Security is a top concern for all business owners. Issues related to protecting trade secrets, confidential information, company information, and customer data continue to be problematic, especially as hackers learn new ways to defeat security measures. In addition to utilizing enhanced security techniques, such as two-factor authentication (2FA), some companies are exploring biometric authentication technology to enhance security.
However, companies contemplating biometric authentication may want to discuss important considerations with their South Carolina business compliance lawyer before investing significant time and resources into deploying the security feature.
What is Biometric Authentication?
Biometric technology is becoming a popular security tool for many companies. The technology is growing and evolving quickly. Larger companies and the government have used it for some time, but it is now becoming more popular for use in smaller companies and companies who maintain customer login accounts. Biometric security features can use fingerprints, handprints, and face scans to verify identity. Some companies are developing AI technology that can recognize a user’s keystrokes and habits to provide additional security.
Considerations Before Deploying a Biometric Security System
Several things that you should consider before purchasing and deploying a biometric system include:
- Do you want to add biometrics to your current security system? If so, you need to ensure that all levels of your security system work together efficiently and effectively. You also need to ensure that all software platforms are compatible.
- Unimodal biometric systems versus multimodal biometric systems. A unimodal biometric system has only one level of security (it captures a single biometric trait). Multimodal biometric systems use multiple independent biometric traits, such as a fingerprint and a face scan. If you do not intend to use additional security measures, you may want to use a multimodal system to increase security.
- What type of biometric hardware will you need to implement a biometric security system? You need to factor the cost of hardware and the maintenance of the hardware into your cost analysis before switching to biometrics for security.
- What privacy concerns do you need to address? Capturing and storing an employee’s or customer’s biometric information could result in privacy and liability issues for the company. How can you protect a user’s biometrics on your system?
- How will you educate your employees and customers about the biometric security system? Some individuals may not be willing to have their biometrics captured and stored for identity verification. You may need to provide detailed information about the biometrics system and how you intend to protect the data once you have it in your system.
- What is the cost of upgrading? Biometric technology continues to evolve. What will be the cost of updating your system as new features and upgrades are available? As with other programs, you need to have the most current version and update to provide the best protection from hackers and thieves.
- How difficult is the biometric system to use? If the system is difficult to use, consumers may become frustrated and choose another company.
Contact a South Carolina Business Attorney for More Information
The above issues are just some of the considerations a company needs to address before implementing a biometric security feature. A South Carolina business attorney can help you evaluate the legal issues related to biometrics. Failing to consider the various legal issues related to using biometrics could result in costly legal problems. Schedule a consult with a member of our team at Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A. to learn more today.