Biometric recognition: how do I know who you are?

Reliable personal recognition is critical to many business processes. Conventional knowledge-based and token-based methods do not really provide positive personal recognition because they rely on surrogate representations of the person's identity (e.g., exclusive knowledge or possession). It is, thus, obvious that any system assuring reliable personal recognition must necessarily involve a biometric component. This is not, however, to state that biometrics alone can deliver a reliable personal recognition component. In fact, a sound system design often entails incorporation of many biometric and non-biometric components (building blocks) to provide reliable personal recognition. As biometric technology matures, there will be an increasing interaction among the market, technology, and the applications. This interaction will be influenced by the added value of the technology, user acceptance, and the credibility of the service provider. It is too early to predict where and how biometric technology will evolve and in which applications it will be embedded. However, it is certain that biometric-based recognition will have a profound influence on the way we conduct our daily business.