Biometric Authentication: A Comprehensive Analysis of IT Security

This report provides a comprehensive overview of biometric authentication, tracing its evolution from early methods like fingerprint readers to modern technologies such as face and iris recognition. It explores the historical context, current applications, and potential future developments of biometric systems in various sectors, including security and information technology. The report delves into the impact of biometric authentication in real-life scenarios, highlighting both its benefits in enhancing security and the associated challenges related to privacy and security implications. It also discusses the challenges and issues associated with the adoption of biometric systems, such as cost, complexity, and potential errors, while also touching upon related issues like the Internet of Things and smart device threats. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding these IT issues to safeguard confidential information and ensure both employee and customer privacy, making it a valuable resource for understanding the role of biometric authentication in today's technology landscape.

Running Head: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 1
Biometric Authentication: Past, Present
and Future

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Executive Summary
In today’s business environment, the use of advanced technology is increasing. There are so
many organizations, which are adopting biometric authentication for storing the material
information of employees and organization. There are various types of biometric authentication,
which people can use, such as; face recognition, finger print, iris etc. This report includes the
different aspects related to the biometric authentication. It includes the growth of this technology
from past to near future. It includes the security and privacy concerns related to this technology.
At the end, it includes the challenges and issues, which can be confronted in adoption of this
system. Thus, the major objective of this paper is to look at the utilization of biometric
authentication for securing thee information.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Biometric Authentication: Past, Present and Future........................................................................4
Impact of Biometric Authentication in Real Life............................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
In the area of information security, it is essential to provide the proofs which the person, who is
using the information, is authorized to access it. There are several tools and techniques that can
be adopted for authentication. This summary report includes a discussion about one of the most
important authentication techniques, i.e. Biometric authentication. Biometric authentication is an
important technique in the field of information security. This report offers a literature review on
biometric authentication: past, present and future. With the increased use of internet, the era is
experiencing different technological innovation, like; biometric identification device in finger
print reader, like an automated to the document authentication in electronic atmosphere. The
main objective of this report is to discuss various aspects related to the biometric authentication,
like; problems, challenges, related technologies and applications of these related technologies.
Moreover, it discusses the legal and technical issues that are related to the biometrics with
different techniques, which are adopted for the analysis. With the passage of time, biometric
authentication is growing rapidly.
Biometric Authentication: Past, Present and Future
The major preferences of information security are the surety that a person, who is using sensitive
and confidential information, is authorized to access it. Biometric authentication is a process that
depends on special biological characteristics of a person to validate one’s authenticity (Bolle et
al, 2013). According to this research, biometric system is an identification system that identifies
a person based on a characteristic, which is derived from some exclusive biological and
behavioral characteristics, like; face, fingerprint, voice, iris, signature, hand geometry etc. During
the past decades, people were using some traditional methods, like; passwords and pins, but now
they prefer to use biometric authentication over these traditional methods. The literature
discusses that this new system plays a significant role information security to provide
tremendously secured recognition solutions and verification (Bradshaw, 2016).
Under biometric authentication, there are different factors, which can be used for verifying a
person, i.e. face recognition, fingerprint reader, iris recognition and voice recognition.
Fingerprint reader is one of the most ancient forms of biometric system and it is most trustworthy

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technique, when it is about the verification and authentication. This technique is very easy to use
for the organizations and other agencies.
Another type of biometric system is face identification system that is very much like fingerprint
reader. This system is very popular due to its easy use, but it can also be utilized for wrongful
access by copying user’s face from pictures. Moreover, iris and retinal scanners are taken as
most secured type of biometric authentication as it is not easy to imitate the retina of any person
(Chronicle, 2016). The requirement of trustworthy recognition of people was a threat in the
ancient times also. Now, the modern time has increased the necessity for electronic
identification. In past 50 years, biometric authentication has gone through remarkable growth.
The organizations have a bigger requirement to recognize the people in a rapid and trustworthy
manner at any place.
According to OTTI (2017), bodily characteristic based recognition is utilizing from a longer time
and it has a long history. This type of identification was used in ancient times to create an
identity of people (OTTI, 2017). The examples of bodily based characteristics include, such as;
weight, height and some special features. In the past years, there were so many crime cases,
which have used the biometric identification. In 1907, first time police in Hungary used the
biometric characteristics to resolve the crime case. Fingerprint scanner is one of the oldest
biometric techniques that were used in various cases and it was very much successful in past
(Chaudhry, Mahmood, Naqvi and Khan, 2015). The fingerprint recognition is used worldwide to
identify the criminals and it became an important method for the forensic department.
With the advancement in the technology, the use of biometric authentication is increased today.
Now, the biometric system in devices is widespread. It is used in mobile phones, smart phones,
security systems, home automation, time and attendance and for using control door locks. In
today’s technologically driven environment, future and developing utilizations of biometric
system do not have limits.
With the increase in the technology, the biometric authentication is also growing. There are so
many law agencies, which are using biometric data, like; finger print records, for more than 100
years. The future of biometric authentication will be bright with new innovations in the
technologies. According to a report that is issued by United States based market firm, it is

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expected that the all over market for biometric authentication will enhance from $2.0 in the year
2015 to $14.9 billion by the year 2024. It clearly states that use of biometric authentication will
increase more in the future (Qian and Xin, 2014). It will be assisted among other things by the
sound enhancement of technologies and decrease in the prices of software and hardware. In the
future, it can be used in different areas, like; ATMs, PDAs, mobile phones, access to personal
computers, access to cars and buildings, DRM systems and any more.
There are some privacy and security implications of biometric system. Generally, companies
install biometric system for declining the chances of hacking the information. Imitating the
biometric information is very much difficult, but still there may be a risk. It is essential that
organizations take precautions to ensure that the information is stored and transferred
appropriately. In the context of security and privacy implication, another reason is lack of
revocability that indicates biometric cannot be replaced like pins, passwords and other numbers.
This system is totally linked with the registered user.
Apart from its advantages, there are some challenges and issues in adopting biometric
authentication system. It can be very complex and costly process as it needs spending the money
on hardware and software (Rattani, Roli & Grange, 2015). The procedure of installing this
system is different for different technique. So, organizations need to think that which kind of
biometric technology to place and then they should organize the process correctly. There are
some challenges and risks that are strengthened by different technological disclosures of
biometric authentication system. By conducting the research, it is recognized that biometric
system is not perfect as sometimes errors may occur in the techniques. A research stated that
there is no any biometric system exists that offers complete success in validating and recognizing
the people. There may be chances that authorize person are rejected by the system or any
unauthorized person can get access to the system. The biometric system is very expensive, so it
results higher costs for a company. In this way, organization can adopt a high integrity biometric
system that can work as a best solution for a firm.
There are two other issues, which are discussed by the peers, are Internet of Things: privacy and
security issues and smart devices threats (Schwalbe, 2015). Although both issues are very much
different from my selected issue; i.e. biometric authentication: past, present and future. Issue
offers the understanding regarding privacy and security implications. It offers the knowledge

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about the privacy and security problems, because biometric authentication is a smart device that
is installed for secure the data.
Another issue is employee privacy that is not included in the discussion forum. In today’s
workplace, this is significant to make sure the security and privacy of employees for
safeguarding the confidential information of business and customers. Top management can do
this by making control on the messaging devices of workers.
Impact of Biometric Authentication in Real Life
In today’s business world, Information Technology plays a significant role in resolving the safety
and security issues. Biometric authentication and other related issues have a large impact on real
life organizations and individuals. Knowledge about these information technology issues can
assist in understanding the related threats and other security and privacy problems in
organizations (Vacca, 2007). It can help in understanding the impacts of safety and privacy
issues on youth, children, adults and society. In real life, biometric authentication can help in
securing confidential and private information. These topics may have both negative and positive
impacts in real life world.
After the peer’s discussion, it is analyzed that it enhances the quality of life for both people and
organizations as well. These information technology topics can develop new markets and various
opportunities and it can enhance the market and organizations financially and economically.
There is need to understand the issues related to Internet of Things (Madakam, Ramaswamy &
Tripathi, 2015). It is associated with wireless devices, so it consists of the issues related to the
accessibility, confidentiality, accuracy and availability. This study can assist the population in
understanding about different security systems and other privacy and security issues.
Conclusion
The above summary report includes several IT issues, which have both negative and positive
impacts on organizations and individuals. From the discussion, I have learned that these topics
can be used in securing the information of employees and business in any organization. There are
different technologies under biometric system, like; face, Iris, finger print, retinal etc. It is not
easy to hack the data of biometric machine. Moreover, there are two other issues, like; Internet of

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Things and Smart device threats, which are related to this issue. All of the IT issues have huge
effect on real life.

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References
Bolle, R.M., Connell, J., Pankanti, S., Ratha, N.K. and Senior, A.W., 2013. Guide to biometrics.
Springer Science & Business Media.
Bradshaw, F., 2016, Biometrics: The Future of Authentication. Retrieved from
http://www.securitycurrent.com/en/ciso_journal/ac_ciso_journal/biometrics-the-future-of-
authentication.
Chronicle, D, 2016, Biometrics Technology: The Past, Present and Future, Retrieved from
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/111016/biometrics-technology-the-
past-present-and-future.html.
Chaudhry, S.A., Mahmood, K., Naqvi, H. and Khan, M.K., 2015. An improved and secure
biometric authentication scheme for telecare medicine information systems based on elliptic
curve cryptography. Journal of medical systems, 39(11), p.175.
Madakam, S., Ramaswamy, R. & Tripathi, S, 2015, Internet of Things (IoT): A Literature
Review. Journal of Computer and Communications, vol. 3, pp. 164-173.
OTTI, C, 2017, The Past, Present and Future of Biometrics, International Journal of
Engineering.
Qian, X.I.A.O. and Xin, A.O., 2014. Network authorization system based on fingerprint
authentication. Electronic Design Engineering, 7, p.042.
Rattani, A., Roli, F. & Grange, E, 2015, Adaptive Biometric Systems: Recent Advances and
Challenges, Springer Publications.
Schwalbe, K., 2015. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Vacca, J.R, 2007, Biometric Technologies and Verification Systems, Butterworth-Heinemann
Publications.

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