The Technology Which Encompasses Us
Well, as we close out the year here in just under a week and a half, this will mark roughly four straight years of blogging, writing, and commenting about Biometrics. As you can see, I have a passion for the subject matter. Throughout the 820+ content postings I have written, there have been a number of recurring themes, and lately, there is one which has been coming out more than the others. Can you guess what that one might be about?
Here is a hint, look at yesterdays blog entry. In it, I mentioned the very last line, that Biometrics at some point, would encompass our entire lives. Well, if coming from my mouth about this does not mean too much, then how about then from the mouth one of the world’s largest corporations??? The behemoth I am talking about is IBM, and just recently, they announced their so –called “IBM 5 in 5”.
What is this you may be asking? Well, it is a listing of the top five innovations which impact and change people’s lives in the next five years (I am assuming by 2016 or so?). And yep, you got it, in this list, Biometrics is very specifically mentioned, and stands out as clear as day. In fact, it made #2 on the list. Here is their analysis:
“Your biological makeup is the key to your individual identity, and soon, it will become the key to safeguarding it . . . you will no longer need to create, track or remember multiple passwords for various log-ins. Imagine you will be able to walk up to an ATM machine to securely withdraw money by simply speaking your name or looking into a tiny sensor that can recognize the unique patterns in the retinal of your eye. Or by doing the same, you can check your account balance on your mobile phone or tablet . . . each person has a unique biological identity and behind all that is data. Biometric data – facial definitions, retina scans and voice files – will be composited through software to build your DNA unique online password . . . referred to as multi-factor biometrics, smarter systems will be able to use this information in real-time to make sure whenever someone is attempting to access your information, it matches your unique biometric profile and the attempt is authorized. To be trusted, such systems should enable you to opt in or out of whatever information you choose to provide.” (SOURCE: http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9440/).
My Take
Yea, it is true that Biometrics will be mostly felt at this level of application. In other words, in industry terminology, the logical access apps. The use of passwords is proliferating even more, and trying to remember each and every password is just one huge pain in the a$$. And even worse, whenever you register a new password (such as at a financial website, or any where you are buying goods and services), you have to make it really long and complicated, with numbers, punctuation marks, numerals, etc.
In fact, if you don’t even create this type of password, the website at which you are trying to register it will automatically refuse it. But apart from passwords and logging into your computer, within the next five years, Biometrics will impact our lives in an even grander way. For example, just picture a normal day for yourself. It will start out when you turn the ignition in your car (rather than a key, fingerprint recognition will be used), as you enter your office, you will use your hand or finger or vein pattern to gain access into the building, and as you try to get access to the corporate intranet, you will see Biometrics being used yet once again.
Now, imagine, it is lunchtime, and you want to go to your favorite restaurant. Why pay with cash when you can pay with a Smart Card which has your Biometric Templates stored inside of it? And when it is the end of the work day, and you need to buy groceries, why pay with a credit card, when you can pay with a fingerprint? Or, how about when you travel, rather than being issued a traditional blue United States passport, you will now be issued an e-passport which will contain all of your Biometric templates and data for ease of travel and expediting through customs and immigration.
Or how about the societal impact of Biometrics when if and when we get the National ID Card??? Or even better, the Smartphone has become the de facto standard of our lives. Biometrics is playing a huge role now in making sure that the airwaves in which we communicate and make transactions is as secure as possible. These are just a few examples (and many more) of how Biometrics will impact us.
The future is only bright for this security technology, and it is very important, especially here in the United States, that we embrace it and adopt it. Hey remember, if Big Blue says Biometrics will make a huge impact in our daily lives, believe me, it will!!!
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