Biometric Authentication - Fingerprint, Face, Iris

About 2 min read

Biometrics is an authentication method that verifies a person's identity using physical traits such as fingerprints, face, iris, and voiceprint, or behavioral traits such as handwriting and gait patterns. It is widely adopted as fingerprint and face authentication on smartphones, and is characterized by the high convenience of eliminating the need to enter a password. In 2024, all of the major platforms from Apple, Google, and Microsoft strengthened the integration of passkeys and biometrics, accelerating the spread of passwordless authentication.

Real-World Use Cases

"When we switched our internal system login to fingerprint authentication, help desk inquiries due to forgotten passwords plummeted from 200 per month to 15. However, since the authentication failure rate rises in winter when fingers are dry, we also use a PIN as a fallback."

Comparison of Authentication Methods

Comparing Biometrics and Passkeys

Biometrics and passkeys are often confused, but their roles differ. Biometrics is a "means of identity verification," a mechanism for unlocking a device with a fingerprint or face. A passkey is the "authentication mechanism" itself, a public-key cryptography authentication protocol based on the FIDO2/WebAuthn standard. They are confused because biometrics is often used when using a passkey, but passkeys can also be used with a PIN or device password. Biometrics is completed entirely within the device, and biometric information is never sent to the server. A passkey, on the other hand, performs public-key-based authentication with the server.

Types of Biometric Authentication

Fingerprint authentication is the most widespread method and is widely built into smartphones and laptops. Face authentication, exemplified by Apple's Face ID, achieves high-precision authentication with a 3D depth sensor. Iris authentication uses the iris pattern of the eye and has extremely high accuracy. Vein authentication is a method that uses the vein pattern of the palm or finger, and is adopted in bank ATMs and similar settings.biometric authentication books on Amazon can help you learn more in depth.

Risks of Biometric Authentication

A common misconception is that "biometrics is safer than passwords." Because biometric information cannot be changed, once it leaks, there is no way to recover it. Attack techniques have also been reported, such as duplicating a fingerprint with a high-precision 3D printer or bypassing face authentication with a deepfake. Rather than relying on biometrics alone, it is recommended to combine it with multi-factor authentication using a strong random password. Position biometrics not as a replacement for passwords, but as an additional factor that strengthens security.authentication design books (Amazon) are also useful references.