A biometric fingerprint reader is a biometric system that scans a fingerprint for the purpose of identifying a unique individual. The purpose of identification is usually access control to a building, room, and frequently to computer systems. The biometric fingerprint reader is the most common biometric device and no doubt something most of us are familiar.
A biometric fingerprint reader works by making a scan of access seeker’s finger. The access seeker places their finger on a window and the device makes a scan. It then attempts to match that scan with scans already in its database. If the software finds a match, the biometric fingerprint reader sends a message to some other system with the message that the person should have access.
Of course, for the system to work, it must be configured. The biometric fingerprint reader will probably scan two different fingers around four times each. It stores those images in the database for later matching. It is a good idea to scan at least two fingers because something might happen to your primary finger (a cut or a burn, for instance) that could throw off the system.
A common use for a biometric fingerprint reader is for access control to a personal computer. You can replace a password login with a fingerprint login. Many biometric fingerprint readers for personal computers also allow you to replace passwords on Websites with fingerprint scans. Be aware that, while convenient, may not be a good idea in every situation. For instance, it would be a very bad idea to replace a password login to a sensitive site like a bank with a password. For sites that aren’t that sensitive, but still require passwords, a fingerprint login could be quite convenient.
You might also want to think twice about replacing your personal computer account login with a fingerprint. If your login gets corrupted and you need to access your files through alternative means (boot disk, safe mode, etc.) the biometric fingerprint reader may not allow it. Aside from these caveats, a biometric fingerprint reader could make logins much more convenient.
