Biometrics systems means security at your fingertips

Biometrics systems means security at your fingertips

Zatni Arbi, Columnist, Jakarta, zatni@cbn.net.id

I remember the first time I visited a secure office almost two
decades ago. The door had a pass card security lock mechanism and
every employee had to swipe their ID card to gain entry to the
office.

We still see this type of security system in use today, but we
all know that cards can be stolen and reproduced. Some people may
be careless or absent-minded that they leave their pass cards
lying around anywhere, but this is one of the simplest and
inexpensive methods of restricting access to a certain area. No
complex installation procedure is required, no network connection
is needed.

One step up is the keypad lock that requires you to enter a
pass code. Instead of a card swipe, there is a keypad with which
a code is entered to unlock the door. Some of these mechanisms
are connected to a central computer that keeps track of pass
codes for each door, such as those used for hotel rooms.

Remember how surprised you were when you returned from a last-
minute shopping to find that you couldn't open your hotel room
door? Reception must have altered the code to your room, or it
may have been altered automatically, if the normal checkout time
has come and gone -- and you forgot to request a late checkout.

Changing codes can be done remotely, with the result that you
can no longer use the magnetic key-card to enter your room. The
only thing to do is go down to the front desk and ask them to let
you in.

Some offices and even hotels have begun using a PDA-compatible
security system. First, a code is uploaded to your Personal Data
Assistant via infrared, which will be stored in the memory. In
order to unlock the door, you merely need to beam the code from
your PDA toward the lock.

By the way, some lock mechanisms -- such as the ones from TESA
Entry System -- even use Bluetooth technology for its "open
sesame" signal. The problem is, not everyone has a PDA. Besides,
not everyone's cellular phone has an infrared feature, and even
fewer come with Bluetooth capability.

Now, as magnetic key-cards are easily lost, and secret codes
easily forgotten -- especially if they must be changed
periodically -- more and more offices are using biometrics
devices to secure access and prevent unauthorized people from
entering.

A biometrics device scans certain unique physiological
features of an individual for identification. It may scan
fingerprints, which will be compared with those in its central
database. When a matching print is found, the door will unlock
and grant you entry.

A more sophisticated device, such as the Panasonic BM ET300 or
ET500, scans an individual's iris and checks it against files in
its database. The iris recognition system is preferred, since it
takes a mere two seconds or so for the camera to make a scan and
match.

There are other biometrics devices that rely on voice-prints,
which are as unique to individuals as fingerprints.

Whether they are activated by fingerprints, irises, voice-
prints, faces or handprints, the process is the same. The
identifying feature must be scanned and stored in the central
database, along with the individual's identity and access level,
before they can be admitted entry.

At any rate, biometrics technology is gaining popularity, and
the going price of a biometrics lock can run up to US$500 each.
Some people may feel this is outrageously expensive, others may
find it reasonable -- but it is all relative, of course,
depending on how important security is to your business.