What is personal biometric data and where are they used?

Previously, this could only be seen in spy movies: the hero applies a finger to a special sensor - and the door opens. Today, such technologies have become a reality, because there was an opportunity to collect, store and use biometric personal data. What it is?

Biometrics

Watching fantastic films where heroes communicate with the "smart house" or give orders to the artificial intelligence of the spacecraft, viewers rarely think about the reverse side of this issue, for example, whether this program is being listened to all in a row. It is very unlikely, for sure, it reacts only to the voice of the host. And this is achieved with the help of biometrics, which really exists. So, what is this piece of fiction that has already become a reality?

Biometrics is a system of recognizing people. It is based on the inherent unique characteristics of them, so it's impossible to enter, so to speak, "under another's login", because it is impossible to forge a password, and now it becomes clear why.

What is it?

Data of this type includes any information that can be measured, whether behavioral or psychological, or physiological. In other words, any human parameter that can be expressed in absolute values can be considered biometric data.

They have a number of specific properties, which makes them so valuable.

• They are unique. Each person's DNA is individual, as well as a fingerprint or iris pattern. This means that no one else can use the "password" without the owner's permission and knowledge.
• They are universal. Biometric personal data are different characteristics that are inherent in absolutely all people.
• They are immutable. As it is impossible to "edit" fingerprints, you can not change the timbre of voice or DNA.

All these characteristics in the complex make this type of information very useful, if you think about the general collection and storage of data for various purposes. For example, criminals can not escape justice. However, before the creation of global databases is still very, very far.

Types of data

To date, several types of biometric data have been used successfully: fingerprints, voice, retina or iris, as well as face and DNA recognition. This, however, does not limit the list of possible parameters. In the long term, technologies can also work with a smell or, for example, gait, characteristic features of behavior, the process of signing documents, etc. Thus, the characteristics can be not only static, but also dynamic.

By the way, in the process of studying some physiological characteristics of a person it became clear that, for example, the retina in this capacity is not suitable, since the pattern of the vessels can vary, and it also gives information about the state of health, which should not be. This indirectly gives impetus to the development of medicine.

History

The most common parameter, used for a long time already, are fingerprints. Dactyloscopic data has already become quite familiar, and the procedure for their surrender has long been required not only for those suspected of crimes, but also for ordinary citizens, for example, when receiving certain documents.

The idea that the papillary pattern, that is, the lines at the fingertips, are unique to each person, was put forward in the 19th century by William Herschel. Despite the fact that his hypothesis about the uniqueness of fingerprints has not received sufficient grounds, dactyloscopy is widely used in criminalistics. Perhaps, it was she who initiated the idea of identification, the basis of which would be biometric data.

Collection

Now the most common is the procedure for fingerprinting in electronic or traditional form. In the first case, special sensors are used, making a high-quality digital picture, which is further transformed, and in the second - a special paint. To recognize faces, special photos are also used, for example, in Russia they are now doing this to place biometric data in a new generation passport for travel abroad.

Storage and processing

If the collection of biometric data is not such a problem, the creation and continuous updating and maintenance of a single database is perhaps relevant. In addition, there is a need for legal regulation of access to information of this kind and the possibility of working with it, including the transfer to third parties.

Obviously, so personal information needs serious protection. This means that databases, if they contain all information centrally, should be as safe as possible, and the human factor must be reduced to a minimum. That is, the processing of biometric personal data must occur in the general case in an automatic mode.

Nevertheless, in Russia this problem has not been resolved, in spite of the adoption in 2006 of the 152-FZ law, which also mentions such information, there are no clear instructions on the rules for their storage and transfer yet. In addition, there is no control over the process of working with this type of information, although some state authorities have long been engaged in its collection. Thus, ordinary citizens can hardly be absolutely sure that information about them is in reliable hands, and they can not even verify it.

Where are they used?

Because biometric data is unique for each person, it is very convenient to identify the individual for these or other needs.

In the modern world, in practice this is realized in various access systems and personal documents. To date, the collection of any information related to such data is carried out, for example, in some countries to obtain a passport or visas for overseas trips. In addition, a large number of modern phones, tablets, computers and other devices also have unlocking functions in response to, for example, fingerprint reading or face recognition. So biometric data protection for a long time - not only high technologies in a fantastic film. Modern methods allow even to distinguish twins from one or several automatically evaluated parameters with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy.

In other words, human biometric data is a very reliable password that can not be changed, and with further improvement of recognition technologies, it will be absolutely impossible to gain unauthorized access to anything. True, the problem is that if there is a leak from the database, this will be a serious problem, because, as already said, this "password" can not be changed.

The mechanism of operation is quite simple: if a reference sample exists in the database, it is compared with the data obtained by the sensor, and if there are critical discrepancies, the access request is rejected, and if not, it is accepted. Naturally, there is a possibility of false triggering or failure, but this depends on the quality of the reference and the correctness of the setting and sufficient sensitivity of the sensor. Of course, combining several methods of recognition significantly increases the overall accuracy of identification.

Pros and cons

As in any other issue, when it comes to personal information, and especially biometric data, people are divided into two camps: supporters and opponents.

Those who advocate the speedy introduction of universal identification by biometric parameters, argue their position by the fact that this will make society safer, reduce crime. Find a missing person will not be difficult, because any security system will determine its presence.

On the other hand, critics believe that, first, even a small leak of data of this type can be critical, and secondly, there are no prerequisites for creating a legislative framework that could resolve many issues in this area. Finally, some think that this will create an opportunity for governments to interfere in the privacy of their citizens, which is unacceptable.

Prospects

One way or another, technologies based on this type of information continue to evolve, and this process is constrained only by their relatively high cost. Probably, in the foreseeable future, the delivery of biometric data will be mandatory for all people without exception, and extensive databases will be created. The information about several of its parameters will be tied to the identity of each person. This will make it possible to permanently abandon the paper documents that prove the identity, and will also allow to forget about such a concept as keys and locks in the usual sense.

By the way, usually together with biometrics mention chipping. However, this measure has many more opponents, because with the help of microcircuits sewn into the human skin, it is possible not only to determine, but also to control and change its state. This perspective so scares modern people that most of the anti-utopias speak of this measure as quite ordinary. But this is a completely different story.