Why finger miniutiae?
For decades, law enforcement agencies worldwide have relied on the unique characteristics of fingerprint to identify individuals. Fingerprints do not change over time. They remain unchanged throughout the lifetime of the individual, and each of an individual’s fingers has a unique pattern. Because fingerprinting is recognized worldwide as a reliable means of identification, finger minutiae virtually eliminates fraud in the cardholder identification arena. Criminals know fingerprints can be retained for later matching, and do not want to leave such incriminating evidence behind. In short, cardholders respect and accept fingerprinting; criminals fear it. No form of biometrics can approach the deterrent value of finger minutiae – and no other technique is linked to an established criminal database. Cardholders in focus groups have responded positively to the application of finger minutiae in electronic commerce, electronic banking and point-of-sale terminal. They cite speed, ease of use a
