The A to Z of biometrics

Biometric identity systems, until a few years ago the stuff of science fiction, are now hitting the big time in the real world.

All exploit the fundamental physical differences between human beings - whether in the form of the ridges on our fingers, the way we walk or even the way we speak - to identify individuals.

They're at the heart of the government's ID cards plans and are already being used in airport security systems.

But they're also appearing in more mundane settings - as a way of securing your laptop or mobile phone, or as a faster way of paying for groceries, or even as a high tech register to make sure kids stay in school.

While fingerprint is dominating the biometric market at the moment, other types including iris are coming to the fore, according to Sapna Capoor, biometrics analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

The list from A to Z

Click on the links below to find out more on each of the entries in the list.

A is for Accuracy
B is for Behavioural biometric
C is for Cash machine
D is for Database
E is for Ear
F is for Facial recognition
G is for Gummi bears
H is for Hand geometry
I is for Iris
J is for Juan Vucetich
K is for Keystroke dynamics
L is for Liveness testing
M is for Mobile phones
N is for Network security
O is for Oxford
P is for Palm
Q is for Queues
R is for Registration
S is for Signature verification
T is for Twins
U is for Universality
V is for Voice verification
W is for Walk
X is for X-ray
Y is for Young
Z is for Zurich Airport

She said: "If you look at iris, it's the most expensive technology at the moment but it's the most accurate. The main drawback is the cost of the technology but governments tend to be quite price insensitive."

Not everyone wants to use fingerprint systems because of the connotations of criminality which stem from its origins in identifying criminals, meaning that other biometrics - such as palm vein - are also gaining momentum, she said.

As government and businesses look for better ways of checking identity - whether at airports or at cash machines - new forms of biometric are being developed.

According to a recent survey only around five per cent of businesses are using biometrics. But as projects such as the ID cards scheme start to be implemented, the use of biometric security systems is likely to become more pervasive.

Over the next few pages we take a look at some of the technologies in use now and the ones that are still in development.