The global tech arena has actively upgraded in the past few years. The use of a biometric authentication system is one of the finest additions you can look at. At present, several industries and devices have grown dependent on biometric screening to acquire confidential data without the use of PINs or complicated passwords. To be precise, access control for a device or building managed in a sophisticated and unique way, for instance, fingerprints or iris scans is termed as biometrics.
Biometric Data & Testing Needs
In simple words, biometric data is any form of data that emerges from physical distinctiveness linked to a human being. The range of security systems and devices used in today’s time conveniently incorporate biometric data such as fingerprints, voice inputs, facial recognition, and iris scans. Such data is used to verify the user’s identity and offer the required access. Since physical characteristics are unique, verification via biometric data is now considered as more trusted and secure.
According to a market assessment, the biometric system market is expected to surpass $32.77 billion by 2022 with a CAGR growth of 16.79%. Such statistics clearly highlight the extent of biometric technology and the need for biometric testing service in the long run.
The use of biometric to safeguard personal and confidential data for a user or organization serves as the primary purpose. Therefore, any type of security breach can directly lead to compromising vital personal data followed by financial threats to the person or organization. With an aim to smartly protect biometric data from such mishaps, it is important to implement biometric data testing at various stages.
What is Biometric Testing?
It needs to be clear that a biometrics application must fulfill certain requirements to prove its quality and success. To carefully ensure quality assurance for a biometric application the incorporation of biometric testing is essential. Here are a few of the vital components of biometric testing you should be aware of.
Amount of Data: During a scan, it is required to collect enough data points so as to differentiate users without any hassle. If the count of acquired data points is low, then the chances of recording enough differences between the two candidates are less. This leads to non-satisfactory results.
User-Friendly: A biometric testing approach shouldn’t be complex. Suppose you include too many steps; in this case, it won’t be tagged as a practical approach to be used on a regular basis. Furthermore, the process of capturing data need not be time-consuming. An end-user won’t prefer an application that takes additional time to load.
Repetitive Approach: It should be known that the scans usually don’t occur at the same location when similar conditions are applied on the same day. For ensuring the success of a biometrics application, this process needs to be repetitive in nature. In simple words, the scan needs to function in a similar manner regardless of the variations.
End-User Preference: The end-user should be made familiar with the benefits of using the biometric app. In case the end-user is not satisfied with the application, the chances of it gaining popularity are fairly less.
Biometric Testing & Security Benefits
Biometric testing is very well aligned with the fulfillment of security shields for a biometric application. Its role is to provide security testing service benefits for better understanding.
The three major security advantages using biometric testing include:
Protected Data Storage
At present, the challenge faced by organizations is safely securing fingerprints, iris scans, and other forms of biometrics data. Since this data is stored in a database or device, the chances of getting exposed to cyber-attacks are equivalent to any other data type.
For avoiding such a disaster, QA teams create a link with security teams to maintain that the application is passing on biometric data in a secure manner. In addition, the testing team conducts usability tests for spotting the type of information users feel comfortable in sharing.
System Breakdown
Whenever you are dealing with technology, there are chances of system failure under certain unpredictable conditions. Similarly, a biometric authentication system can also crash while processing biometric data. With the inclusion of biometric testing, the QA team can create a backup input method to establish application performance. It is a smart tactic for keeping the biometric application in check in terms of quality.
Recreation of Biometric Data
The task of recreating biometric data at the time of performance tests over simulated devices is not fully possible. Moreover, it is a tiring task to effectively test all metrics in an artificially recreated test setup. With this restriction, the testing team is not able to conduct QA over real devices. But the positive aspect is the validation of the application’s capabilities on a real device managed in real-time. As a result, the test outputs are more reliable in nature.
For receiving advanced knowledge and information about the role of biometric testing in biometric applications, you can always contact experienced testers at renowned software testing companies.
