Biometrics

Generally, biometrics are defined as measurements of a person’s unique physical characteristics to verify or establish his or her identity with the purpose of providing access to the location of certain resources and services. They are powerful technologies of the digital age that bring together issues of identity, digitization, and space, redefining these categories as well as the relationship between them. With daily lives becoming more and more networked because of people living and working across multiple places, the need for speedy, mobile, and reliable identification becomes more critical. During the span of one decade, biometrics have transitioned from being marginal to central identification management tools, and they have been widely adopted in government, law enforcement, security, health care, finance, and [Page 47]commerce. This entry ...