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.