Final answer:
The three core types of biometrics are fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and iris recognition, each utilizing distinct physical characteristics to identify and authenticate a person's identity. They provide secure and unique means of identification superior to traditional methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three core types of biometrics used for authentication and identification purposes include fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and iris recognition. Biometric systems are security mechanisms that use an individual's physiological or biological attributes to verify their identity. Each type of biometric system offers a different method of measuring unique personal characteristics.
Fingerprint Recognition
Fingerprint recognition is one of the most well-known and commonly used biometric systems. It reads the ridges and valleys on the surface of a fingertip. Variations in these patterns are nearly unique to every individual, making fingerprints a reliable form of identification.
Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology captures a person's facial features and compares them to images in a database. Modern systems can analyze over 80 facial nodal points that measure distances and ratios on the face to identify a person.
Iris Recognition
Iris recognition involves scanning the colored ring of tissue that surrounds the pupil of an eye. The intricate structures within the iris are highly unique and stable over time, providing a secure biometric.
Biometrics enhance security by ensuring that access to sensitive materials is limited to authorized individuals, and they are recognized as more secure than traditional passwords or identification cards, largely because biological characteristics are much harder to replicate or steal.