Contactless biometric technology set to become the new normal's digital security standard

OVER the years, the use of biometric technology devices in access control and authentication has become more ubiquitous. They are already widely used in airport automated border control systems, building and office access systems, and are even built into smartphones. Since the Covid-19 pandemic landed, however, many of these contact-based technologies fell out of favour.

Naturally - and especially with distancing measures being part of the norm - this accelerated the development and adoption of their next generation: contactless biometrics.

Contactless biometrics were already gaining popularity before Covid-19 due to the improved processing speed and enhanced security over their touch-required counterparts. Multiple types of contactless biometric technology are currently available in the market - such as facial, iris and voice recognition systems. Even fingerprint scanners are becoming more sophisticated; they no longer require pressure to capture a person's fingerprint.