Biometrics: Are YOU the Key to Security?

Biometrics is used to perform either identification or authentication, the latter being the most common application. In identifying, a sample is presented to the biometric system during enrollment. The system then attempts to determine if a biometric record exists for the sample by comparing it with a database of samples in the hope of finding a match to determine the identity. This is most commonly associated with fingerprint analysis in crimes. In authenticating, the biometric system attempts to verify an individual's identity by capturing a new sample and comparing it to a stored template. If the two samples match, the system confirms that individual is who they claim to be. The main difference is that identification compares a sample against a database of many and verification compares a sample against a database of one. Both methods involve a four-stage process: capture, extraction, comparison, and result.

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