Evolution of Biometrics kody Saylor Computer security
Keisha Nelson
December 10, 2013

Biometrics is the use of individual’s physical or behavioral characteristics to uniquely identify them for authentication or identifications purposes. Types of biometrics include: fingerprints, hand geometry, retina and iris patterns, facial recognition, and signature, voice, and keystroke patterns. There has been an evolution between man and machine. Technology has grown in leaps and bounds and today, flesh and machine have been fused together as one. There have been many science fiction novels and movies of chip implantation representing quick identification to a mainframe. Biometric technology has taken the form of this fantasy and turned it into an immeasurable reality. There are potential benefits of an integrated biometrics-based identification system include but not limited to: * The cost of administration. * The reliability of identification. * Access to information held by organizations. * The accuracy and quality of research and statistics. * The level of technical security of communications.
In America, there has been a huge debate over whether or not security is taking away our freedom. One instance of security verses freedom is about the recent legislation regarding driver’s licenses incorporating biometric technology. Biometrics is “the statistical study of biological phenomena” (American Heritage Dictionary) or more commonly known as “a technology that screens human physical features such as fingerprints and eyes to identify people (Buckler). The Driver’s License Modernization Act of 2002 (Matthews) proposes using biometric technology on your driver’s license to identify a person and even keep tabs on them. The use of biometrics in driver’s licenses to allow the government to know our every move is a direct violation of privacy and is not worth giving up our freedom. However any move towards a biometric identifier carries enormous risk. Many systems do not live up to expectations because they prove unable to cope with the enormous variations among large populations of people. Also when dealing with the individual autonomy, some people say that they feel they have been violated on a personal level.
In recent years, biometric technology has attained a very high degree of sophistication, and accuracy has been achieved at a level that far surpasses all other forms of identification. The IriScan system (iris scanning company), for example, conducts a scan of the eye, and, according to claims made by the manufacturer, is generally accurate to 1015 on the first scan, and 1022 on the second. Iris recognition does, however, suffer from the problem that many people feel very sensitive and protective of their eyes, and find such technology disturbing.

The biometric driver’s license or “smart card” that is proposed in the Driver’s License Modernization Act of 2002 is claimed to be the only card you will ever need. This card contains ATM information, credit card, employment id, library information, health records, and a biometric identifier: such as a fingerprint or an eye scan, and just about any other form of identification you could think of (Matthews). This smart card would correct the inconsistent requirements between states to attain regular driver’s license (Divis). These inconsistent laws allowed seven of the September 11th hijackers to carry Virginia State IDs and allowed five to obtain fake Social Security numbers (Rendleman). It has been claimed that this system would also prevent identity fraud and make driver’s license a better way to establish identity. However, it is unlikely to prevent another attack like September 11th because the hijackers and others involved were established in their communities. The system would not be fool-proof because it could only be as reliable as the documents used to obtain it and even the most sophisticated technology can be compromised. All new technology is thought to be more secure than the last item on the market. This may just be a circle of spending money on security and the terrorists spending time learning the new way to cheat the system. This system would take approximately 315 million dollars to make the transition in driver’s licenses and would initially be voluntary (Divis).
Right now in America, we use our driver’s license as a legal document stating we have passed the test to operate a vehicle. It is also used as a backup ID for attaining other documents in our name. This ID tells our birth name, gender, address, eye and hair color, weight, height, and has our picture. The only requirement for carry the ID is while trying to prove your age or driving your car. The smart card would be required on your person at all times, no exceptions. The smart card must be on you at all times because there is a tracking device in it. It would be good for the government to know where criminals are at all times and have access to pull up their location at any time, but they have no idea of telling who will be a criminal in the future. Therefore, everyone is forced to allow the government to know their location. This seems to be about more control for the Government and less control of the people. I believe that is what we were fighting against when we won our independence.
After the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, “some people in the biometrics industry saw September 11th as a sales opportunity” (Buckler). Many people in America looked to the biometric studies as a hope for more security from these terrible acts. In actuality, biometrics in a driver’s license will no more protect our country than any other security that is already in place.

Some in the biometrics business sought to exploit the terrorist attacks by claiming that if there had been a national identification system using biometrics -- if for instance everybody’s eyes were checked against a national database of retina scans at airport security -- the hijackings wouldn’t have happened. . . This isn’t true. Most of the hijackers were unknown to the authorities, so no identification system would have stopped them. Besides, biometric technology is not reliable enough now - - and maybe never will be -- to support an identification system that includes everyone in North America and can identify every one of those people accurately at airport security gates, (Buckler). It seems to be pointless to spend 315 million dollars on a security system that may not work properly in the first place. This biometric industry is giving Americans and people worldwide a false hope for security.
Biometrics provides a trust issue with authorities who have access to records. For instance, a person hears a siren going off, they slowly pull to the side of the road. The policeman approaches the car and asks for their smart card. The policeman runs the cards and writes a ticket. A few days later, while checking their credit card account the person realizes the same day they were pulled over $200 was charged to their account using their credit card number online. Was the policeman who pulled them over a crook? Or did they simply misplace the money? How would a person ever know who was using their ATM number? Jay Maxwell, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators executive director states, “A dual-use card can create a problem” (Divis). If America switched to the smart card system, it would give many people on a national and local level access to your personal information. If we cannot trust policemen to accurately display the speed at which your car was traveling when they clocked you, should we trust them with our personal ATM number and other personal information? The truth is that we cannot and while “such a problem would only impact the worst drivers” (Divis), this problem greatly affects the whole nation. The smart card will bring more fear in many people minds than security.

With the terror of all the attacks on the United States and the war, Americans are left in search of security. Many people in America would rather give up the freedoms that their relatives fought for in the early years of this nation. However, a person must decide if this security is worth the side-effects that come along with it. This choice for American’s is just around the corner. America will ask herself, if more government control over personal lives, a false security and a fear of personal information going public, is worth giving up the freedom that early generations of American people died for?

References 1. Buckler, Grant. “Biometrics, but with balance: the biometrics industry shouldn’t promise more than it can deliver.” www Findarticles.com 19 Apr. 2002. 19 Mar. 2003... 2. Divis, Dee Ann. “Bill would push driver’s license with chip.” The Washington Times 1 May 2002. 17 Mar. 2003. 3. Matthews, William. “Legislation to create ‘smart’ licenses” www.FCW.com 6 May 2002. 19 Mar. 2003. 4. Rendleman, John. “State motor-vehicle offices will propose that drivers’ licenses incorporate biometrics. Is that the same as a national ID card?” www.Informationweek.com 14 Jan. 2002. 27 Feb. 2003.