For Your Eyes Only

The word biometric comes from the Greek terms bio (life) and metric (to measure). Although originally a scientific term, the word is now frequently used to describe a form of technology that utilizes biological traits such as fingerprints, voice and the eyes to identify individuals.

But biometric technology is not something new. Government agencies have been using this equipment for years, and although it has been agreed that biometrics can be intrusive, the U.S. Government has said that the trade-off for higher levels of security is worth it. Although primarily used by these organizations in the past, now more Web hosting companies are using this technology in their data centers (and co-location facilities) to ensure that only authorized people have access to mission-critical Web servers.

A May 2003 study released by the Data Center Institute at AFCOM (an association for enterprise data centers) showed that just 5.5 percent of data center managers are currently using biometrics for security. Of the 257 respondents, pricing was the major issue for those who did not have it, with 24 percent of them noting that it is just “too costly” and 14 percent saying it just isn’t in the budget. But the asking price for this technology is dropping. In 1993, vendors charged $6,000 for a biometric device. By 1999, the cost had dropped to $500. This prompted Frost & Sullivan to note in its 2002 World Biometrics Report that this market, which was worth $93 million in 2001, is expected to reach just over $2 billion by 2006.

Although fingerprint scanning has been the biometric of choice for many companies (holding 52 percent of the market share, according to a 2003 International Biometric Group study), iris scanning, even though fairly new to the market, is the most accurate form of security, picking up where retinal scanning has failed.

“There is a difference between retinal scanning and iris scanning,” said Thomas Doggett, marketing and communications manager with SAFLINK Corporation.
“Iris scanning is by far more prevalent at this time, because it merely takes a photograph of the iris and analyses it for unique characteristics. Retinal scanning is more intrusive. It actually uses an infrared beam to scan the back of the retina.”

Retinal Scanning

Retinal scanning analyses the blood vessels located at the back of the eye, reading its 400 unique points. In 1930, research concluded that the blood vessels in the retina are unique to each person, and after taking some time to develop this theory, EyeDentify (founded in 1976) created the first commercial-use retinal scan device in 1984.

So how does a retinal scan work? A person steps in front of a device and focuses on a beam coming from a small opening, while keeping his or her head perfectly still. This process can take anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds.

There are disadvantages of retinal scanning. The retina can become diseased (cataracts), which can change its make-up. And because the user needs to be fairly close to the machine and stare at a bright light, many people feel that it is highly intrusive. As for the equipment itself, it is fairly easy to use.

Iris Scanning

“It is the degree of complexity of the iris patterning and the number of minutia points which can be subsequently measured, which gives iris recognition the power and certainty of identification that no other biometric, or indeed any other means of human identification, can match on the face of the Earth today,” said Trevor Powell, regional manager at Argus Solutions Limited.

Iris scanning offers the highest level of security in the field (aside from DNA), which is why it is often reserved for situations where security is essential. The iris is the part of the eye where the colored circle (usually brown, blue or green) surrounds the pupil. The iris is developed before birth and remains the same throughout an individual’s lifetime. The chance of two people having the same data in their iris is one in ten to the seventy-eighth power (even identical twins have unique patterns).

This part of the eye has over 260 unique spots, including rings, freckles and other exclusive markings. The left and right eyes of each individual are different, and imitation of the human iris is unattainable, thus making fraud impossible. In addition, the iris scan cannot take place without looking at the camera, so therefore cannot be completed without an individual’s permission.

The technology works by taking a black and white photograph of the iris with a near-infrared imaging camera (similar to the beam produced from a television remote), as the subject stands anywhere from five to 24 inches away (depending on the camera being used). Within one to two seconds, the device notes the distinct patterns and characteristics, and maps out the points of the iris. This machine can even scan the eyes of those who are blind, have glasses or wear clear contacts, without compromising the quality of the image.

Newer iris scanning devices also check muscle movement and pupil dilation of the iris for enhanced security. Because these muscles constantly contract with the amount of light added, it allows the system to detect if the iris is real or artificial.

These systems boast a zero percent false rejection rate (FRR), which measures the chances of the system rejecting an authorized user. Fingerprinting systems generally experience an FRR of three percent.

“Companies who are pursuing security through biometrics should use iris recognition because it is proven to be the most accurate biometric, simple to use, entirely safe and non-contact,” said Lina Page, director of global marketing at Iridian Technologies.

“Independent studies… all confirm that iris is the most accurate.”

The main disadvantage of iris recognition is cost — it can sometimes be as high as five times that of fingerprint scanning. And although there is a mainstream view that this biometric is difficult to use, it is actually untrue. There is no direct contact between the user and the device, and no bright light to stare at. And the device is easy to use.

“We are seeing a substantial uptake of the technology, especially as a result of the events of September 11, and the increasing awareness in the mind of the consumer of issues such as identity theft, fraud, and the practical ease of use of this particular biometric,” said Powell.

Iris scanning is considered the most hygienic of all biometrics because there is no contact with the device. It is projected to grow between 2005 and 2006.

Which Is Best?

Retinal scanning was the first eye recognition device developed, but iris identification is the biometric gaining acknowledgment. There are few companies that sell retina products simply because individuals are uncomfortable with the technology.

“Iris recognition technology identifies people by the unique patterns of the iris — the colored ring around the pupil of the eye,” said Page. “In contrast, the retina is located at the back of the eyeball, is not as accurate, and Iridian is not aware of any commercially successful technologies that use this more invasive form of measurement.”

Canada Customs ran tests on iris scanners before deciding whether or not to implement them at some airports. Iris recognition outperformed facial identification, fingerprinting, vein detection, hand geometry and voice scanning. In addition, Canada Customs found that iris recognition was 20 times faster than the other methods.

The Future of Retina and Iris Scanning Technologies

“I believe iris, since it is far newer than fingerprint technology, will take some time to ‘cross the chasm’ but will experience strong growth over the next five years,” said Doggett.

Although many predicted that these forms of biometrics would increase in popularity, there have been reasons why it has not. First and foremost, the cost of these devices has been almost double that of a fingerprint scanner. But this is expected to change.

“Inside five years, as costs are further driven down, we expect to begin to see the mass-market adoption of iris recognition,” said Powell. “Who knows, maybe one day we will be having this conversation via an iris enabled Web camera, as you drive down the freeway in your car (which is) secured by iris.”