Biometric Techniques in Identity Management Systems

Abstract

Biometric technologies have been suggested as a natural tool in identity management systems for enhancing privacy and assuring a one-to-one correspondence between people and records. But some commentators have questioned their value, saying biometrics are tools useful only for regulating individuals. The concepts of applying biometric techniques or devices to solve the practical problems that plague biometric deployments have been under development and ana1ysis for some time. The benefits promised include reduced error rates, better enrollment and higher levels of user acceptance. However, these benefits come at a cost, not necessarily the initial implementation costs, but also the investment in accumulating historical data for sensor characterization, development and tuning of computationally complex systems, and possibly in terms of user inconvenience and/or satisfaction. Ill. 1, bibl. 6 (in English, summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).