Biometric authentication has become increasingly common across enterprises and everyday devices. From smartphones and tablets to laptops and other widely used systems, technologies like face, fingerprint, iris, voice, and palm recognition are now standard.
Despite their growing adoption, several biometric myths persist about security, reliability, and accuracy, making it important to separate fact from fiction in modern biometric authentication.
According to a Statista report, the global biometric market reached a size of $9 billion in 2022 and will upscale to $31 billion by 2030. Unfortunately, every new-age technology comes with its myths. Today, we are going to debunk some of the most common ones associated with biometrics.
Table of Contents
5 Common Biometric Myths Debunked
Myth 1: Replicating Biometric Data Is Easy
One of the primary concerns and myths about biometrics is that they can be copied easily. Often, people think that they can print a person’s face or make a video to use for biometric authentication and to receive access to accounts and premises.
However, biometric technology with integrated liveness detection can help prevent such instances, and it requires real user presence in front of the designated camera. Today, the best biometric authentication service providers use advanced machine learning to distinguish fake attempts.
Moreover, the embedded liveness detection is either active or passive. Active liveness requires the end user to make gestures but remains susceptible to tampering or spoofing. On the other hand, passive liveness detection doesn’t demand any movements. In both ways, the system detects real user presence.
Myth 2: Biometric Authentication Is Highly Inconvenient
Another misconception is that systems equipped with biometric technology come with hindrances during authentication. However, the fact is that today, such solutions take as little as two seconds to process and grant access to the registered user.
As the apps or systems become habitual for the registered user with regular usage, biometric authentication becomes faster. Devices embedded with this technology can integrate with flap gates or terminals and process access with a high level of security.
Myth 3: Biometric Systems Are Too Expensive for Organizations
Traditional biometric systems, which are often limited in functionality and vulnerable to tampering or spoofing, can cost between $2,000 and $10,000 per device. Deploying multiple systems across an organization can quickly become prohibitively expensive.
Fortunately, modern biometric systems offer the same capabilities with greater scalability at a lower cost. These systems can support advanced video analytics, including body posture detection, facial expressions, and identification of unknown individuals.
Additionally, administrators can deploy the biometric system on standard smartphones or tablets, enabling a centralized, flexible solution for check-in and checkout points without investing in multiple specialized devices.
Myth 4: Biometric Technology Is Unreliable
A unique set of an individual’s face, fingerprint, palm, voice, or eye characteristics is called biometrics, and solutions with them remain invulnerable to tampering or spoofing. However, once integrated with geolocation, geofencing, liveness detection, encryption, and other features, they make the system highly secure and reduce the risk of identity theft.
Registered users often receive notifications about using their biometric identity at a designated location, and administrators can prevent unauthorized users from using it.
Moreover, biometric identities linked with passports, Aadhar cards, or other government ID proofs prevent financial loss, identity theft, and misuse of digital identities without authentication. Therefore, biometric identities are highly reliable and provide many advantages.
Myth 5: Avoiding Biometrics Prevents Online Fraud
According to research, 81% of the confirmed breaches in 2022 happened because of reused, weak, or stolen passwords. Therefore, we are sure that passwords are not the most secure way of preventing online breaches and fraud.
On the other hand, advanced new-age passwordless technology like contactless biometrics helps to prevent digital access and prevents unauthorized access, safeguarding against online fraud and financial loss. Today, most apps developed by stakeholders in the BFSI industry come with contactless biometric authentication, most face or fingerprint.
Government regulations for preventing deep fakes are making eliminating identity fraud easier.
Moreover, recognizing attempts is becoming easier. According to research, the number of fraud attempts rose by 4,500 percent year over year in the Philippines, followed by Vietnam, the United States, and Belgium.
Conclusion
The usage of biometrics will become common in the coming years. Unfortunately, many individuals believe that it is highly costly and unreliable, prevents online fraud, and is inconvenient and easily replicable.
Such myths prevail in the market whenever new-age methods are introduced. However, they remain untrue. In fact, biometrics enhance security and convenience by providing easy integration with existing systems, such as security IP cameras.
Simultaneously, they prevent individuals from becoming victims of identity theft or fraud by notifying them about each check-in and checkout. Moreover, they make accessing online accounts nearly impossible, especially if integrated with multifactor authentication.
Learn more about how biometric authentication technology can benefit your organization’s individuals by scheduling a demo with us today.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the most common biometric myths?
The most common biometric myths involve concerns about security, cost, convenience, reliability, and whether avoiding biometrics can prevent fraud. Modern biometric systems address these misconceptions effectively.
Are biometric systems secure?
Yes, modern biometric authentication systems are highly secure. They use encryption, liveness detection, and multifactor verification to prevent fraud, spoofing, and unauthorized access.
Is biometric authentication convenient for users?
Absolutely. Biometric systems offer fast, passwordless, and user-friendly access across devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops, reducing administrative overhead.
Are biometric systems expensive to implement?
While traditional devices were costly, today’s enterprise biometric systems are scalable, cost-effective, and easy to deploy across multiple access points without high investment.
Can avoiding biometrics prevent online fraud?
No. Avoiding biometric authentication does not prevent fraud. In fact, using modern biometric technology strengthens security against identity theft, phishing, and unauthorized access.
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