FAQs
- What
is biometrics?
- Biometrics is the study of the measurable physical
or biological characteristics that are unique to each person.
- What
is applied biometrics?
- When applied to security and access control
situations, biometrics enable devices to verify individual
identities—with fewer security personnel, enhanced access
hours, and no potential for collusion or fraud. Biometric
devices provide the highest level of solutions for security
applications eliminating the need for on-site security personnel
and the potential for collusion or fraud.
- Why
use biometric technology?
- By definition, personal biometrics are unique
and nontransferable. Biometrics based security provides convenience
for the implementer and the user: the biometric cannot be
lost, stolen or forgotten, and reduces administrative costs.
- Is
biometric technology physically safe for the individual?
- Yes. The methods employed to gather biometric
data on individuals are noninvasive and pose no threat to
physical health or well-being. When properly installed, biometric
devices enhance both security and ease of access. No health
hazards have occurred in the more than 25 years that biometric
devices have been in use.
- Are
identification and authentication/verification the same?
- No. In biometrics, “identification” occurs
when a live biometric—like a fingerprint—is compared electronically
to a database containing many stored fingerprint images and
a match is found. Identification compares one to many, where
“authentication” or “verification” is a one to one comparison.
Identification systems ask, “Who are you?” Authentication
systems ask, “Are you who you claim to be?”
- Why
choose fingerprints over another type of biometric?
- Fingerprints provide one of the oldest and
most accepted forms of personal verification; no two fingerprints
ever have been found to be the same. The use of fingerprints
is accurate, reliable, convenient, and unobtrusive.
- How
is the uniqueness of fingerprints captured?
- Veridt uses a minutiae-based matching technique
(vs. correlation-based). Minutiae points occur at fingerprint
ridge bifurcations and ridge endings. Our minutiae-based technology
scans and records roughly 15 minutiae points. The minutiae
is then assigned mathematical values called a fingerprint
template. The template is encrypted and stored on a token
to be used in future live comparisons. No fingerprint other
than the one used to create the template will make a perfect
match.
- Does
biometric technology infringe on privacy?
- No. In fact, using Veridt's CombiFamily of
fingerprint readers is one of the best ways of protecting
personal privacy. Your fingerprint template is encrypted and
stored on a token issued to you by your employer (or some
other authorizing agent) that you then carry with you. Without
your matching live fingerprint, the token is worthless and
the encrypted fingerprint template cannot be used to recreate
a fingerprint.
- How
do you protect my fingerprint biometric data from being stolen?
- During enrollment, the minutiae points are
assigned values that are encrypted; the fingerprint itself
is discarded from the computer's memory and only the fingerprint
template is stored on the token you carry. The encrypted information
is meaningless until the corresponding live biometric is available
for comparison. If your token is stolen, it cannot be used
for unauthorized access and your fingerprint is not at risk.
- How
safe is Veridt's CombiFamily from hacking?
- Because there is no database of stored fingerprints
to be compromised, our systems contain nothing for a hacker
to hack into.
- How
do biometric devices work?
- Biometric devices compare a properly “enrolled”
sample with a live sample and attempt to make a match.
- What
is the enrollment process?
- There are three steps to enrollment:
- The biometric (e.g. fingerprint) being
used is captured by a sensing mechanism (a scanner or
the like).
- The unique characteristics of the biometric
are converted and encrypted into an identifier record.
- The record is stored on a token (kept
in the possession of the user) for later use in comparing
the enrolled record to the live biometric.
- If
I cut my enrolled finger, can I still use the system?
- A severely cut or damaged finger can render
a reading invalid. We recommend enrolling more than one finger
as a backup in case your usual finger is injured.
- What
is the advantage of using a chip card versus an optical card?
- A chip card can store more information than
the 2D barcode symbol—plus, it allows the writing of transactional
data to the chip. The data can be downloaded at any time to
a central location, as in a time and attendance application.
Data can be erased or changed on a chip card, which allows
for increased functionality as applications change.
- Is
there technical documentation available on the CombiFamily of
products?
- Yes. Specifications are listed on the product
sheet for the specific device and a CD is shipped with the
various tool kits that includes owner and user guides. Some
technical documentation is available only after a nondisclosure
agreement is signed.
- Can
the CombiFamily devices be used as single devices or do they need
to be connected to a computer?
- Both types of installation are supported.
The devices need to be programmed with a computer but after
programming they can be installed as a single unit at a single
door or networked via an RS-485 network. As many as 32 units
can be included in one network. They can also be connected
to existing devices, such as control panels, and include Wiegand
programmability.
- What
are the computer requirements for communicating with and programming
the CombiFamily devices?
- The computer should meet the following requirements:
- Pentium®-class 233-MHz PC or greater
- One available serial port for Combi/GuardDog
- Windows® 98, Windows Me, Windows
2000, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows XP
- CD drive
- 32-MB RAM or greater
- 5-MB or greater free hard disk
space
- What
Wiegand bit lengths do your products support?
- The products support Wiegand streams from
1 to 128-bits.
- What
encryption formats do the CombiFamily devices support?
- They support 56-bit triple DES.
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