Securing data and financial transactions

The primary origin of the data transaction security problem is the remote nature of the transaction. The same technology that has aided in simplifying and promoting electronic commerce has made it more difficult to know who is actually initiating the transaction. Frequently, the individual is at the remote end of a communication channel and identifiable only by something they possess, such as a card, or something they know, such as a password, personal identification number (PIN) or encryption key. This paper describes ways to use biometric techniques to secure electronic transactions.