The Pros & Cons Of Using Biometric Technology For Startups

Just think about how many access codes and keys you have to remember. The PIN for your credit card, for your phone(s), alphanumeric passwords for your accounts – all of these codes you have to memorize to function on a daily basis.

Annoying, isn’t it? Biometric technology has been designed to curb these flaws, and startups should take notice. Is biometric that revolutionary or are there things your startup should be wary about? Let’s find out.

A Major Convenience Boost

Proponents of biometric technology often cite convenience as the most important benefit of this solution. You won’t have to remember any long keys, passwords or PINs because you are the one who is the access code.

Using only your body, you can gain access to any section or data you have clearance too. Instead of memorizing numbers and words, you can use one of these things to gain the access you wanted:

• Fingerprint
• Facial recognition
• Voice recognition
• Iris scanning
• Vein and palm recognition (Introduced by the LG G8 smartphone)

The bottom line is – you have all the data on you, at all times. If you’re operating a database and your employees want to access it, they will do so in an easy manner. You will also avoid any situations involving a forgotten password or denied access because of too many password-related mistakes. But is the convenience worth it?

Not As Secure As We Thought

Just because passwords are easily identified by hackers doesn’t mean they’re obsolete. One of the main reasons why they persist to exist is because they can have no connection to you whatsoever.

A lot of startups are currently trying out biometric identification systems for access clearance and use of data. However, experiments have shown one glaring flaw – this form of biometric data can be hacked even more easily.

How, exactly? In a test, a random set of new articles was created using GradeMiners and stored in a secluded part of a database. Ethical hacking teams were urged to try and steal the data.

Surprisingly, they managed to do it because the computer software was so sure it was the actual person trying to enter that it posed no obstacle whatsoever. But can this security issue be cleared so that your startup can use biometric technology freely?

Using Cloud Computing As A Solution

One of the biggest pros of biometric technology is that it’s still malleable. We may have the resources to scan our irises and fingerprints, but the majority of the tech is still in its infancy. To tackle security problems and data breaches, several startups have started experimenting with cloud-based biometric services.

This is perhaps the most important innovation of the last few years, according to Boom Essays review knowledge. Biometric technology has all the advantages while avoiding the usual identity theft problems.

If you’re using biometric data to identify your employees and to grant access, you should opt for cloud-based data storage. There is no centralized server that hackers can assault, making the data and credentials that much safer.

An Ethical Issue?

The widespread use of biometric technology for startups has been halted by ethical issues as well. While the tech itself is incredibly close to what we see in sci-fi movies, there are still important ethical problems we need to address. How can you make an employee give you his biometric data? What right do you have to ask someone for something that personal?

Philosophers and tech experts have weighed in on the problem. They all agree that startups can benefit from biometric technology, but also that it’s an invasion of the deepest layer of our privacy. Think about it – if someone breaches your password, you can create a random new one that nobody will ever think of.

What if someone manages to gain access to important data using one of your employees’ biometric data? They cannot change the way their iris looks, nor their fingerprints.

Integration With Other Technologies

In accordance with what we said earlier about biometric still being fairly young, we cannot forget its integration capabilities. Several companies have suggested decentralized biometric blockchain authentication. The main problem that lingers is data storage and the transfer of access keys through decentralized clients.

Startups are also exploring serverless cloud computing for better power management and cutting costs. This nevertheless interesting concept gives unlimited capabilities for startups to store employee records, department specific-information and much more. It’s still early to tell what’s the best integration option.

Concluding Thoughts

Biometric technology is a cutting-edge solution that can help startups with easier access, convenience, and security. Any existing issues are mostly due to the fact that biometric is very young as a technology. We fully expect all the issues to be resolved in the next 5-7 years.

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