Larger Capacitive Fingerprint Sensors Yield More Accurate Results
By Fred Benkley, Chief Innovation Officer
Many people think of smaller technology as a better technology. Sometimes, this is true. However, technology with a larger footprint can sometimes yield better results. Capacitive fingerprint sensors are one such technology.
Bigger Really Is Better
Most people know that fingerprints are unique to each individual. Since ancient Babylon fingerprints have been used as a means of identifying individuals and have become historically accepted as primary unique identifiers. This makes the fingerprint an excellent option for biometric data sensors to use for securing information.
What most people don’t realize, however, is that a partial fingerprint is not nearly as unique as the whole print. Partial fingerprints can result in poor quality matching and potential mis-identification errors. Matching errors allow people to be authenticated by simply having a “close enough” match to the partially obtained biometric data. Smaller area fingerprint sensor types collect less biometric data which increases the chance of a false match
Better Accuracy Means Better Security
Larger fingerprint sensors are able to store a more complete fingerprint with fewer informational gaps, making the data more difficult to replicate or mimic. With smaller sensors, those informational gaps provide opportunity for access that would not otherwise be present. This is especially important for financial data, as consumer transactions are a key target for fraudulent activity. Partial fingerprints from smaller sensors increase the chances of fraud.
With better accuracy comes better protection. Larger sensors provide a higher level of accuracy when obtaining biometric data, providing a higher level of security. This security comes in the form of accurate initial biometric readings. A larger sensor requires fewer touches, resulting in fewer data gaps. The more accurate the sensor, the more accurate the biometric data retained, and the more secure the device using the sensor will be.
Results Speak for Themselves
Protecting data is at the forefront of consumer’s minds as well as retailers and financial institutions. Data security is critical, and protecting that data from the start is one of the best ways to ensure it remains protected. High quality capacitive fingerprint sensor technology can help provide that solution enabling bigger sensors to be used on items such as smart payment cards providing accurate and sensitive technology which helps to protect important data.
As the way people do business changes, so too will the way they process their payments and provide their financial information to outside sources. Helping people ensure the security and integrity of their personal data will allow businesses to offer consumers the confidence to adopt new security technology, offering growth opportunities to the smart card market and the way that access to confidential information is kept secure.
Competition for the future of consumer financial data security will be fierce, and the ability to provide accurate and secure data will make all the difference. Large, accurate, unobtrusive fingerprint sensors are the future of that technology.
The previous post in our series on “apacitive Fingerprint Sensors” looked at “How Biometric Smart Cards can Prevent Card Not Present Fraud“
