Identity theft affects millions of people—at least 100,000 Britons and around 10 million Americans fall victim to the crime every year. Indeed, the cost of identity theft globally is expected to reach some US$2 trillion by 2005¹. Biometric security measures, or the use of human biological characteristics to confirm or establish identity, promise to help reduce these numbers drastically by making it far more difficult for thieves to steal identities.
Bringing Fort Knox to You
So if you thought iris scanners, face recognition systems and fingerprint identification systems were reserved for places like Fort Knox, think again. Researchers at Accenture Technology Labs believe that these kinds of security systems will probably be protecting your own bank account sooner than you think. Biometric devices are becoming smaller than ever and can now be integrated into commonly used devices like mobile phones or PDAs. Before long, you might find a fingerprint or iris scanner attached to your PC, mobile phone or to your local ATM, enabling secure online access to your bank account. Or you may find your gym scanning the shape of your face as you walk through briskly and easily, ensuring nobody else enjoys your membership benefits. Less risk, more security, more convenience.
Much media attention has been given to biometric counter-terrorism measures, and biometrics can indeed provide faster and safer entry and exit point security across national boundaries. Indeed, these technologies can help immigration and border control personnel improve their performance by enabling them to focus on identifying possible watch-list suspects. Iris scans can also be used to provide reliable authentication—not even identical twins have the same irises. While some concerns have been raised around privacy, biometrics-based ID cards could actually help protect consumer privacy while improving travel security.
Where Will it Be Used?
Many different industries—from travel and transportation, to financial services, to government to healthcare—will potentially benefit from biometric technology. One example is Galp Energia, a Portuguese oil and gas company that set out to become the world’s first petrol station operator to install a thumbprint biometrics payment system. Galp Energia clients no longer need their credit cards to fill up—they simply stop at the petrol station, apply their thumbs to scanners and their accounts are debited automatically. Much safer when you need to fill up late at night—not to mention much more convenient and much less time consuming.
Another possible application is in fleet management. International attacks on fuel-laden tankers have prompted security officials to include trucks on their list of potential terrorist targets. Biometrics, again in the form of fingerprint technology, is used to identify the driver before the truck door can be opened and thus ensure that only authorized personnel are able to drive the truck. (See Accenture’s Transport Security Services prototype video for more details).
Not “If,” but “When”…
Biometric security still has to answer questions like: “What about my privacy?” “Can it be fooled?” and “What do you do if someone does manage to steal your identity?” Yet it cannot be denied that there is a clear need for stronger, automated, interoperable and online identity. It will take more money, more research and more time before biometrics are introduced to consumers’ everyday activities, but the question is certainly not whether you’ll be using biometrics to access your bank account, but when.
The Future of Identity: Read our Point of View on biometrics.
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1 Source: The Aberdeen Group