Biometric Challenges

The post-9/11 fervor that thrust biometric technologies out of the lab into the limelight may have done as much harm as good in moving biometrics into the mainstream. Some manufacturers succumbed to the media frenzy and raised expectations beyond what their products could deliver. As market enthusiasm ebbed, and realization grew about current biometric capabilities, the foreseeable backlash of disenchantment and skepticism occurred.

As with most things in life, however, the truth about biometrics lies somewhere between the hyperbole and the ridicule. Essential to realizing the security and convenience offered by biometrics is a clear understanding of the associated pitfalls and how to get around them. AMAG Technology has been navigating the ins and outs of biometric technology since the mid-1990s. AMAG Technology´s AMAG™ systems are supporting some of the world? largest biometric access control systems including thousands of hand geometry readers, hundreds of fingerscan readers and a handful of iris scan and facial recognition installations. During that time, AMAG Technology has identified the top three challenges facing consultants designing a biometrically enhanced access control system.

Managing Templates

In the past, biometric reader suppliers provided stand-alone template management applications that used databases and networks separate from the access control system. Not only did this double the equipment, wiring and administration costs, but it also meant that the templates were not distributed throughout the enterprise. As a result, employees had to reenroll at each facility, and the company had to manage and maintain multiple template databases and networks.

One of AMAG Technology´s solutions stemmed from a recommendation from consultant Gary Resnick, principal of Glover/Resnick Associates. AMAG Technology modified its Symmetry Enterprise software to enroll and distribute hand geometry templates to its multiNODE-8 panels, which had been altered to store the templates. Because the hand geometry readers use the same Weigand output common to card readers, Symmetry Enterprise users can easily convert from a card to a biometric authentication scheme.

Another solution is integrating the template management application into the access control software. AMAG Technology embeds best-of-breed template management applications, like Bioscrypt® fingerscanning technology, directly into the Symmetry Enterprise package. This eliminates the need for separate databases and networks and reduces training, administration and troubleshooting costs.

Improving Human Interaction

Each type of biometric technology requires certain conditions for the readers to function properly. Facial recognition technology, for example, demands manipulation of the environment in which the camera is placed to achieve the necessary head positioning and lighting. Fingerscan technologies can have a difficult time with excessively dry skin although capacitance-based products seem to be more resilient that their optical-based counterparts.

In one incident using hand geometry readers, a customer was satisfied with all of the readers in his facility except one that regularly denied access to enrolled employees. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the culprit was not the reader itself, but its position behind a support pillar. Because the pillar obstructed a direct, frontal approach to the reader, employees had difficulty placing their hands correctly on the reader and could not achieve a positive match. So attention must be paid to how readers are placed to promote the most ergonomic interactions.

Providing Training

While AMAG Technology offers substantial training and support, much of the responsibility to help the end user scale the learning curve falls within the consultant´s domain. A critical aspect of this training is instructing security personnel how to properly enroll an individual? biometric template. Regardless of the type of biometric employed, the accuracy and performance of a biometric authentication system are only as good as the templates it checks against.

Another critical training issue is providing the security staff with the knowledge they need to respond to and reconcile complaints common during the initial transition phase. New behaviors need to be learned, and some users will take longer than others to adopt them. Privacy concerns will arise, but they can be resolved easily if the security personnel have the necessary knowledge.

New technology always comes with deficits and shortcomings, and biometric products are no different. With an understanding of these limitations, systems can be designed that maximize the powerful security and convenience of biometric technologies while reducing to insignificance potential liabilities.