What Is Biometric Access Control?
Biometric access control uses a person’s physical characteristics to confirm their identity. Common biometric methods include:
- Hand features: including fingerprints, palm, and hand shape
- Eye scan
- Facial recognition
- Behaviour: including voice or signature
There have been incredible advancements in the field of biometrics over the past twenty years. As a result, biometric technology continues to become more reliable and cost-effective.
The Benefits of Biometrics
The detailed identification management provided by biometrics allow it to offer many benefits over traditional access control devices. Here are four benefits of biometrics.
- Ensure Proper Identification: Unlike proximity cards or PIN numbers, a person’s biometric features cannot be transferred, meaning the approved user must be physically present at the point of identification in order to gain access.
- Audit Trail: Because biometrics provide more accuracy when identifying a user, a system administrator will easily be able to connect a user to a specific action. This audit trail is helpful in the event of an actual security event or security breach.
- User Friendly: Once a biometrics system is installed and the applicable staff have been trained, it is very reliable and easy to maintain. To ensure proper functionality, it is important that the biometric devices are kept clean. Additionally, the system is user-friendly because there are no passwords to remember or access cards to keep track of.
- Security: The biggest advantage of biometrics is the increased security for your building. A user’s physical characteristics are much more secure that an access card or password, which creates a safer facility. Additionally, today’s biometric access control systems are very advanced, and can offer you a scalable solution that can grow with the ever-changing needs of your business.