Published by Australian Academy of Science
Putting a finger on it – the loops and whorls of biometrics Box 1 | Other biometric technologies for identity verification

Finger-scanning and eye-scanning are not the only biometric technologies for identity verification that are being developed. Other characteristics that can be measured include hand geometry and typing patterns.

Hand geometry

Since the exact shape of the hand and the relative lengths of the fingers and thumb vary between individuals, hand geometry is touted as a potentially useful biometric. The advantage of hand scanning over fingerprinting is that it is less invasive, very user-friendly and requires little computer firepower.

The drawback is that hand shapes are not unique, so hand geometry biometric technology is likely to be limited to low-security applications.

Typing patterns

Another kind of biometric technology looks at behavioural characteristics. Most of us possess certain patterns of behaviour that are unique to us. Keyboard recognition technology assesses the typing style of the user. It determines dwell time (the time that each key is depressed), flight time (the time taken to move between keys), and a host of other characteristics, such as typical typing errors. An algorithm codes these patterns. When the computer is used at a later time, the software compares the user’s typing pattern against the template. If the variation is above a threshold, thereby indicating that an imposter is using the computer, the software denies access to restricted material.

Other technologies are under development

Many other biometric technologies for identity verification are under development, including voice recognition, face recognition (systems are now being developed to assist police and security agencies to identify suspects in crowds), vein measurement, chemical odour analysis, signature identification and facial thermography (the measurement of the radiant heat from a person’s face). Some could be combined in multi-biometric systems, so that the limitations of any single system can be compensated by the presence of a second or third system.

Related sites

• Hand geometry (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, USA)

• Keystroke dynamics: low impact biometric verification (Infosec Writers)

• How facial recognition systems work (How Stuff Works, USA)

• Biometrics: Face recognition technology (System Administration, Networking, and Security Institute, USA)