The period running from 2017 to early 2018 witnessed a huge increase in the adoption of biometric technology, in companies and varied sectors, with biometric-enabled passenger processing becoming a common feature at major airports. The corporate sector and banking have also embraced biometric authentication to enhance their security and employee safety. Healthcare and schools are also looking to increase their security levels. We zone-in on the future trends in biometrics and the growth of these particular markets.
HOW BIOMETRICS IS CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE
Justifiably so, our society has become increasingly security-conscious. The spike in sophisticated card compromising and the skill-levels of cyber-criminals has made the issue an ever more pressing one. With the implementation of biometric technology and authentication in many companies and even airports, the concept of biometric security should not be too much of a foreign one. Rather, we are witnessing more businesses embrace fingerprint security and the like, accounting for a smooth transition as the technology becomes more and more commonly available.
More traditional authentication methods such as PIN numbers and key cards are slowly becoming obsolete. Many companies deploying PINs are reeling from millions lost to scams, ranging from simple ones like shoulder surfing to more sophisticated ones like phishing. It’s expected that security will follow suit with everything else seemingly moving towards a digital platform.
Biometric authentication increases security levels. Fingerprint scanners for example are becoming so intuitive that they can pick up a user’s fingerprints even if they have wet, damaged, aged or dry skin. Biometric technology provides a clearer way of distinguishing an individual and, therefore, will not only assist in one industry but transcend a great range of many other sectors.
BIOMETRICS IN HEALTHCARE
There is a growing demand to address healthcare fraud and protect the privacy of patients and this means that biometric authentication and technologies will play a major role in the industry going forward. According to a Credence Report, biometrics in healthcare is already expanding, expected to see an increase of 22.9% between 2015 and 2025.
Biometric technology is utilised in many areas in the identification of hospital personnel, so too to control and restrict user access to specific areas within the hospital. Biometric authentication can be utilized in conjunction with passwords and cards for accessing sensitive records, enhancing security even further. The technology can also help with automating some healthcare areas like attendance records, time management, etc. Quite a few firms tend to rely on the services provided by the PTO tracker software or the biometric technology in order to track the time and attendance of their employees. Thus, when the need arises, they can have instantaneous data at their disposal with these technological developments.
As a future trend, the University of California San Diego has developed a new biometric technology, which could help securely identify individuals in situations of disaster relief, migrations, prevention of human trafficking and refugee settlement.
BIOMETRICS IN SCHOOL
The recent school shootings in the United States have opened up a debate on the necessary enhancement of school security. To counter such a problem, the use of biometric technology in combination with armed guards (hired from protective security services firms) for security might prove more effective for schools as a whole.Biometrics in schools can be deployed in the physical identification for entry and access into classrooms, lowering the risk of unwanted visitors and assisting in ‘locking down’ a school if and when required.
BIOMETRICS IN THE MAINSTREAM
Other security trends that can be deployed in conjunction with biometrics include the likes of voice printing. By no means is this related to biometric authentication, but it is indeed another aspect of security that is fast gaining traction. Millions of voice prints are being stored to assist in dealing with any kidnappings or other criminal activities. If the person behind the crime speaks on the phone, for instance, they can be identified by voice print.
While we are a long way away from seeing the above two security technologies become more commonly implemented, biometric technology offers lots of potential for companies. You can read about more advantages of biometric authentication, or look further into the industries adopting the technology here.
