What is Biometric Verification? 

Whether it is verifying an identity when onboarding a new customer or authorizing payments with just a fingerprint, biometric verification is reshaping the way we utilize personal data. As more companies transition to digital platforms, biometrics is quickly becoming the gold standard for secure and seamless authentication. But what exactly is biometric verification, and how does it work? 

Understanding Biometrics 

Biometric verification is a highly secure method of confirming an individual’s identity by using their unique biological traits. These traits are distinct to each person, making it extremely difficult to forge or replicate, providing an additional layer of protection.  

Common biometric identifiers include: 

• Facial Recognition: Uses facial features such as the distance between the eyes, the shape of the cheekbones, and other distinctive characteristics to verify identity. This type of biometric verification relies on a face-matching algorithm that compares two images of the same individual. One provided by the user and one stored in the system’s database. For example, a selfie taken by a user is matched against their saved photo on file. The software creates a digital descriptor—a token containing key facial details necessary for identification. They are also required to be encrypted and stored securely to prevent misuse. 

• Fingerprint Scanning: Fingerprint verification is a widely used biometric method that relies on unique patterns like ridges and whorls to confirm identity. This method is often paired with other user-related assets, such as an ID, where the user’s fingerprints are stored in a secure government database or in a document RFID. When a fingerprint is presented, the system matches it with the stored data to verify the individual. It analyzes the unique patterns, ridges, and whorls on a person’s fingertip.  

• Iris Scanning: While many biometric technologies can be used both online and offline, iris verification is typically an on-site procedure. Especially in industries such as military and defense, or travel and immigration. It ranks as one of the most secure biometric methods due to the complexity, stability, and uniqueness of iris patterns, surpassing fingerprint and facial recognition in terms of accuracy. This method involves analyzing one or both irises using a specialized high-resolution scanner, which makes it more equipment-intensive compared to facial recognition. The captured iris image is then transformed into a digital template, containing numerical data that is matched against a stored sample in the system’s database. Although iris scanning has traditionally required specialized equipment, technological advancements are making it more accessible, with some smartphones and consumer devices now supporting this feature.

• Voice Recognition: Voice recognition is also a common form of biometric verification. Where a stored voice sample is compared to the user’s voice during tasks like mobile banking. The software analyzes multiple frequencies within the voiceprint to match it with the stored data. Depending on the system, users either repeat specific phrases (text-dependent) or speak freely (text-independent) for authentication.

Why Biometrics? 

Biometrics provide a higher level of assurance that individuals are who they claim to be in a digital environment, surpassing traditional methods like usernames and passwords. They offer a secure and convenient way to confirm customer identities during onboarding, verification, or authentication processes. 

The process can be compared to someone checking your face against your ID at border control, but in a digital setting. Instead of relying on a human eye, advanced AI algorithms or skilled experts conduct the comparison, making the process much more accurate than manual verification. 

Biometric verification is also considered significantly more secure than traditional methods. Conventional verification approaches, such as social media logins and passwords, are prone to lower security, and passwords can easily be forgotten by users. Knowledge-based questions provide slightly better security but can be cumbersome and difficult to remember. 

In contrast, biometrics are unique to each individual, making them difficult to replicate, forge, or steal. They are also user-friendly since customers can’t forget or lose their biometrics—they are inherently part of them. This convenience makes biometrics ideal for tasks like opening a bank account, which traditionally required visiting a branch in person. Now, users can verify themselves from the comfort of their homes. For businesses, biometric verification offers scalability, allowing them to onboard customers more efficiently and securely. 

Where is Biometric Verification Used?  

Biometric verification is used to identify people in all sorts of settings, including the following: 

• Financial institutions are using biometrics, such as voice recognition and fingerprint scanning, to authenticate users, offering secure and convenient access to accounts. 

• Healthcare providers use biometric systems to accurately identify patients, ensuring that medical records are matched with the correct individual, reducing errors and improving patient safety. 

• Law Enforcement agencies use fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans and other types of biometric ID to track people entering and returning to the criminal justice system. 

• Governments are incorporating biometrics in passports, national ID programs, and voter registration to enhance security, reduce fraud, and improve the accuracy of citizen identification 

• Border, Travel, and Immigration Control. Airports, immigration offices, and border control. agencies increasingly rely on biometrics to verify travelers’ identities quickly and securely. This helps facilitate smoother immigration processes and enhances national security. 

Biometric Verification in Action: Face Verification 

Facial verification is one of the most popular forms of biometrics today. It works by analyzing a person’s facial features and comparing them to stored data to authenticate their identity. With the advent of machine learning, facial verification systems have become more accurate, detecting changes in facial expressions or ageing. 

Face verification reduces the risk of human error though significant changes, such as substantial weight loss or certain medical conditions, may occasionally impact accuracy.  Factors like ageing, hairstyles, facial hair, makeup, and even ethnicity can make it challenging to accurately compare a person’s face with their passport photo. Research has shown that manual verification processes can result in error rates of up to 30%. Many operators admit that it’s difficult to confidently determine whether a verification is authentic or falsified due to these variables, and they often express a need for tools to assist in the process. 

Reliable identity verification is crucial for secure customer onboarding, especially in sectors like banking where updated regulatory frameworks, such as AML regulations, demand stricter protocols. Ensuring the verification process meets the highest standards of accuracy is essential, and any uncertainties encountered by operators must be swiftly addressed. 

AuthentiScan + Face Verification 

At Keesing Technologies, we combine cutting-edge biometric technology with our advanced identity verification solution, AuthentiScan, to provide seamless, highly accurate identity verification. With integrated face verification, AuthentiScan ensures a smooth experience for organisations that prioritize both security and ease of use. Whether you’re onboarding new customers or meeting regulatory compliance requirements, AuthentiScan helps you stay ahead in identity verification, offering enhanced protection against fraud and impersonation. 

Keesing AuthentiScan offers end-to-end identity verification by analyzing document security features from document images captured via a passport scanner. Our solution cross-checks ID documents with a template database, trained solely on official ID documents, ensuring the reliable detection of fake documents. With global coverage of ID documents from over 200 countries and issuing authorities, our unique reference and template databases enable unparalleled document verification. 

Face Verification, powered by leading biometric provider Mobai, adds an additional layer of security. This secure process verifies that the person presenting the ID is its legitimate owner, providing a higher level of confidence in the claimed identity. By integrating biometric technology into the identity verification process, Keesing AuthentiScan helps combat identity fraud at the source, protecting your business from impersonation, fraud, and spoof attempts.  

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