Biometrics ATM (2024)

FAQs

Are biometrics foolproof? ›

While biometrics offer a more secure way to protect our data, they are not foolproof. Hackers have found ways to bypass biometric security systems, and as this technology becomes more widespread, we can expect them to continue finding new ways to exploit it.

A Biometric ATM is an advanced automated teller machine that utilizes biometric authentication methods to authenticate users based on one or more physical or behavioral characteristics, ensuring a secure, personalized, and efficient banking experience.

Biometric systems can make two basic errors. A “false positive” occurs when the system incorrectly matches an input to a non-matching template, while in a “false negative”, the system fails to detect a match between an input and a matching template.

Fake Trait Generation

For fingerprints, materials like silicone or gelatin could be used to create a copy. For facial or voice recognition, sophisticated software might be used to generate a digital twin or mimic the person's voice.

Sample sizes need to be large enough to capture large scale image quality variations. Probability of detection with the highest score in a gallery of 10,000 fingerprints is 90% and for face it is 77% for the best tested face recognition system.

False Accept Rate (FAR) is a statistical measure used to determine the probability of a biometric security system allowing unauthorized user access.

A concealed camera is typically used in conjunction with the skimming device in order to record members typing their PIN into the ATM keypad. Cameras are usually concealed somewhere on the front of the ATM.

Convenience: Biometric ATMs eliminate the need for physical cards or remembering complex PINs. Users can simply use their unique traits like fingerprints or irises to access their accounts, making transactions faster and more convenient.

A fingerprint background check reveals previous criminal arrests, charges, and details relating to previous cases. Fingerprint screening can also include further information pertaining to the person's birth, address, employment, vehicle accidents, insurance information, and full name.

In addition to being hackable, biometric systems can also sometimes fail to recognize a valid user: someone could be wearing different makeup or new glasses, or the voice of a user might sound different when they are sick or have just woken up.

What are two disadvantages of biometrics? ›

Unlike passwords, biometric data is unique and cannot be changed once compromised. This makes it a valuable target for hackers. Additionally, once a hacker has access to your biometric data, they can potentially impersonate you, leading to identity theft and other serious issues.

It Depends on Your Cellphone's Lock Method. Under the current law, police officers can require you to unlock your cellphone with facial recognition and fingerprint identification. However, police officers cannot require you to provide a pattern lock or a passcode/password to unlock your phone.

Biometrics cannot be changed

Because of the inseparability from its owner, biometric data cannot be changed easily, whereas passwords can be changed at will.

However, biometrics are not immune to data breaches. If a malicious actor manages to get access to the database, then they get hold of your biometrics. This not only is a risk to the business you're a part of, but it's also a risk to your identity as attackers can steal your biometrics for illegitimate purposes.

As noted above, fingerprint scans are accurate at least 98% of the time at worst, with ideal outcomes topping out around 99.91% accuracy. However, biometrics overall do not meet NIST's standards for accuracy. NIST's ideal miss rate is 0.00001% or one error in every 100,000 scans.

Fingerprints cannot be lost or misplaced, and they are always with the person. Fingerprints are hard to fake and more secure than a password or token. Fingerprint patterns cannot be guessed and are non-transferable. Fingerprint biometrics offers a high level of security for identity verification.

Large databases of biometric information could also be attractive targets for malicious actors who could misuse such information. Additionally, some technologies using biometric information, such as facial recognition technology, may have higher rates of error for certain populations than for others.