Co-written with Edsel Shreve, General Manager, BioConnect AI
In today’s fast-paced digital world, user experience (UX) has become a pivotal factor in the success and adoption of technology. This is especially true for biometric systems, which rely heavily on user interaction for tasks such as enrolment, authentication and security. Ensuring a seamless and positive user experience in biometrics can significantly influence its acceptance and effectiveness. Let’s explore the critical parts of the user experience journey in using biometrics: consent, enrolment, authentication, performance, and security.
Consent
Consent is the first and most crucial step in the biometric user experience journey. Users must be fully informed about the necessity of biometric authentication, how it will be used, and why it is required. Transparency is key; users should understand the benefits and implications of using their biometric data.
It’s equally important to have a robust process or technology to capture this consent prior to or at the time of enrolment. This ensures that users are willingly and knowingly participating, which builds trust and compliance with legal and compliance standards.
Enrolment
The enrolment phase is where users initially provide their biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial scans, or iris patterns. This experience should be efficient yet thorough to ensure a high-quality template is created. This template serves as the foundation for future performance and security, making its accuracy critical.
With advancements in technology, particularly in facial authentication, initial templates can now be created automatically from a secure system like your PAC platform. This innovation enhances efficiency and user experience without compromising on performance or security. Templates must be securely stored and distributed to the devices where authentication will occur.
Ideally, users should only need to enrol once. The system should be able to distribute the template efficiently such that it can be used across various locations and systems, ensuring a smooth and continuous user experience.
Authentication
The authentication experience should be consistent and reliable, regardless of the reader or physical location. Depending on the security requirements, the method of authentication can vary. In some cases, biometric-only authentication may suffice, while more secure areas might require multi-factor authentication (MFA) involving a card or PIN in addition to the biometric data. This ensures a higher certainty of the user’s identity.
A great enrolment experience sets the stage for successful authentication, minimizing rejections or unsuccessful attempts. Modern face authentication solutions leverage AI and machine learning algorithms to enhance reliability and security. These technologies allow the template to evolve and strengthen with use, significantly improving the authentication experience, especially in single-factor authentication scenarios.
Performance
Performance is a critical component of the user experience. The speed of an authentication process should be quick, without compromising security. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) inherently takes longer, as it involves multiple verification steps, but it is necessary for high-security environments. Some locations may even require three-factor authentication where security is paramount.
Face authentication solutions currently lead the field in performance improvements, with the ability to authenticate in milliseconds and from significant distances, up to 20 feet if needed. This rapid and flexible performance is essential for maintaining a positive user experience in high-traffic or high-security areas.
Security
While all the above factors are essential, they must not compromise the security of the process, data/templates, and the physical architecture of the system (e.g., devices, networks, servers). Building security into biometric solutions from the ground up and incorporating it into every aspect of the system is crucial.
In the past, some biometric solutions focused on functionality, adding a veneer of security rather than embedding it deeply into the product. This approach is no longer acceptable. Today’s solutions must meet the highest standards of cyber-physical security to satisfy the stringent requirements of both IT and physical security groups within organizations.
The importance of user experience in biometric systems cannot be overstated. Each stage—consent, enrolment, authentication, performance, and security—plays a vital role in ensuring that the system is user-friendly, efficient, and secure. By focusing on these key areas, organizations can build trust, enhance security, and improve overall satisfaction with biometric technology.
