physical and logical access control. In addition to supporting national security and preventing ID fraud, biometric technologies are beginning to play a crucial role in a wide range of applications including enterprise-wide network security infrastructures, the protection of buildings from unauthorized individuals, employee IDs, secure electronic banking and financial transactions, retail sales, law enforcement and health and social services. Mobile devices, colleges, and amusement parks are already benefiting from these technologies.