Biometrics: The future of identification [Guest Eeditors' Introduction]

It is too early to predict where, how, and in which form reliable biometric services will eventually be delivered. But it is certain that there is no way around biometrics-based identification if we insist on positive, reliable, and irrefutable identification. As fraud in our society grows, as the pressure to deliver inexpensive authentication services mounts, and as geographically mobile individuals increasingly need to establish their identity as strangers in remote communities, the problem of reliable personal identification becomes more and more difficult. To catapult biometric technology into the mainstream identification market, it is important to encourage its evaluation in realistic contexts, to facilitate its integration into end-to-end solutions, and to foster innovation of inexpensive and user-friendly implementations. We hope that a pervasive, accountable use of biometrics technology will help establish a more open and fair society.