Biometrics: A Security Advancement Or A Potential Hazard?

Biometrics is one of the most controversial branches of computer security today. One of the main problems with this is the handling of biometric data, which, in many countries, is completely illegal and prohibited, because these data, in the hands of the wrong group or the wrong person, can be a real danger for personal safety. However, there are companies like RecFaces that have been realized biometric projects world-wide, due to the fact that they handle strict encryption tools and meet the high security requirements of the system architecture of their solutions generally.

In fact, biometric security provider companies are not the problem, but companies or individuals that install biometric identification and tracking systems in their facilities. If the company owns the biometric information, this data is at risk, since it could be sold to third parties without central control of the company that provides the service.

In addition, data protection must be included in the contract under the risk of lawsuit for breach as a guarantee that said data will be safe. This also implies tough security quality controls to verify the existence of back doors and the quality of data encryption. So what matters to them, is biometrics a security threat?

Biometrics How secure is it?

In terms of protocols for entering a space, it turns out that yes, biometrics is incredibly reliable, and allows for better security standards in the company’s facilities, since you can authorize staff access to certain areas of the facilities, protecting things as important as documents, money (in the case of banks) formulas or other valuable business secrets.

It is important for a company security to keep certain things secret, so biometrics could be considered an important advance in security measures for companies.

Data processing is the key

It all depends on the type of regulation that is done in each country and the quality of the supervision, since this is what finally proves that, indeed, the biometric data will be safe at the hands of a company that provides these services. In fact, in the European Union, where it is prohibited by law, biometric tracking and identification systems can be applied if they pass supervision and the system is certified as safe and does not contain back doors.

In the United States it is federally allowed and depends on the particular legislation of each state.

The advantage of biometrics as a security measure is the confidence offered to customers by noticing that a company cares about security enough to install these systems to limit unauthorized access to key sites in its facilities. Technology companies use it, for example, to protect the servers where the personal data of their users are located, which is why it can be said that biometrics is more an advance than a threat, it all depends on professional approach to implementation and the quality of the supervision by the agencies that are dedicated to carrying out these checks.