Thumbs up for fingerprints

How biometrics have moved from top-secret spheres to your front door

Giving the finger has gotten downright savvy.
That's because biometrics, or the science of identifying a person using a unique physical characteristic such as a fingerprint, has been delivered to our front door -- literally.
"People who love gadgets and want the latest and greatest have to have it," said Mark Wallace of Weiser Lock Canada in Burnaby, B.C., of one of the newest devices on the market, a residential keyless deadbolt.
Forget losing your keys or worrying about lock-picking burglars, Weiser's Smart Lock can be programmed with up to 50 prints and, Wallace assures, can be installed by trained monkeys.
With prices falling for a fingerprint scanner, the technology once relegated to top-secret spheres may soon touch other aspects of our lives because experts say it's the hands-down best choice for anyone trying to control access to information, a device or physical location. The applications are surprisingly inventive: In Britain, 75 schools recently completed a trial to monitor attendance, sign out library books and stop lunchroom bullies from stealing students' cash. One company with a finger already on the pulse of biometrics is Lenovo, the first manufacturer to use the technology in its Thinkpad notebook computer, according to national sales consultant Jordan Buck. It was initially met with skepticism.
"People thought it a little farfetched," said Buck. "You wouldn't believe the questions I got, like 'what if someone cut off my finger?' "
Fortunately, the ThinkPad's fingerprint scanner reads electrostatic impulses, something a severed finger would not give off.
The technology also cut down on troubleshooting for IT specialists, since most calls to help desks are about lost or forgotten passwords.
"I picked one up six months ago at Costco and it's great," said Steve Spencer, president and founder of Digital Fortress Corporation.
The London, Ont.-based company, which has used fingerprint technology since 2002, is a kind of high-security hotel which houses clients networks and servers in ultra-secure confines.
Spencer's employees give their prints to the boss who monitors their moves around the office. "So if you try and bring a date up to the 23rd floor to admire our view I'm going to know about it," said Spencer.
Like Wallace, Spencer feels not everyone is going to jump on board the biometric bandwagon, particularly those with privacy concerns.
So will we see biometrics, in particular fingerprints, replace keys, bank cards and other ID?
"Oh, absolutely," said Buck. "It just keeps getting better."
DID YOU KNOW:
Used for decades by law enforcement, the modern fingerprint classification system is said to have been developed by Sir Edward Henry more than 100 years ago. The time-tested technique -- which has accuracy near 98% -- measures the minute ridges of the skin that make up your unique fingerprints created in utero.