An in-depth look at biometrics, focused on critical issues such as accuracy, privacy, technology capabilities, and cost-effective deployment

No longer a science fiction solution, biometric technologies are being deployed by thousands of companies and public agencies to increase security, protect personal information, and reduce fraud. Along with this broad-scale deployment comes a wide range of critical issues, including privacy risks, secure biometric system design, and the strengths and weaknesses of leading technologies such as finger-scan, iris-scan, facial-scan, voice-scan, and signature-scan. A full understanding of the biometric technologies, applications, and markets is required for successful utilization of biometrics in today’s enterprise environment.

Written by leading industry authorities, this book provides you with everything you need to know about the technology, the industry, the applications, and the challenges that define biometrics today. It explains why institutions are turning to biometrics to authenticate employees, customers, and citizens in mission-critical applications. It also provides a broad conceptual understanding of the technology, explains specialized terms and concepts, and concludes with an analysis of the factors you must consider when designing, deploying, and maintaining biometric systems.

Reviewing large-scale project examples, the authors:

• Discuss the metrics used to determine how well biometric systems operate
• Define how biometric deployments can be privacy-enhancing or privacy-invasive
• Dispel various myths and misunderstandings surrounding biometric technology
• Address topics such as system com-ponents, data acquisition, template generation and matching, and typical deployments for each biometric technology

Wiley Tech Briefs

Focused on the needs of the corporate IT and business manager, the Tech Briefs series provides in-depth information on new or emerging technologies, solutions, and vendor offerings available in the marketplace.

With their accessible approach, these books will help you get quickly up-to-speed on a topic so that you can effectively compete, grow, and better serve your customers.

About the Author

SAMIR NANAVATI is a founding partner of International Biometric Group, LLC, a biometric consulting and integration firm cofounded in 1996. Mr. Nanavati is cited frequently by several leading publications such as U.S. News & World Report, the New York Times, and The Industry Standard. He is also the author of fourteen analyses on the state of the biometric industry.

MICHAEL THIEME is a Senior Consultant with International Biometric Group. He has written extensively on a variety of biometric topics including IT security, deployment issues, and privacy. Mr. Thieme served on the Biometric Interoperability Subcommittee of the GSA Smart Access project and is also a member of the ANSI NIST B10.8 Biometric Subcommittee as well as a founder of the BioPrivacy Initiative.

RAJ NANAVATI is a cofounding partner at International Biometric Group, LLC. He lectures extensively on the technical, business, and policy issues associated with using biometrics. He has been quoted extensively in major media publications, including the New York Times, and has been featured on National Public Radio. He has also submitted testimony on biometrics to Congress.