What is Biometrics?
What is Biometrics?
Biometrics is a process by which an electronic device verifies a person’s identity based on unique physical or other traits, such as face, fingerprints, hand geometry, handwriting, iris, retinal, vein and voice. Biometric data is isolated from personal information and cannot be reverse-engineered to recreate or access personal information.
How do Fingerprint Scanners Work?
Biometric Time Clock Systems are equipped with an optical fingerprint scanner. This device scans an image of an employee finger and verifies the pattern of ridges and valleys in the scan matches up with the pattern of ridges and valleys in pre-scanned finger images.
Only specific characteristics, unique to every fingerprint, are filtered and saved as an encrypted biometric key or mathematical representation. A fingerprint image is not saved, only a series of numbers (a binary code) is used for authentication. The resulting algorithm cannot be reconverted to an image, therefore fingerprint scans may not be duplicated.
Employee Privacy.
Since Biometric Time Clocks do not actually collect and store employee fingerprints, privacy is not an issue. Alternatively, the time clock scanner saves a binary code for each employee’s biometric data during a fingerprint scan registration process. As a result, it is virtually impossible to duplicate the original image from the mathematical representation.
Hygiene.
If employees are concerned with cleanliness, rest assured, the time clock finger pad is not a hot zone for germs. In fact, it will be touched far less frequently than a restroom door handle, water cooler spigot or break room chair.
Benefits of Biometrics
Biometric time and attendance provides indisputable employee identification
Biometric time clocks eliminate buddy punching time theft
Biometrics eliminates the needs for time cards, swipe cards or employee id badges
