And biometric I.D. systems have fallen dramatically in price, making it economical for big companies to climb aboard. But some security experts remain wary of biometrics. They point out that this group of technologies relies on databases of digital representations of fingerprints, voices, and hands. Furthermore, many fear that biometrics remains an imperfect screening mechanism. The growth of biometrics into the digital realm should come as no surprise.
People recognize each other by their faces and their voices, among other biological cues.
And when writing became an accepted system of communication, a person's distinctive signature was added to the list of acceptable biometrics. Biometric systems are becoming attractive from a cost perspective, too. We are beyond the pilot stage in many markets. That remains an open question. He points to a recent James Bond movie, where the spy's high-tech cell phone scans a fingerprint from a glass and then projects it onto a fingerprint scanner.