Are We Risking Our Security And Safety From Biometrics?
And what it might be able to do with more developed technology.
As of now, people value security for many reasons; Banking transfers, private information, and keeping their valuables secured. Biosecurity is the idea of using our body features as passwords or identification. Examples of features that can be utilized are vein patterns, fingerprints, hand geometry, DNA, voice pattern, iris pattern, signature dynamics, and face detection. Imagine walking in and out of stores without having to worry about swiping a card. A camera would capture your face as well as what you took from the shelves and automatically charge your account. Biosecurity allows transactions and security to be more efficient and convenient.
Understanding the science behind biometrics!
The human body has features that are unique to everyone. It can be something as simple as the dynamics of the face or a fingerprint. Sir Francis Galton, Charles Darwin’s cousin, estimated that the chances of two people having the same fingerprint are 1 in 64 billion! Although it is possible, it’s not something that can be seen on something as frequent as identical twins. Facial recognition is very similar, except the only difference is the chances of someone having the exact same face as you is one in a trillion. Take into notice that the exact same and similar are two very different things. There’s many identification methods that interprets the use of biometrics. Now that you have a general understanding of what biometrics are, we can dive deeper and learn what they can be used for.
The Uses for biometrics
I’m sure you have seen at least a science fiction movie where they use an eye scanner to access some secret information that no one is supposed to know about. If you haven’t, it’s fine, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Biometrics has many uses. They can be used to identify people in a dense crowd or can allow you to just walk in and out of a store without having to take out a card.
Biometrics such as fingerprint and facial recognition is widely known to be used for police investigations. Evidence is a necessity when trying to prove one’s innocence. This technology helps solve cases that would otherwise never be solved.
There is technology in development that can identify a person by their skin. They scan the surface of your skin and can tell your identity by the composition of your skin. It is so accurate that it can tell the difference between identical twins, an area where facial recognition has difficulty overcoming.
How it’s currently being used
For at least a decade, some large airports have been using iris recognition. Instead of waiting in long passport lines, you would just have to walk into a booth and take a photo. After that, you get to enjoy the ride. You would have to sign a waiver first for them to take a photo of you, which they will add your information to their database. The next time you come, they will ask you to take a photo. They will then scan the photo for your identity and pass you along. On a mass scale, no one will ever have to worry about being late for their flight.
Some secondary schools in England have started using biometric in the form of scanning the student’s pupils. This allows the student to order meals and books. It also tracks who enters the school and who exits, as well as attendance. In order for it to be in use, it requires the parents to fill out a permission form. This allows students to have more time to focus on their education.
There isn’t a doubt that biometric technology will become more frequent as the years pass by. A few more examples that are already in use are voice-activated cars, Fingerprint building access, and blood donors. It could be used for so much more. The possibilities are endless.
Mass Spectrometry Imaging + Fingerprints
There is a growing concern about how much information these tools release. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a technique that visualizes the spatial distribution of molecules. It can visualize the spatial distribution of molecules, as biomarkers, metabolites, peptides, or proteins by their molecular masses. This means they can scan your fingerprint to know what medical drugs you’ve recently taken, your age, and basically the composition of your skin.
The growing concerns of privacy
In order for these devices to work, there needs to be a data base of everyone’s information. These are necessary for the machines so they cam have verification. The more so concern is what they will decide to do with this information. It is valid for them to sell the information they connect to other industries. This however isn’t the biggest concern for privacy.
Companies have talked about using blockchain as their way to store the data. This is a concern to people because of having their information to anyone who wants it. How blockchains work is all computers have the same information as the computer it is connected to on the blockchain. The information they collect will be available to anyone. This includes banking transfers, recent purchases, and much more. There obviously wouldn’t be anything valuable such as your address or your social security, but they are worried of being targeted or tracked. It involves a lot of trust with the industry for your information to be secured.
Have you ever thought about everything you’ve touched today? Probably not. Fingerprints can be easily replicated to unlock any device you put a fingerprint lock. It is as easy as putting a tangerine peel on the scanner! Fingerprints are seen as unsafe for withholding information due to how easy it is to copy one’s fingerprint.
Where we’re at
Currently, we are not able to identify everyone in a dense crowd. This is due to the limitations of recordings in public spaces. It is harder for CCTV cameras because of the dim light in the recordings and the small amount of storage. you would have to up close for a period of time for the camera to create an accurate answer.
Facebook’s AI lab can recognize faces with 97.35% accuracy, which is 0.28% accuracy less than a human can. This is due to the human process of evolution. Dogs have evolved to recognize each other by smell. This skill is something humans evolved to do. The Fusiform Face Area is a part of the brain that is used for recognizing others by their appearances. It is used to recognize recurring patterns in faces. Although it is not more efficient than an average human, it has great potential.
What to expect in the future
Many people tend to focus more on the negatives than positives of using biometric technology. Crime rates are most likely to go down in cause of the technology in the investigations department. Roughly 9,750 people are wrongly convicted each year in the U.S., and less than 2% are exonerated. With the added evidence of biometrics, we will have lower crime rates and almost eliminate the chances of being wrongly convicted.
This technology can take automation to another level. Imagine walking in and out of a store without having to pull out a card. They would automatically charge your account for what you walked out with. This would get rid of the need for cashiers.
There is a future where traveling is efficient. There is a future where crimes are low. There is a future where we are protected. This future is possible with biometric technology!
