Pondering blog week 3 Biometrics

Week 3 Pondering blog

Security systems: Biometrics

This week in class we spoke of many security systems that can prevent data from being lost or stolen. In Friday’s class a student gave a presentation on biometrics and what were the advantages and disadvantages of using it. The most common biometric device is a fingerprint scanner.

Biometrics: Is the science and technology of measuring and analyzing biological data. In information technology, biometrics refers to technologies that measure and analyze human body characteristics, such as:
· Fingerprints
· Eye retinas
· Irises
· Voice patterns
· Facial patterns
· Hand measurements
All of these are used for authentication purposes. A password is pretty easy to get and can be stolen by social engineering. Us as people make it easy for the hackers or crackers to get our information and passwords. For example: when I worked at a restaurant my manager use to have her username and password on a sticky note posted on her computer. How dumb is that?

What are the advantages of the Biometric security system?
No one has the same fingerprints so it would be hard for someone to steal your information that way. You personally would have to be there to prove that you are the person you say you are. Also every ones retina of the eye is very different; there are no two retinas that are the same. It is an easier and better option for those who can’t seem to remember there passwords.

What are the disadvantages of a biometric security system?
Although the cost of biometric devices have dropped to $100 in the past few years for a basic fingerprint scanner, the software programs and related databases, which are responsible for the processing and decisions regarding the scan, are still very expensive ( p.80 Security + Guide to Network Security, Mark Ciampa). Also, it is possible to steal someone’s fingerprints by copying their fingerprints from a glass or u can also record someone’s voice and then play it for the system to gain access. With age voices change and when you are sick your voice changes. So because of this experts advise us to use it with a password and other security for now.

Every company now in days are putting up a good security system to make sure their extremely valuable information is not stolen or tampered with. I think that it is great that we as students can learn the many different security systems and use them to our advantages. Not only can we use the information now, but also in the future when we start working as IT specialists or anywhere else.