ABI Research is raising some concerns about the security of biometric technologies. In the synopsis of a new report entitled Biometric Data Security, the market research firm argues that “biometric vendors are just starting to pay more attention to the complexities of biometric data and implement new security protocols in this US$26 billion industry.”
ABI says that cyber attackers are starting to target growth areas like consumer-focused fingerprint sensors, enterprise-level BYOD initiatives, and corporate and government access control systems. But ABI also looks to solutions, noting that tools like data assurance, template protection, biocryptography, and more are emerging to provide security solutions for administrators. The overall security approach going forward, ABI says, will involve “incorporating data security protocols, monitoring for incoming threats and establishing physical and logical integrity of the system.”
Indeed, while biometric technologies offer a range of security applications, there is wide variation in their sophistication, and particular systems can have serious vulnerabilities themselves. Even one of the most widespread consumer mobile biometric systems, Apple’s Touch ID, is vulnerable to spoofing; and other companies are starting to see the importance of liveness detection for biometric authentication. That’s why leaders like EyeVerify’s CEO are starting to call for the establishment of rigorous security standards for biometric technologies, an idea that, given the success of the FIDO Alliance’s authentication standards, could prove highly valuable as the biometric technology continues its ascent in popularity.
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October 19, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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