Fingerprint biometrics is the process of using a person’s fingerprints to identify them. Every person is born with a distinct fingerprint. As a result, a person’s fingerprint can be used to identify him or her, thanks to fingerprint biometrics. The process of identifying a person based on their fingerprints is used in a variety of fields, including criminology. It’s even being used to track down people attempting to gain access to computers.
Because of the police department, many people are familiar with fingerprint biometrics. Biometrics can be used to identify suspects and connect them to crime scenes. In the United States, it is also used to register legal residents. A fingerprint can be added to computers as a secure way to log in because it is a part of a person and is unlikely to change except in the event of an injury or accident. It can also be used to add security to USB flash drives and cell phones.
If someone wants to use fingerprint biometrics, they must first register their prints in a database. A fingerprint scanner can be used to accomplish this. When a print is captured and saved, it is frequently not an image of the print that is saved. Many devices instead scan the print and record the minutia points—the points on fingerprints where ridges end or split. The data is then saved in a database and used to match the print with a person the next time it’s scanned.
The fingerprint must be scanned again to identify the person. This can be done with a fingerprint scanner or by scanning a print image. In the event of a crime, the police can take a digital image of a latent print—the fingerprint left behind by the suspect. After the image has been captured, it can be compared to a database. If there is a match in the database, the device will match the information from the print.
While fingerprint biometrics has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. What happens if the scanners are fooled is one of the most serious disadvantages. A clever thief could, for example, devise a way to make a copy of a person’s fingerprint and use it to gain access to a computer. If the thief obtained personal information, he could use it to steal the victim’s identity. Furthermore, unlike a personal identification number (PIN), a victim of identity theft cannot change his or her fingerprint if fraud is suspected.