Biometrics For Dummies

Book Preface

Biometric technology is a HOT topic. The most recent (ISC)2 Global Workforce Survey of over 7,500 security professionals from around the world have cited biometrics as the number one security project for organizations in North America, and the number two security project in the world overall.

Most companies aren’t using any form of biometrics yet, but many are looking into biometrics now. Security regulation, negative publicity about security breaches, and the desire to avoid being the next security-breach scandal are prompting many organizations to take a first serious look at biometrics.

About This Book

Our objective for this book is simple: to help you become familiar with biometrics in a hurry by giving you all the information you need to be able to start looking at biometric solutions. Biometrics For Dummies will help you to be a smart shopper and know what you are looking for — and what to avoid.

This book isn’t the encyclopedia of biometrics. You don’t need that right now. Given the broad base of information you need, this book is the best way to jump-start your own knowledge, which will help you and your company become critical, informed customers. You’ll learn what biometrics are all about, all the general categories of biometrics (plus a few of the oddities), and everything you need to know to get started with an evaluation and eventual implementation of biometrics.

As a technology professional or a business manager, you’ll find that biometrics are a bit tricky, especially with respect to privacy and legal issues, but not really all that hard to learn. Learning about biometrics isn’t any more difficult than learning any new hobby or skill. And as you proceed down the road to evaluating, selecting, and using biometrics, you and your organization will be far better off for all the insight this book imparts. You’ll probably get some kudos for helping your organization successfully embrace and use biometrics. We have confidence in you!

Foolish Assumptions
We make two broad presumptions when we wrote this book:
You understand your business. You know what your business’s products and services are, and how it develops, sells, and supports them.
You don’t need to understand every minute detail, but just have a good overall view of what your business is in the business of doing.

You understand technology. We aren’t saying you’re a rocket surgeonist (say what?), but we figure you know the basics of how computers, networks, and applications work — and what’s going on when you type in your user ID and password or swipe your card when you enter the building.

Conventions Used in This Book
This isn’t a book about computer programming or acupuncture, so we’vespared you a lot of tricky diagrams and lines of computer code. We’ve written Biometrics For Dummies in plain English, and that’s about all you need to know! (Okay, we have used one convention: We’ve italicized jargon-y terms as a heads-up to you that the jargon-y term’s definition — as it pertains to biometrics — is nearby.)

What You Don’t Have to Read
If your organization already has a biometrics system and you need to know more about how it works, then you can probably skip the chapters on selection and implementation, unless you’d like some insight into how the decision-making process probably went in your company.

How This Book Is Organized
This book is organized in four parts. Although the chapters don’t necessarily have to be read in order, they’re organized according to the somewhat logical progression that an organization would follow as it explores its security issues and proceeds down the road to Biometric City.

Contents at a Glance
Introduction ………………………………………………………. 1
Part I: Getting Started with Biometrics ……………………. 7
Chapter 1: Understanding Biometrics …………………………………………………………………..9
Chapter 2: Protecting Assets with Biometrics …………………………………………………….21
Chapter 3: Biometrics in Our Lives …………………………………………………………………….35
Part II: Types of Biometrics …………………………………. 61
Chapter 4: Fingerprint and Hand Biometrics ………………………………………………………63
Chapter 5: Signature Biometrics …………………………………………………………………………75
Chapter 6: Retina and Facial Biometrics ……………………………………………………………..89
Chapter 7: Other Types of Biometric Identification Schemes ……………………………101
Part III: Implementing and Using Biometrics …………. 119
Chapter 8: Selecting a Biometrics Solution ……………………………………………………….121
Chapter 9: Implementing, Supporting, and Maintaining a Biometrics Solution…..141
Chapter 10: Securing Biometrics Systems …………………………………………………………163
Chapter 11: The Future of Biometrics ……………………………………………………………….185
Part IV: The Part of Tens …………………………………… 207
Chapter 12: Ten Tools Used in Biometrics ………………………………………………………..209
Chapter 13: Ten Biometrics Web Sites ………………………………………………………………217
Chapter 14: Ten Essentials for Biometrics Success …………………………………………..225
Chapter 15: Ten Biometrics Scenarios to Plan For …………………………………………….235
Chapter 16: Ten Benefits of Biometrics …………………………………………………………….245
Part V: Appendixes ………………………………………….. 253
Appendix A: Comparing Biometrics Solutions …………………………………………………..255
Appendix B: Controlling Physical Access ………………………………………………………….261
Appendix C: Glossary ……………………………………………………………………………………….269
Index ……………………………………………………………. 277