Biometrics, so far!

The need for biometric identification systems has become the need of the hour. Governments across the globe are trying to implement safe and transparent identification systems for monitoring citizens.

The earth is overcrowding, every city, every apartment and every office space. Human resources are in need of men’s greed and need. With more than 7.5 billion people on the planet, personal identification is becoming one of the greatest technological challenges.

Today biometrics use physical features like fingerprint, facial recognition, retinal scans and voice recognition to identify individuals. Behavioural identifiers such as device location, device movement and gestures are also now used for identification. Biometric systems are simple, tamperproof and can be easily installed. Those being the prime advantages, the usage of biometric systems are on the rise. Because of its unique features, it is difficult to hack any biometric system and creating a fake individual identity for biometric access requires more data.

With different physical input, the biometric device requires unique approaches for identifying and authentication. They are now used in several large international airports security to verify passenger ID/details. Biometric systems with the time and attendance system in Saudi Arabia are used for workforce management. These are used by several private as well as in various government organisations where security is a priority. In law enforcement systems, biometric systems are used to cross-check inmate identities, criminal fingerprints and DNA databases.

Biometric access controls are widely used in home entry access, mobile phones and vehicle authentication systems. They have become an essential security feature in high-end applications, luxury products and elite lifestyles. With an increasing number of identity theft and bank ATM break-ups, customers now look for financial institutions which are more secured and safe.  Indian government assigned biometric ID cards to individuals with a unique ID number for safeguarding one’s identity. Some countries use biometrics for election and voter registration.

A few years back, Saudi Arabia understood the importance of keeping biometric identity as an essential need. The target wasn’t just to include countries citizens but to include everyone who visits the country. Biometric methods were extensively used for collecting individual information. Saudi Arabian government created a biometric civil registry for both citizens and expatriates.

Biometric fingerprint system is used to collect fingerprints of every individual above the age of 15. The data is stored in the Automated Central system known as ACS, and those who fail to provide the information are barred from accessing any government establishments or digital space.  It was made essential for the renewal of iqama residence permit. For the Saudi authorities, enrollment of the adult population was only the starting point. Saudi Arabia is a religious tourist destination where every day thousands visit from every corner of the globe. To collect the information about the visitors, the Saudi government again sought the help of biometrics. Biometric fingerprint system was used to capture biometric data from everyone entering or leaving the country.

The government has insisted every pilgrim who is visiting Hajj and Umrah to verify their identity through a fingerprint system before applying for a visa. This recent step is a move towards securing the country and its citizens. The process has similarity with IDENT also known as US visit which was able to capture the data of around 200 million visitors. European Union is implementing biometric border screening with its biometric Entry-exit system known as Smart Borders.

We can clearly see how a biometric system is enhancing the security of a country and its resources. Future biometric systems with more advanced technologies are helping to curb infiltrations and terrorism. Screencheck is one of the leading providers of biometric systems in Saudi Arabia. They have an avid range of biometric products and solutions that are helping various businesses to work under secured environments.

Contact Screencheck and know the possibilities of a secured tomorrow.