The advantages of fingerprint biometrics for physical access control are becoming increasingly clear : enhanced security and improved user convenience. Since fingerprint biometrics are based on “who you are?instead of “what you have?or “what you know? it reduces threats to traditional physical access controls such as picking locks, stealing and copying keys, re-entering PINs and faking swipe cards; convenience is derived from the fact users no longer have to carry keys and cards or remember PINs. For environments requiring an extra level of security, fingerprint biometrics can be deployed inexpensively and in tandem with existing security measures such as swipe cards for dual-factor authentication.

Fingerprint biometric security has been improving steadily for many years and has now emerged in several mainstream applications. Examples include authenticating users of Lenovo (IBM) ThinkPad notebook PCs, SanDisk portable USB flash drives, HID access control terminals, Brinks home safes and many other applications. The technology has been gaining market acceptance for years, and has seen rapid adoption by major enterprise and consumer products ?/span> a validation of the technology?/span>s maturity.

?/span>Spoofing?/span> sensors, a concept often depicted in Hollywood, is more difficult than the movies would lead one to believe. Advanced silicon sensors capture 3D images and include specialized sensing capability to recognize the properties of the real fingers, making it difficult to bypass these systems. No solution is perfect, but there has been a steady increase in the capability of leading solutions, offering added security benefits to users.

Using fingerprints to identify individuals may have been associated with law enforcement applications in the past. However, in commercial applications today, fingerprint systems do not need to save the full fingerprint mage to work reliably. Instead, these systems generally store just fingerprint ?/span>template?/span>. A fingerprint template is a mathematical representation of the unique aspects of your finger, but it can not be converted back into the original fingerprint. Think of a template as the ?/span>Password?/span> stored in your fingerprint. These systems ?/span>read?/span> this fingerprint password and eliminate the rest of the fingerprint information. This method allows the system to determine if you are who you claim to be, but without requiring a full fingerprint image. Electronically, fingerprint templates are also smaller in size, sometimes as much as 1/500^th the size of the data that would make up the original fingerprint. This compact size allows for faster matching and smaller memory storage requirements.

Actually, leading devices come with the fingerprint sensor and a co-processor integrated into a single package. These devices allow this technology to be used in devices without having to understand the details of a biometric subsystem. These ?/span>intelligent?/span> devices can be used to capture and match fingerprint information, without ever having to send the fingerprint information outside of the system. This integrated approach improves both the security of the system and offers better privacy protection for users. 

Because this technology is rapidly growing in mainstream markets, it is important to understand that the quality of the sensors and solution varies, and this variation affects the overall system security, convenience and reliability. Therefore, consider these criteria when evaluating fingerprint solution suppliers. Take care to select a fingerprint sensor that meets your needs, and is part of a well tested and proven solution that can get you to market quickly with a product your customers will value and enjoy. The lowest priced sensors may skimp on security or ease-of-use capabilities, resulting in less satisfaction for your customers.

The primary function of physical access control is security. For biometric fingerprint technology, security is determined by the sensor?/span>s ability to capture high quality images and the algorithm?/span>s ability to match stored data accurately. The level of the security is measured by the biometrics performance indicator False Acceptance Rate (FAR), which is the likelihood that the device will grant access to the wrong person. This metric must be balanced with the level of convenience measured by the False Rejection Rate (FRR), or the likelihood that someone who should have access is not granted access. Since many access control companies are not specialists in conducting this type of testing, you should look to leading security-focused companies that have integrated fingerprint biometrics and scrutinized vendors through qualification testing.

Authorized users expected to be granted access to the system on their first attempt, so any failure to recognize them will cause frustration. As discussed above, the level of convenience, measured by the False Rejection Rate, is determined by the overall system performance. Over the past few years, fingerprint sensors have improved significantly in their mechanical and electrical robustness, while also providing excellent ease-of-use, high security, cost-effectiveness, small size and power efficiency. These systems have been in the market for years with a solid track record of working well for many applications, including in physical access control.

To have a successful biometric access control system, it is important to consider the sensor and the associated processing platform. Today?/span>s leading fingerprint solution providers offer complete modules that perform all of the biometric processing tasks: image capture, conversion to ?/span>template?/span>, template storage, template comparison and communication of the results.

Biometric fingerprint sensors must stand up to repeated use and endure a wide range of environmental conditions. Today?/span>s leading fingerprint sensors provide hard protective coatings for the extended wear, certified ESD protection, specialized packaging and reliable operation across a wide range of temperatures.