Introduction
The most recent pandemic in 2020 ushered in an age when contactless biometric systems became the preferred modality because they were more hygienic and convenient. Fast-forward to today, and the technology continues to increase in popularity. The use of face scanners as a biometric system in Philippine airports is one example of contactless access control and identification taking root in modernized systems.
Due to their growing popularity, contactless biometric systems like face scanners continue to improve to address concerns such as spoofing and data breaches. Thanks to recent developments, using this technology today not only contributes to convenience but also boosts security and efficiency. Such benefits will be helpful in the workplace, where accurate access control and attendance systems are essential.
Perhaps you’re here because you’re planning to use face recognition for your organization, right? Learn how exactly the technology can help your business by reading this article by Internet of Things Philippines Inc.
How Does a Biometrics Face Scanner Work?
A biometric face scanner works similarly to other biometric systems, but it uses facial features to match people with existing images in a database. Upon initial scanning, the technology’s algorithm will determine nodal points found in a subject’s face image and create a facial signature, which will be stored for later data matching. When you look at a face scanner, the algorithm will assess your image’s nodal points and match them with the closest image from the database before granting access or recording your name for attendance.
The more images a face scanner processes, scans, and matches, the more precise it becomes. Advanced algorithms for facial recognition continue to improve, ensuring higher accuracy. Improvements are not stopping anytime soon, either — even Interpol uses the technology to promote safety and security, making it more crucial that the system gets the data matches right.
How Using Face Scanners Boost Efficiency and Security in Organizations
Efficiency in the workplace promotes productivity, while security ensures your organization and business assets are protected from harm and unauthorized access. Both these factors are enhanced by using a biometric system, such as a face scanner, in your company in the Philippines. Below are some ways the technology accomplishes these:
Allows Contactless Verification
The most convenient feature of face-scanning technology is that it can verify identities without the subject touching the machine. In office situations, this enables your employees to log in and out without contact with the scanner, preventing viruses from spreading and sweat from affecting the system’s reading capability. This feature is crucial to assure your workforce that you’re implementing ways to prioritize their health upon returning to the office.
Meanwhile, shops with CCTVs and facial recognition systems can use these technologies to identify possible crime perpetrators. Depending on how your system is deployed, your CCTV may record theft attempts and work with your face recognition technology to capture the perpetrator’s image for identification. This can help authorities catch the perpetrator or be useful in alerting you should the suspect return. The mere existence of such systems can also serve as a crime deterrent, as people wouldn’t want to get caught on camera committing illegal acts.
Enables Quick Authentication
Facial recognition scanners, especially the most recent ones, have fast processing capabilities. Recognition speed can widely vary from 15 to 400 frames per second (note that the fastest speed cited here is still in the testing stage). Some face scanner biometrics in the Philippines can complete recognition in less than a second, eliminating long waiting times.
More advanced scanners can even process data matches for moving subjects (as banks and airports are gradually doing), speeding up identity verification and likely preventing illegal acts. However, company owners should exercise thorough care when relying on facial recognition of unsuspecting people to avoid misidentification. One way to do this is to examine the system’s confidence scores.
Promotes Data-Matching Accuracy
Using advanced face scanners to match subjects with existing image data is often accurate in a business setting. Unlike in public spaces, offices have a set number of users, that is, the number of employees, including management. This enables the machine to refer to a fixed quantity of data at a given time. With limited information to process, the machine will learn to accurately identify faces more quickly.
Moreover, while your workspace population might increase, it’s usually incremental, which means the face scanner will not be overloaded with new information.
However, the setup should be reversed if you’re trying to identify persons of interest amid moving subjects or in a public space (such as a bank or airport lobby). In such instances, your face scanner should input more face signatures to increase its accuracy and avoid misidentification. To get the most out of the technology and avoid inconveniencing innocent people, consult your supplier on which system is best for your specific purposes.
Provides User Convenience
Facial recognition scanners provide convenience to users by eliminating the need to remember passwords or codes to access physical and digital spaces. Users can just stand in front of the machine and get their faces scanned, lessening errors associated with manually inputting information. Moreover, people who are sick can avoid contact with surfaces and still enter the office premises, promoting hygiene in the workplace.
The same system can be helpful for digital businesses. Online shops that require repeat customers to log in to their websites (for perks and reward points) can utilize facial recognition to allow buyers to access their accounts quickly. Businesses can take advantage of the fact that face scanners are integrated into today’s smartphones and that many people purchase items using their mobile phones.
Just as face scanners are reliable for matching subjects with image data, they are also reliable in identifying mismatches. Some people will try to access restricted spaces and digital assets unauthorized, using the names and credentials of a supposed authorized person to break through. This can be difficult if the credentials include facial biometric information, as the perpetrator will need to match the authorized person’s features.
Some people can fool the face-scanning machine, but they can only do so with sophisticated spoofing techniques. Rest assured that biometric system manufacturers are continuously improving their products to address these threats. Considering the issues related to generative AI and machine learning, reputable manufacturers are on their toes to release biometric systems that are more accurate, inclusive, and secure.
Enhance Business Efficiency and Security With Biometric Systems From IOT Philippines
Enrolling your facial biometric information into a database is best done with machines from reputable brands. The most effective way to find such manufacturers is to consult with local suppliers. At Internet of Things Philippines Inc., we ensure that you’re getting the best products from renowned biometric system manufacturers and see to it that your machines are integrated and deployed successfully to meet your needs.
We also have IT experts who can assist you with the more technical aspects of using biometric systems. Discuss your needs with us today so we can help you switch to facial recognition systems.
Frequently Asked Questions About Face Scanner Biometrics in the Philippines
Is Face Biometrics Safe?
Using biometric technology to secure protected spaces and assets is generally safe. While the system enrolls information into a database, the storage is protected by anti-malware and other security technologies. Moreover, biometric manufacturers and suppliers normally do not have access to company data saved to your preferred storage, preventing data privacy breaches and the unauthorized use of information by third parties.
What Is the Accuracy of Face Biometrics?
The best face biometrics has an error rate of a measly 0.08% or an accuracy score of 99.97%, cited from a 2020 article by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Note that the accuracy mentioned is possible in ideal conditions, such as under consistent lighting and with data subjects’ faces captured clearly. Images of people not looking directly at the face scanner may lower the accuracy of the identification. As such, face biometrics may be most accurate in controlled environments, including bank identity verification or office attendance tracking.
What Are the Risks of Using Facial Recognition Biometrics?
The risks associated with facial recognition biometrics are mostly related to data privacy concerns. The machine uses images of people for later data matching, but the question is how the system catalogs and stores these images. If left with little to no protection, the users’ facial data may land in the wrong hands, using it for unauthorized machine learning or faking identities. As such, biometric manufacturers and suppliers should work together to ensure that the technology they deploy for users is secure and encrypted, and uses data from ethical sources.
Meanwhile, business owners should do their part as well. Only trust manufacturers and suppliers with a clean track record, years of industry experience, and clear policies on transparency and privacy. Past records of privacy breaches have confirmed the use of people’s photos without consent, and all-in access to image data storage are red flags one should look out for when dealing with vendors.
Conclusion
The use of face scanners as a biometric system in the Philippines is gaining popularity due to their convenience and health-related benefits, especially following the 2020 pandemic. Moreover, this technology yields benefits like efficiency and security, making access control and monitoring in workplaces faster, more accurate, and more secure. The key, of course, is to procure biometric machines from trustworthy suppliers.
Internet of Things Philippines Inc. offers a wide array of products and services for face recognition. Contact us today to learn how we can help you integrate this technology into your business for more efficient and secure op
