Beware of biometric identification systems

Biometric identification is gaining in popularity in Russia. In the near future in fact, it is expected that customers of Russian financial institution will be able to open an account or take a loan just by showing themselves on a camera or speaking a few words into a microphone. Despite the exciting nature of these technologies and how they might be used to make lives easier, there is a hidden danger.

The fact is that biometric technologies, as they currently exist, can be deceived. Copies of faces can be rendered, and voices can be synthesized. Moreover, the abundance of recording in the modern world means that your biometric identification is constantly being presented to thousands of people every day. Additionally, the most sophisticated biometric systems currently being used in Russia are those that aim to identify criminals. These; however, have an accuracy probability of just 80%, not nearly high enough to secure accounts against potential criminals.  Even in the most optimistic circumstances, Face ID has a reliability index of 98%, still not comforting when it comes to keeping your money safe. Moreover, voice recognition technology still has too high an error probability and is easy to counterfeit.

While these biometric solutions are worth pursuing and developing, they are not yet at a place where they can be reliably considered as secure. At best, they should be regarded as an additional security measure to keep your financial information safe, not the only one.