Leader: Biometrics will march onwards

The march towards biometric forms of identity recognition and security seems unstoppable. The real issue is whether people consider it an intrusion - one that may put them off certain companies, venues and even countries, at least where they have the choice - and whether they trust what happens to captured data.

Those are not the most original statements, we admit. However, they would seem to sum up the current state of biometrics around most of the world.

The issue is a big one - and one that forms part of our ongoing 'Protecting your ID' special report. This week the mainstream media has devoted a lot of time and column inches to the subject of the US-VISIT initiative. The US authorities are demanding certain people visiting that country don't just present a passport and visa but have their photo taken and fingerprint digitally recorded on entry.

From those Europeans who travel there using a visa - rather than on the more common visa waiver scheme which is at the moment exempt - silicon.com has already heard upset complaints of "I'll never go there again!"

Many people won't have a choice but to go along with that government's moves and it will be the same when the UK or China or another country implements a biometric ID card. There will be protests but the decisions will have long been made.

In the private sector, the situation is different. Most of us accept that our employer has certain reasons for biometrically protecting access to a server room or that a telco protects access to cages in a co-lo facility. And would most of us swap remembering various passwords at work for a finger scan? Quite possibly.

But we all have the option of changing jobs - just as we all have the option of moving from that fancy gym that requires a facial scan or the call centre that starts to identify customers by analysing their voice 'print'.

However, our initial point - that the march of biometrics is unstoppable - seems to be born out by what top IT users are telling us. When asked last month about stronger methods of authentication, two-thirds of our 12-man CIO Jury said they are looking at biometrics. Some even have systems up and running now.

These users are leading the way and, as much as governments, will determine just how we are recognised in 10 years time. The key will be, as with most technology, in implementation and when and where biometrics are used - not whether biometrics are a good or bad thing per se.