Exploring the Future of Biometric Authentication

Remember when you had to type in a PIN code or even a long password to unlock your smartphone? Quite a hassle, wasn’t it? It seems like a long time ago, but it’s only been a few years since biometric security became the norm. 

According to Statista, biometric authentication was used 28% of the time to log in to accounts, apps, and smart devices in 2024 – by far the most common and preferred method.

Despite this, countless concerns remain about the technology, so much so that only 30% of surveyed Americans are satisfied with the country’s legislation.

In this article, you will learn what biometric security is and what those exact concerns are. 

More importantly, we’ll delve into the future possibilities and existing trends within the biometric security space that aim to address those concerns and advance the technology.

What is biometric security?

Biometric security technology is incredible. It offers unparalleled speed and convenience compared to other verification methods, but it also comes with its own unique risks. This is why the technology is constantly under development.

But what is biometric security in the first place? We can see what biometric means in its etymology. Biometric is made up of the words:

• bio – referring to the body
• metric – referring to the act of measuring

Thus, biometric security refers to securing something using one’s biological traits. Below is a list of the most common ways data is biometrically secured:

• Fingerprint scanning
• Facial recognition (such as Apple’s patented FaceID for iPhones)
• Eye scanning (or iris scanning, more specifically)
• Voice recognition
• Behavioral biometrics (such as typing pattern analysis)

Many other forms are currently under development.

Perhaps the most common, everyday example of biometrics is unlocking a smartphone with the user’s fingerprint or facial features. However, aside from phones and mobile apps, it’s also used in fields like:

• Banking
• Healthcare
• Law enforcement
• Home security
• Travel

The pros of biometric security methods

The pros of biometric security methods lie in two main aspects: speed and security.

Biometric verification is often exponentially faster than good old-fashioned passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). 

Instead of having to type long, complex, and unique passwords for every device or account – and your passwords better be, if you want to stay secure – one can just quickly press their thumb to a fingerprint scanner or glance at their phone’s camera.

The difference between the two or so seconds of typing a password may seem moderate at best compared to the split-second it takes for a fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone. 

However, given how often we open our devices and accounts daily, this excess time can quickly add up. As a result, we can save several minutes in a day!

Biometric authentication methods are also more secure than passwords in many ways.

For one, biodata cannot be guessed or duplicated, while passwords can. This is especially true since many people use passwords linked to their personal information – like their birthday – and are thus easily guessed. 

While spoofing through fake fingerprints and facial models can happen, these are exceedingly rare.

They can’t be stolen through common scams or hacks, either. And you cannot as easily share your biometric data with others the same way you can with passwords.

Additionally, it’s also easier and more foolproof in many ways. With biometric systems, losing your password or the key to your house isn’t the end of the world. You’ll still be able to access them – after all, you’ll never forget your fingerprint or face; they’re always with you.

The problems with biometric security methods

However, there are several pitfalls too.

Firstly, although biometric data is harder to steal, it is permanently stolen if it is compromised. After all, a person’s fingerprint, voice, or facial features cannot be changed easily in the way that a password can. 

It’s also not uncommon for smartphone users, for example, to have to scan their fingerprints once or twice because these systems fail. 

After all, many factors can affect how fingerprints (and other biometric indicators) are read, from the lighting to imprecise finger placement to the quality of the biometric equipment. This can defeat the purpose of them being speedy and efficient. 

There are also biological limitations. Faces can change drastically as we age, fingers can get damaged, and even the timbre of our voice can sound different years from now. Can these biometric systems account for such physical changes? What if we get locked out of our data if it can’t?

Lastly, there is the question of security, privacy, ethics, and legality. People are becoming increasingly concerned about the privacy of their personal data. 

It’s not uncommon for even casual internet users to now constantly change their account passwords or use VPNs, for example, like Surfshark.

Biometric data, after all, is an example of highly sensitive data, and the fact that we give such data to tech companies poses many questions and problems. 

Because of this, laws and regulations about it are constantly being revised, especially as technology evolves. 

The top 10 trends in biometric authentication

Given this information, what is being done to improve biometric security methods? What are the latest innovations and news about it? What will biometrics look like in the future?

Here are the top 10 trends as we go into 2025.

1. Increased Adoption

The first noteworthy trend is that we will most likely see more of it. The advantages laid above are clear, and it is often preferable to use written verification methods alone. So, it just might become the norm in data privacy moving forward.

For example, e-gates (electronic gates) are already used in many airports around the world, and more and more are adopting the technology. The TSA is even testing out other biometric security methods.

Biometric security systems remain largely optional. In many apps, they’re a login method that users can toggle on or off, and many use them for convenience or added security. 

But more and more people are starting to think: Wouldn’t it be better if we required biometric authentication? What if it was the main way of verifying our identities instead of an additional security layer?

This can be especially valuable for sensitive data, such as bank accounts or healthcare data (more on that below), where wrongful access to it can potentially be life-changing.

We might even see it applied in more areas. For example, biometric ticketing systems for concerts and other events are being explored.

Because of this, we can expect biometric systems to gradually decrease in cost. Today, these technologies are still rather expensive and somewhat inaccessible to most people.

2. Other Biometric Modalities

Fingerprint, facial recognition, and voice recognition are the three most common biometric security modalities.

However, other modalities are also being developed (or at least explored or theorized). These alternative modalities involve systems that authenticate user identity through:

• Body odor (pheromones)
• Cardiographic data (heart rate, blood pressure, etc.)
• Hand or finger geometry
• Vascular anatomy (such as the veins in the hand)
• Gait
• Keystroke patterns
• DNA

Imagine machines that could take in and analyze the smell of your body. What a fascinating (if not rather unsettling) thing to think about—it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel.

However, it just might be part of our future.

3. Biometrics in Healthcare

And perhaps healthcare is the biggest sphere in which biometric applications are being explored.

For a long time, the healthcare industry has relied solely on pen and paper to store and facilitate patient information. Until now, many hospitals will need you to write down your data on patient information sheets.

While digital information systems have quickly become the norm in recent years, they still involve a biographic approach to storing patient information. They use things like patient names, dates of birth, or even Social Security Numbers to identify patients. 

However, this is insufficient. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, patient misidentification happens, leading to the creation of multiple records. This can be disastrous for patient outcomes, as giving the wrong treatment to patients can not only be incredibly costly but even outright lethal. 

Biometric systems would be far more accurate in identifying patients. This is not only because machine data matching is almost always infallible but also because human errors would cease to be a factor. 

This is another burden lifted off the shoulders of healthcare staff, who are prone to committing unintended errors due to the long and stressful hours they typically work.

It would also be more seamless, further allowing healthcare workers to conserve their time and energy for other hospital tasks. It can even ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive patient data.

4. Shifting or Stricter Laws

With increased adoption, expect to see new, tighter, or constantly shifting laws about biometrics. Several legislations already regulate the field and aim to protect users’ privacy.

For example, in the United States, state-specific laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), deal with biometric data. In Europe, there is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

There are now laws about biometric security and privacy, such as the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA). 

The BIPA protects consumers by prohibiting corporations from storing their customer’s biometric data. The act requires companies to get the explicit, written consent of the consumer before storing any kind of data about them. They must also explain what specific pieces of data they plan to store – and for what reason. 

These laws require companies to conduct rigorous audits, train employees about data privacy, and submit detailed reports about their activities to authorities. Failure to comply can result in millions of dollars in penalties and other consequences. 

If biometric security becomes the norm, we expect to see more of these laws. We will likely also see laws specifically about biometrics, like the BIPA.

5. Multimodal Biometrics

A multimodal biometric system involves authenticating identities through multiple means. For example, we typically just need to input our fingerprint or pass a facial recognition test to open our phone or access our data. But we might soon see more systems requiring you to do both simultaneously. 

If you think about it, it’s similar to how 2FA or two-factor authentication has quickly become the norm in recent years. In the past, typing in your password was enough. 

But now, many sites and apps will also need you to verify your identity through other means. Typically, this means inputting a temporary verification code sent to your email address or phone number. After all, two or more locks are more secure than one.

This can significantly improve security. It’ll be more resilient to spoofing attempts, as now spoofers must copy two pieces of biometric data. It can also be more accurate, as a false positive will not compromise the accessed data.

However, given the additional layers of authentication, false errors will likely be more prevalent with multimodal biometric systems.

6. Automatic Authentication in Public Spaces

Anything involving government processes or authentication in public spaces can be quite a hassle. Getting IDs, processing your taxes, or going through airports tend to involve significant amounts of paperwork and red tape.

But imagine traveling or crossing the borders of an immigration country without the need to bring any physical documents. Traveling would involve a lot fewer headaches and a lot more fun, would it not?

While e-gates are not common at airports, what if they were? What if everything you needed to do for identity verification and information consolidation in public spaces – whether airports, borders, or government offices – could be done with seamless and self-service biometric solutions?

Or perhaps something we see more often in our everyday lives: what if using public transportation involved contactless biometrics for entry and payment?

The idea seems utopian, but given the current trends in biometric security, we could one day be living in such a world.

7. Liveliness Biometrics 

Liveliness biometrics refers to methods that ensure that the biometric data being inputted is from a live person in real time. 

This prevents spoofing using fake faces or fingerprints (often static, such as 3D-modeled faces). Given that spoofing is currently the main security threat to biometric systems today, this is one of the most prominent advancements being worked on in the sphere. 

But how would liveliness biometrics work? For one, liveliness biometric systems can prompt users to move or perform additional tasks, such as:

• Facial Recognition: blinking, smiling, or turning their head.
• Voice Recognition: saying or repeating certain words or phrases.
• Fingerprint: Moving one’s finger around the sensor.

However, there are also passive ways to detect liveliness without additional input from users. 

For example:

• Detecting subtle physiological signs like small eye movements, pulses, or micro facial expressions;
• Identifying the blood flow in a finger with fingerprint sensors;
• Analyzing voice modulations;
• Infrared cameras for body heat detection;
• Ultrasonic sensors that capture the depth and texture of a fingerprint;
• 3D imaging to ensure facial depth in facial recognition.

Many of these technologies, such as detecting and identifying body heat, are already used in ultra-private institutions. However, we have yet to see them for commercial use. 

8. Behavioral Biometrics

The biometric security systems of today rely on static inputs: a single fingerprint, the photo capture of a face, or the human voice speaking in one instance.

But what if it also analyzed and measured our live behavior? The theorized use cases for such biometric systems are for passive security purposes. For example, we might soon see biometric security systems that measure factors like:

• Walking gait
• Keyboard use (pressure, speed, patterns, etc.)
• Touch screen use
• Mouse manipulation
• Handwriting style
• Signature signing 
• Heartbeat
• Eye movements

This allows for continuous user authentication – and not just single-instance verification as biometric security systems tend to be currently. By considering the behavioral indicators listed above, devices, for example, can detect if it has been stolen or hacked. 

For instance, a computer can detect if a password has been stolen by analyzing how quickly it was typed compared to how quickly it often is. A slow – and therefore seemingly hesitant – typing speed can indicate a stolen password.

As such, behavioral biometrics are likely a necessary part of liveliness biometrics, as discussed above.

However, there are many concerns about the accuracy of such technology. After all, human behavior is dynamic and infinitely complex. 

One’s behavior and way of interacting with devices can change from one day to the next due to several factors, such as fatigue, mood, medication, and even the hardware itself. Not to mention, people also lend their devices to other people from time to time.

9. Biometric Wearables for Security

Biometric wearables are already prevalent, such as smartwatches (such as the Apple Watch or Fitbits).

These wearable devices collect and analyze several biometric aspects like:

• Heart and respiratory rate
• Blood pressure
• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2)
• Menstruation cycles
• Physical activity
• Sleep patterns
• Electrocardiogram signals 
• Calorie expenditure
• Stress levels (through heart rate and heart rate variability)

The hardware for biometric wearables is already in place. However, the devices are typically used to monitor health and fitness indicators. But what if such hardware also involved biometric security purposes?

For example, wrist detection can be enabled on Apple Watches. This feature allows the device to automatically lock itself when you take it off. 

But what if you could also set it to unlock automatically whenever you wear it and detect that it’s on your wrist (but not when it’s on another person’s wrist)?

This can prove to be incredibly convenient and provide another layer of security. However, it may also prove confidential, as it would require the device to store your data and build a biometric profile of you, something Apple purports not to do. 

Some have also proposed that similar devices be built for workplace purposes, especially for those who work in hazardous conditions. These wearables, for example, can detect if their wearer is experiencing fatigue or other stressful physical conditions or if they are in dangerous environments.

10. AI Integration 

As the hottest newcomer in the land of tech in the last few years, AI has seen rapid adoption in countless industries. And it’s no surprise that many are already considering how it can be integrated with biometric technologies. 

AI, with Machine Learning and deep learning algorithms, can analyze vast data sets and help biometric technologies analyze complex patterns and dynamic, ever-changing human inputs. 

It can refine how biometric systems detect and interpret slight or even microscopic changes in lighting, expressions, movement, and voice. It can also, for example, learn to more accurately consider changes based on mood and aging, leading to fewer false positives and negatives. 

If integrated well, AI could be an absolute game-changer for the industry. It will result in biometric security systems that are more efficient, more accurate, more secure, and more reliable. 

AI adoption is all but an inevitability, especially if the industry pursues behavioral and liveliness biometrics. After all, these technologies will need to be ultra-precise and adaptable when analyzing the natural variations of human behavior.

Conclusion

Biometric security systems have quickly become a large and common part of our daily lives. For example, many of us use it several times daily to unlock our phones.

Yet technology, all things considered, is still relatively new. Many more fascinating advancements and innovations await us in the future. These ones can make everyday tasks more seamless and secure – ones that may alter how we live our lives. 

However, with increased adoption and more advanced technologies inevitably comes the risk of more of our data being gathered by private companies. Therefore, many ethical and legal discussions and debates will stem from this.

As such – and this may not be obvious to everyone – it’s important to be aware of the latest developments in biometric security technology.

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