What is it?
A means by which a person can be uniquely identified by analyzing distinguishing traits such as fingerprints, retina and iris patterns, voice signatures, gait, and facial characteristics.
Why is it important?
Biometrics-based security is increasingly being used to identify people -- for example, using a fingerprint to unlock a smartphone. Security professionals are turning to biometrics both for convenience and because password-based security is not secure enough. Inherent traits, such as a retina pattern or gait, cannot be easily counterfeited, making them potentially more secure, especially when used as an additional factor in a multi-factor authentication scheme.
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