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CheckQ™
RetailQ™
OFAC Compliance
The Q™
PassQ™
PassQ™ Server
AccessQ™
MemberQ™
VaultQ™
WhenQ™
TellerQ™
Qrl™
Financial Institutions
Corporate Security
Facility Management
Manufacturing
Government
Medical
Libraries
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Biometric Basics
If you have questions about biometrics, we’ve got the answers here.
What is biometrics?
Biometrics is the science of measuring physiological or behavioral characteristics that verify a person’s identity. They include fingerprints, retinal and iris scanning, hand geometry, voice patterns, facial recognition and other techniques.
Why are PINs and passwords a security risk?
When a computer recognizes a PIN (personal identification number) or password, it’s recognizing the numbers and/or letters keyed, not the person entering them. If you know the right keys to authenticate yourself to a computer system as someone, then for all intents, you are that person.
Password overload leads to security lapses as passwords and PINs are forgotten, lost, hacked or compromised in any number of ways. The expense of maintaining PINs and Passwords is also mounting. Technical support experts estimate that up to 65 percent of calls to help desks involve lost or forgotten passwords.
What about drivers’ licenses and Social Security cards?
While we may easily recognize drivers’ licenses, Social Security cards and other paper-based identification, they can be used by anyone. Biometrics, by their nature, are non-transferable. Unlike a driver’s license, Social Security card or PIN, your fingerprint can’t be lost or stolen.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft, the act of stealing an individual’s social security number, credit card number, name and/or other identification, is the nation’s fastest growing white-collar crime.
How do criminals use stolen identities?
Identity thieves can withdraw the victim’s money from a bank account, trade stocks, sell their home, lift professional credentials and establish fraudulent relationships. Before victims are even aware their identities have been stolen, they could be thousands of dollars in debt with ruined credit and criminal charges against them.
What are the biometric applications for business?
US Biometrics has taken complex biometric technology and developed the software that makes it a secure, cost-effective solution for business. Fingerprint recognition, because of its relative low cost, convenience and easy integration, is a logical application for many businesses.
What about privacy issues?
Banks and others who offer biometric-based security to their customers report a pragmatic response. Anything that saves the information-overloaded consumer from having to remember another password or PIN comes as a welcome respite. A nationwide survey by Columbia University reported that 83 percent of those surveyed approved of finger imaging.
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