Lewisham Primary Care Trust has started installing fingerprint scanning technology to protect patient records at a children’s service centre.

The authority’s decision to adopt a security system that combines single sign-on and biometric technology is further evidence of the technology’s growing popularity, particularly in the public sector.

Biometrics is included in the proposed national ID card scheme and in next-generation passports. Iris scanners are being used at selected airports for fast-track immigration.

Supermarket chain Co-op is in the process of testing fingerprint payment systems in six outlets, and similar technology has been installed in security systems at the Heathrow Terminal 5 construction site. But take-up in the private sector is much slower than in the public sector.

Part of the problem is that the technology is still unproven, says BCS biometrics expert professor Angela Sasse.

‘There have been no large-scale trials by companies not involved in the biometrics industry,’ she said. ‘There have been small frequent traveller trials by airlines, but they have tended to be educated, tech-savvy males, which is not a representative sample of the UK population.’

Logistical issues around the process of capturing biometrics, and unresolved difficulties with, for example, people with dark eyes or worn fingerprints, are also slowing progress.

‘The number of problems at the moment is really quite appalling,’ said Sasse.

When the technology does start to filter into the private sector, banks and financial services organisations are likely to be early adopters, says Nick Kalisperas, director of markets at trade group Intellect.

‘Financial security will be at the forefront, but I think pilots and trials will start to crop up all over the place,’ he said.

But until the technology is more mature, the private sector will remain wary, says Kalisperas.

‘We really do not know what direction biometrics will take yet. I do not think there is going to be adoption on a massive scale, but we will gradually begin to see more of it over the coming years,’ he said.

Ironically, widescale adoption of biometric security systems could expose organisations to new vulnerabilities.

Professor Mike Fairhurst, a biometric expert at Kent University, says as use of biometrics increases, system will become more vulnerable to attack.

‘The more widespread biometric technology becomes, the more reason there is for people to attack it and the whole business of people trying to spoof the system gets much more acute,’ he said.

Butler Group analyst Andy Kellett says businesses will need a compelling reason to invest in biometric technology.

‘People will only use it where there is a proven need for it,’ he said. ‘In most cases, there are still easier ways to achieve the right level of security than through biometrics.’

Further Reading:

• Visas to have biometrics by 2008
• NHS fails to secure mobile data
• Europe's travellers favour biometrics

Biometrics

... in 30 seconds

Biometrics, the science of measuring a range of human characteristics, comes in various forms:

Fingerprint scanning

Technology scans unique patterns on fingers. Fingerprint biometrics is already in use with the US immigration service, and is being piloted by supermarket chain Co-op to allow customers to purchase products without cash or cards.

Voice print analysis

Banks and financial institutions could take advantage of voice over IP to identify callers by unique tones in their voices.

Facial recognition

Measuring key dimensions of the human face could allow people to be positively identified by machines through cameras. Possible applications include access to vehicles and information in passports.

Iris and retina scanning

Unique patterns in the human eye can be used to identify an individual. Possible uses include verification for other biometrics.