Overview: Biometric Authentication

Quick Definition

Biometrics is an identity verification strategy and matching set of technologies that authenticate users based on measured physiological attributes, such as the spacing of ridges on a finger, facial features, or the sequence of base pairs in a DNA sample. In cybersecurity, scans of fingerprints, faces, or retinas are the most commonly used biometric technologies.

Biometric usage remains controversial in cybersecurity circles because static physical features are relatively easy for determined attackers to recreate, and because stolen biometric data has significant privacy implications. Many consider behavioral biometrics to be a considerably improved successor to traditional biometrics, given its increased resistance to impersonation and significantly reduced vulnerability to privacy concerns.