Biometric systems quintessentially make use of unique human physical characteristics for the purpose of identification and verification of individuals trying to gain access into restricted areas. Most commonly, they check for attributes such as voice and facial patterns, eye scans and fingerprints. Ruling th

Biometric systems quintessentially make use of unique human physical characteristics for the purpose of identification and verification of individuals trying to gain access into restricted areas. Most commonly, they check for attributes such as voice and facial patterns, eye scans and fingerprints. Ruling the roost among biometric devices are fingerprint scanners.

It is a known fact that no two fingerprints can be alike, and each fingerprint consists of unique patterns made out of ridges and furrows. A fingerprint scanner recognizes these patterns to identify the individual trying to gain access to a particular area or a piece of restricted information.

There are multiple reasons behind the raging popularity of fingerprint scanners vis-à-vis alternative biometric devices. Some of them are enumerated below.

1. When compared with devices such as those that use voice patterns for identification, it is evident that fingerprints are more secure. For starters, voices may be easily emulated and they tend to change with a person’s age and health conditions. An example of the latter is when an individual catches cold or suffers from a sore throat. On the other hand, fingerprints remain constant unless tampered with, thus mitigating the risk of access granted to unauthorized and fraudulent individuals.

2. Fingerprint scanners use high-resolution optical imaging systems to identify the finest of patterns, hence ensuring maximum accuracy in identity verification.

3. Today, these biometric systems are no longer bulky and can even be incorporated into touch-based smart phones and laptops. USB fingerprint readers are also commonly employed in medical information systems and e-commerce-based applications.

Because of these benefits, fingerprint scanners enjoy global acceptability among international immigration bodies and consulates. This adds to their image; if they are secure enough for security bigwigs, they become automatically desirable amongst corporate houses, government bodies and such other organisations.

e roost among biometric devices are fingerprint scanners.

It is a known fact that no two fingerprints can be alike, and each fingerprint consists of unique patterns made out of ridges and furrows. A fingerprint scanner recognizes these patterns to identify the individual trying to gain access to a particular area or a piece of restricted information.

There are multiple reasons behind the raging popularity of fingerprint scanners vis-à-vis alternative biometric devices. Some of them are enumerated below.

1.When compared with devices such as those that use voice patterns for identification, it is evident that fingerprints are more secure. For starters, voices may be easily emulated and they tend to change with a person’s age and health conditions. An example of the latter is when an individual catches cold or suffers from a sore throat. On the other hand, fingerprints remain constant unless tampered with, thus mitigating the risk of access granted to unauthorized and fraudulent individuals.

2.Fingerprint scanners use high-resolution optical imaging systems to identify the finest of patterns, hence ensuring maximum accuracy in identity verification.

3.Today, these biometric systems are no longer bulky and can even be incorporated into touch-based smart phones and laptops. USB fingerprint readers are also commonly employed in medical information systems and e-commerce-based applications.

Because of these benefits, fingerprint scanners enjoy global acceptability among international immigration bodies and consulates. This adds to their image; if they are secure enough for security bigwigs, they become automatically desirable amongst corporate houses, government bodies and such other organisations.

Over the last ten years biometric technologies have been perfected and advanced to the extent of proliferation into our daily lives. Commonly used identification systems, entrance or on-premise security and access control systems are now implemented using biometric systems. These are capable of being integrated into several other non-standard systems extending the umbrella and potential of security.

Several large corporations are involved in manufacturing biometric devices. Some of the most popular fingerprint scanner manufacturing companies are Nitigen, SecuGen, Suprema and Futronic etc. USB fingerprint readers, embedded fingerprint scanning modules and mobile fingerprint scanners are the basic types available in the market. Each type is used for a different and specific purpose.

Embedded fingerprint reader modules allow users to incorporate biometric authentication into their existing OEM equipment. Software developers can use these fingerprint scanners with various Fingerprint SDKs to develop customized biometric security solutions. These can also have internal data storage capacity. The ease of integration and ruggedness make these devices ideal for OEM projects.

Fingerprint Readers are scanning devices with multifarious applications. These fingerprint scanners can be plugged into a computer separately and are very safe and convenient to use. USB fingerprint scanners are most often used for authentication, identification and verification functions.

Both types of scanners can be used for a variety of applications such as in biometric point-of-sale machines, fingerprint-based computer logins, biometric computer logos, fingerprint time and attendance systems, electronic transaction as well as bank and financial systems. Embedded modules are most commonly used with fingerprint scanners firmly installed within the composition of the device, for instance, in the case of laptops with inbuilt fingerprint verification; whereas USB fingerprint readers are more commonly used due to their portability and durability capabilities. The development necessity and costs are another reason USB readers are preferred over embedded modules in the industry.

Digitalization and the use of computers at work are rampant today. Right from attendance and payroll to security systems, we work in automated offices. We use personal computers or laptops at our workstations for transactions, data storage, processing and analysis. With digitalization comes the concern for safety against hacking and cybernetic impersonation. Our machines contain a large volume of critical information, which we require to safeguard every time we leave our workstations.

A great solution to address the concerns of safety within the umbrella of digitalization and automation is the use of biometric devices. This method reduces the risks of hacking and cybernetic impersonation. Biometric systems may use any option from face, iris or fingerprint recognition systems for security enforcement. Fingerprint scanning is the most preferred of these methods as it is feasible both in terms of overheads and implementation. USB fingerprint scanners are the most popular biometric device.

From the currently available options, the Suprema BioMini USB Fingerprint Scanner is great for use in a desktop and networking environment and hence the best fit for office security systems. It has a 500dpi optical fingerprint sensor and is compatible with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista and 7, making it ideal for workstation security. The Suprema Biomini also supports Linux (Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu) with Kernel 2.6.1 along with multiple programming languages, using which it can be easily customized.

The Suprema BioMini uses one of the world’s best fingerprint algorithms. It has 1:100,000 per second matching speed, which brings it at par with the fastest of fingerprint scanners. The high resolution images and high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity makes Suprema Biomini USB fingerprint scanner perfect for any identification, authentication, verification and scanning applications.

We all remember traditional scenes in movies and books, in which the villain tries to torture someone for a hidden key or password of top-security vault and eventually kills him. With the arrival of biometric security systems into the real world, this scene changed and the security systems in books and movies became biometric, too. Now the villain needed only the specific body part to access secure vaults. Long-drawn torture was eliminated as he went straight for the kill, making the twist in the plot a little boring.

It is time for the next innovation and subsequent change in scene with Futronic’s FS88 Fingerprint Scanner. What is so special about this particular biometric device? Well, it can detect the difference between live and dead fingers. So we can say goodbye to Dan Brown killing off scientists so that a can of neutrinos can be stolen from the biometric vault and to Jennifer Garner cutting off some high-ranking executive’s finger to gain access to a protected room!

The Futronic FS88 Fingerprint Scanner gets better as it can also detect and reject fake fingers like the ones that are made from Play-Doh, rubber or other materials used to embed fingerprints. Live finger detection, engineered through a special electronic circuit complemented with appropriate PC software, is a special feature in Futronic FS88 fingerprint reader.

This device is also FBI FIPS 201/PIV approved and has a factory-programmed unique serial number built into each copy. The Futronic FS88 fingerprint scanner comes with a USB cable and an LED-illuminated scanning window. All these features of the FS88 combined makes your home and office biometric security systems not only a lot safer but also a lot fancier.

Fingerprint scanning is one of the most popular methods to implement biometric validation or security. While biometric devices such as iris scanners are used in fewer facilities, fingerprint readers and OEM components are used for a variety of applications by leading financial, medical, government, educational and corporate institutions across the globe. In fact, their implementation has become so viable that they can be found embedded even in laptops and mobile devices. Fingerprint scanners are used in the form of stand-alone devices or USB embedded scanners. Some of the most popular fingerprint scanners in the market currently are the EKION Privacy Manager in the USB category and Secugen Hamster IV among standalone scanners.

The actual fingerprint identification process varies slightly between different systems but the basis of identification remains the same. Standard systems comprise of a scanner and a processor, which stores, compares and matches the scanned print against the predefined database. In large government organizations, biometric devices in particular fingerprint scanners play a huge role in employee identification and security.

Some of the most popular companies manufacturing fingerprint readers and OEM components are Crossmatch, Lumidigm Nitgen and Secugen. These firms design, develop and manufacture hardware and software required for different kinds of biometric devices and systems. Latent print image deletion; fingerprint template encryption; fingerprint reader recognition and multi-device connection are some of the useful features achieved by today’s biometric software. The developer kits and software are used to create desired modules or systems for healthcare, security, attendance and payroll and control systems.

The test for quality in fingerprint scanners is a certification by the FBI for the device in question. The latest biometric fingerprint reader to receive this certification is the second version of the SecuGen Hamster IV. It is an improvement over the first version and significantly different from the Secugen Hamster III. The attributes that differentiate it from other fingerprint scanners are its auto-on and smart capture features, ensuring higher quality and eliminating the need of prompting the reader for every scan.