Blockchain and Biometric Security

Security has always been something that requires constant revision and adaptation as each technological leap brings new sophisticated threats and challenges. Passwords were the standard defense for years in safeguarding personal and financial data; this was then complemented with two-factor authentication and, now, biometrics in the form of fingerprint scans, iris recognition, and facial recognition.

While biometrics have seen increased adoption, including day-to-day use cases, thanks to smartphones, they are still not foolproof. Centralized biometric databases have the potential to be targeted and can put user data at risk in a way that makes the consequences permanent and severe.

Imagine biometric data that, instead of being retained on a centralized server, is retained by the consumer and remains in their control; this is precisely what blockchain technology offers. Integrating blockchain with biometrics has the potential to change identity security in a way that helps to reduce identity fraud and ensure that data leaks are minimized.

Biometrics can authenticate users, while blockchain technology can verify the data. Thishas the potential to create a highly secure, seamless authentication process that prevents tampering. In place of centralized biometric data storage, the blockchain can track, encrypt, and provide proof of identity. Since no single point of failure and no central authority controls a blockchain solution such as Ethereum, the risk of a data breach is significantly reduced while simultaneously putting biometric data in the hands of the users providing it.

Biometrics and blockchain technology are attracting interest from governments, financial institutions, and healthcare providers as individual technologies and as combined technologies. For instance, digital passports that contain biometric data are now commonplace, numerous financial institutions require biometrics via smartphones to access accounts, and apps from other providers often require facial recognition or fingerprint authentication.

In the United Kingdom, NatWest Bank has integrated biometric technology with its mobile banking app to increase security. Customers can securely authenticate transactions by setting up new payments, increasing payment limits, and updating personal details using their unique facial and voice features. This reduces the risk of fraud by simplifying the banking process and using the uniqueness of the biometric data to validate an individual's identity. While this doesn't use blockchain technology, it's clear that the biometric aspect is already widespread and has significant adoption. It makes integrating biometric initiatives with blockchain technology easier as empowering consumers and allowing them to retain their data becomes an increased focus.

Blockchain technology integrated with biometrics will eventually eliminate the need for passwords by using strong and reliable biometric identification that is easily verifiable. It will also improve user privacy by allowing users to retain control of their data. For users, it will mean more control over their identity verification, such as when and how often they authenticate their identity. Additionally, blockchain offers an automatic and timestamped logging of authentication events, producing a transparent and immutable record of events, which can be useful for audits, forensic analysis, and dispute resolution.

Real-world Integrations

World, co-founded by OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, integrates eye biometrics with blockchain technology to create a secure, decentralized identity verification system. The project uses a specialized "Orb" device to allow individual individuals to generate a unique biometric identifier.

While iris data is initially collected and stored centrally during enrollment, the biometric information isn't stored on-chain. Instead, World takes a different approach and uses blockchain technology to generate and store a cryptographic "proof-of" personhood," which verifies that each user is unique without exposing sensitive personal data. By leveraging blockchain, decentralization, and transparency, World ensures robust and tamper-proof identity verification, reducing fraud risks, enhancing financial accessibility, and enabling broader initiatives such as universal basic income (UBI).

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether biometric blockchain security has become a foundational element of digital security infrastructures or if it will remain niche over the coming years. Tech startups, as well as industry giants, are currently active in refining applications, from finance to personal identity management, among others. While Biometrics integration and Blockchain integration are becoming increasingly common, the potential in real-world use cases that combine the two is still developing as different initiatives continue to finetune their approaches.

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