Consumer Biometric Payment Solutions Growing Rapidly
Biometric systems are penetrating the consumer mainstream as identity authentication tools for applications that include library access and laptop, smartphone, and payment security. Biometric devices can recognize vein patterns in the finger, the back of the hand, or the palm, notes Michigan State University professor Anil K. Jain. He says momentum for palm scanning beats all other vein-reading techniques. Another biometric method is voice printing, which uses dozens of vocal properties such as pitch and accent to confirm identity. Jain cautions that biometric technologies are not foolproof, noting that mismatches and identity confusion will undoubtedly lead to errors. Meanwhile, Goode Intelligence founder Alan Goode projects that fingerprint sensing will be the most commonly used biometric identifier for the next several years, while Frost & Sullivan analyst Ram Ravi says palm reading, iris-, and facial-identification biometrics are all experiencing rapid market expansion. Security expert Bruce Schneier says biometric solutions could be appealing for consumer goods provided no processing occurs outside the device.
From “Reading Your Palm for Security’s Sake”
New York Times (12/29/13) Eisenberg, Anne