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Security
B U Y E R ' S   G U I D E  
Are Biometrics The Answer?

  February 20, 2003
  By Mike Fratto


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Biometric Checklist

Questions to ask before you buy:

  1. Does the device suit the environment?
  2. Is there a power source nearby?
  3. Is the reader-to-PC interface supported on the PC?
  4. Are authentication thresholds configurable?
  5. Does the device provide the extra protection of 'liveness' testing?
  6. Are there antireplay features to help thwart electronic resubmission of biometrics?
For details and prices on specific models, use our Interactive Buyer's Guide charts.

Diminishing False Reads

Biometric devices are most commonly used for network logins, which could mean a huge number of users of varying competence levels. If a device is hard to use, the FRR will reflect that. Consider devices that include guides to help the user place a finger in the right spot or look in the correct direction. Another option, depending on the sensitivity of the material being accessed, is to use passwords, smartcards and other means of authentication in place of your biometric device if it fails. This will, at the very least, counter those helpdesk calls asking, "How do I make this thing work?"

Industry Orgs

The BioAPI Consortium, comprising government and industry leaders, released version 1.0 of the BioAPI Specification in March 2000; version 1.1 of the specification and reference implementation came out in March 2001.

Other Industry Organizations:

The Biometric Consortium serves as the U.S. government's focal point for research, development, testing, evaluation and application of biometric-based personal identification/verification technology.

The BioSec Alliance is a multivendor initiative founded by BioNetrix in 1999 to promote enterprise authentication solutions.

The International Biometric Industry Association is a trade association founded in 1998 to look after the interests of the biometric industry.

From Gartner's July 19, 2002, technology overview, "Biometric Authentication: Perspective"

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