What is biometric data?

Using biometric data is one of many exciting security advancements that have debuted in recent years. However, as when using any new technology, it’s important to understand how to keep your own data secure.

What are biometrics?

Biometrics are a set of physical characteristics, like fingerprints, that are unique to each person and can be used for identification. Biometrics provide a way to use physical attributes to measure and confirm a person’s identity. Biometric data is unique to every person and is permanent—your fingerprint doesn’t change over time. Biometrics include both physiological traits like fingerprints and facial identifiers as well as behavioral characteristics. After biometrics are collected, they are catalogued in a database and turn into a usable set of biometric data.

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Types of biometrics

There are several biometrics that can be measured for every individual. Some of the more common types of biometrics used in security and identification processes include the following:

• Fingerprints. Your fingerprint consists of a set of unique patterns on the skin of the tips of your fingers. These patterns can be captured and used for security purposes, such as unlocking a smartphone.
• Facial recognition. This biometric technology measures facial contours and angles to determine identity.
• Voice recognition. Everyone’s voice produces unique sound waves that can be analyzed when you speak to a device. Popular applications of voice recognition technology include identity verification when giving instructions to a smart speaker device.
• Behavior. Metrics such as handwriting, the way that you interact with a puzzle or other digital system, how you walk, your keystroke patterns, and other movements can all be measured and recorded as biometric data.
• Iris scanning. More popular in security technologies though not widely available on the consumer market, iris recognition scans the irises of the eye to determine identity.

How Is Biometric Data Used?

Biometric data has many applications, particularly in the world of security and identity recognition. These days, most smartphone users probably use one or more forms of biometric data to unlock and access content on their smartphones. Facial recognition or fingerprint recognition are popular smartphone biometric security features and can be used to unlock a screen, confirm your identity when logging into an online banking app, or authenticate online purchases.

Biometric data has applications beyond the personal smartphone as well. Police departments collect fingerprints and DNA to identify suspects at a crime scene. Iris scanning may provide access to a private building or secure area. Even providing a signature on a credit card purchase can be considered an application of biometric data.

How to Protect Your Biometric Data

As exciting as biometrics are in the security field, it’s always important to take steps to protect your data. Like any data set, biometric data could get hacked and find its way into the hands of cybercriminals. In order to keep your biometric data safe, be sure to take the same precautions you would when protecting any of your personal data. Keep the software on your devices up to date, choose strong passwords, and, in certain cases, opt out of providing your biometric data if it’s an option.

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