A number of years ago, a client insisted that passwords were not enough of a computer data trail for his customer-service representatives. He wanted something that would identify the specific person responsible for entering a transaction beyond a shadow of a doubt. At the time, the technology that is typically associated with secure government installations was unaffordable for his small business, so he had to settle for passwords. But there were only so many passwords one can remember.
Today there is another choice.
Biometric technologies are available at a much lower cost with high reliability and should be considered. Before discussing the options, let's define biometric-based security. Biometric security is the use of the digital measurement of human characteristics to distinguish one person from another. Examples of biometrics one can use include voice, face, eye, fingerprint, handwriting and hand vein patterns. There are two general types of methods for using biometrics.