What is fingerprint authentication?

Everyone has patterns of friction ridges on their fingers, and it is this pattern that is called the fingerprint. Fingerprints are uniquely detailed, durable over an individual’s lifetime, and difficult to alter. Because there are countless combinations, fingerprints have become an ideal means of identification.

A fingerprint scanner is a type of technology that identifies and authenticates the fingerprints of an individual in order to grant or deny access to a computer system or a physical facility. It is a type of biometric security technology that utilizes the combination of hardware and software techniques to identify the fingerprint scans of an individual.

How does fingerprint biometric authentication work?

Fingerprint authentication through scanners typically works by first recording fingerprint scans of all authorized individuals for a particular system or facility. These scans are stored. The user requiring access puts their finger on a hardware scanner, which scans and copies the input from the individual and looks for any similarity within the storage. If there is a positive match, the individual is granted access.

Advantages of fingerprint biometric authentication

• Considered one of the most secure authentication methods
• Much harder to fake as compared to other identity methods
• Convenient and easy for the user
• Can’t be guessed, forgotten, or misplaced
• Most accepted and mature biometric authentication method

Are fingerprint biometric security tokens available?

Yes, the following are a few fingerprint biometric security tokens available:

• Ensurity ThinC-AUTH
• AuthenTrend ATKey.Card
• AuthenTrend ATKey.Pro USB Type-A Nano
• AuthenTrend ATKey.Pro USB Type C Nano