Identity and ID cards: What is Biometrics?

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What is Biometrics?

The dictionary definition of Biometrics is:
1. The study of biological data by means of statistical analysis.
2. The science and technology of establishing identity by means of measurement of an individual's physiological or behavioural characteristics.

[From Greek bios - life and metron - measure]

Physiological characteristics examples:
• Fingerprints
• Eye retinas
• Eye irises
• Facial patterns
• DNA

Behavioural characteristics examples:
• Signature recognition
• Gait recognition
• Typing recognition

In a modern computerised biometric system, a person will have a biometric measurement taken and the data will be processed by means of a mathematical algorithm to produce a digital representation that can be entered into the computer database.

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