Putting a finger on it – the loops and whorls of biometrics
Useful Sites
Biotechnology – biometrics (Questacon, Australia)
Provides an overview of different biometric techniques.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Fingerprints identical? (The Lab)
Discusses the myth that fingerprint identification is infallible.
Smart
gates, virtual borders and biometrics (The Buzz, 3 July
2004)
Discusses the use of biometric technology in Australia.
The
Buzz (transcript from 12 November 2001)
Discusses the use of Photo Trac, a computer-based system that works
by comparing the face of a person who has been arrested with 240,000
photos of people who have been arrested over the last 4 years.
Security
versus privacy (The Slab)
Looks at high-technology security and its impact on individual privacy.
Biometrics and privacy (Roger Clarke, Department of Computer Science, Australian National University)
Covers biometric technologies and uses, as well as threats and safeguards to privacy.
Biometrics 101 (Biometrics Task Force, US Army)
A step by step tutorial on biometric technologies.
How Stuff Works, USA
How fingerprint scanners work
Explains the basics of fingerprints and how they are scanned.
How biometrics works
Summarises various biometric systems and whether they can be faked.
How phishing works
Describes on-line identity theft. Also examines the common traits of phishing schemes and the tricks used to deceive people and software.
An overview of biometrics (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, USA)
From this overview you can select more information about specific areas of biometrics (eg, fingerprint identification, speaker recognition, hand geometry).
Fingerprint analysis – the basics (CrimTrac, Australia)
Uses a labelled diagram to explain different fingerprint characteristics (eg, ridge endings, spurs). Also covers the principles of fingerprint identification and points of similarity for fingerprint matching.
Biometrics: Your body is your password (Biometrics Australia)
An overview of the different measurements that can be used in biometrics, and what is currently available for use in the business world.
How it works (Boleh Biometrics, Australia)
Provides an overview of fingerprint scanner technology with accompanying animations.
Page updated March 2010.