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What is Biometrics?

Biometrics Definition

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides the following definitions for…

Biometric Recognition /
Biometrics

/bʌɪˈɒmɪtri/

Noun
Automated recognition of individuals based on their biological and behavioural characteristics.

Biometric Characteristic /
Biometric (Deprecated)

/bʌɪˈɒmɪtri/

Noun
Biological and behavioural characteristic of an individual from which distinguishing, repeatable biometric features can be extracted for the purpose of biometric recognition.

 

The ISO standard defining common biometrics terms can be found here.                                                                                                           


 

You may also be interested in our Verification (1:1) and identification (1:n) explanatory graphics, available here.


 

Physiological Biometrics

 

Physiological biometrics employ physical, structural, and relatively static attributes of a person such as their fingerprints, the pattern of their iris, contours of their face, or the geometry of veins in their hands.

 

Discover more about physiological biometrics here.

 

Behavioural Biometrics

 

Behavioural biometrics establish identity by monitoring the distinctive characteristics of movements, gestures, and motor-skills of individuals as they perform a task or series of tasks.

 

Discover more about behavioural biometrics here.

More About Biometrics

  • Overview
  • Types of Biometrics
  • FAQs
  • Explanatory Dictionary of Biometrics
  • Privacy & Biometrics
  • Standards
  • Vulnerability & Testing

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Register For Updates

  • Home
  • What is Biometrics?
    • Overview
    • Types of Biometrics
    • FAQs
    • Explanatory Dictionary of Biometrics
    • Privacy & Biometrics
    • Standards
    • Vulnerability & Testing
  • About
    • Overview
    • Our History
    • Our Team
    • Our Values
    • The Board
    • Expert & Sector Groups
    • Press Releases
  • Events
    • Biometrics Institute Congress
    • Conferences & Exhibitions
    • Member Meetings
    • Online Meetings
    • Biometrics events overview
    • Courses and Seminars
    • On Demand
    • Past Meetings
  • Memberships
    • Overview
    • Member Benefits
    • Fees
    • List of Members
    • Apply Now
    • Member Testimonials
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Member Hub
    • Good Practice
    • Thought Leadership
    • Biometrics concepts and solutions
    • Education and Training
      • The Fundamentals of Biometrics online
      • Biometrics Essentials learning tool
    • Industry Survey
    • The Three Laws of Biometrics
    • Two decades of biometrics
      • Applications and use cases
      • Privacy and policy
      • Research and development
      • Technology innovation
  • Supplier Directory
  • Contact