Biometric technology has become publicly available during this digital era. With biometric scanning sensors on smartphones and other electronic devices, people can easily secure their devices. These also enabled platform users to complete an online identity verification when conducting banking and other financial transactions.

Biometric scanning technology has come a long way since its first exploration in the 1960s. The evolution of biometric technology started when scientists began identifying acoustic speech and phonic sounds’ physiological components. This enabled the development of modern voice recognition technology and pushed government agencies to invest in the research and development of other biometric technology.

In 1969, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) pushed for automated fingerprint identification. By 1975, they funded the first scanners, which enabled them to extract fingerprint points. However, during this time, digital storage costs were prohibitive. This prompted the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) to work on compression and algorithms, developing the first operational matching algorithm, the M40 algorithm, used at the FBI.

Biometric science took off in the 1990s. During this era, prototypes for iris recognition technology and face recognition systems were patented. Eventually, by the 2000s, biometric technology was rolled out for commercial use. The United States immigration department used biometrics for visa applicants to tighten security at ports of entry and exit. Consequently, the Department of Defence (DoD) used biometric data to track and identify national security threats.

Biometric technology continued to catapult into the mainstream. In 2010, it was made available for public consumption. Mobile phone manufacturers Apple and Samsung integrated biology-based scanners into their products, making it possible for people to use biometrics to secure their devices. Years later, biometric authentication enabled mobile device users to authenticate into their digital accounts and complete online transactions easily and comfortably.

Passwordless authentication continues to gain popularity among consumers and enterprises; thus, biometric technology is not coming down any time soon. Accordingly, algorithms and hardware scanners will continue to revolutionize as technology advances, enabling people to utilize biometric technology with near-zero error rates.

For more information about the history of biometric technology, see the infographic by LoginID provided below: