Biometric verification systems offer a radical alternative to passports, PIN numbers, ID cards and driving licences. It uses physiological or behavioral characteristics such as fingerprints, hand geometry, and retinas to check a person's identity. This is the first book to provide an easy-to-read explanation of the technical aspects of biometric systems. This book explains the foundations of how biometrics technology work. Several technologies involving scanning and analyzing unique body characteristics and matching them against information stored in a database are covered. This book is a complete introduction guide that covers the details, principles, methods, and technologies of biometric security systems. It explains the practical applications and covers a number of topics critical for successful biometrics security implementation. These include recognition accuracy, processing speed, intrinsic and system security, privacy and legal requirements, and user acceptance. This book will be an invaluable read for practitioners, managers and IT personnel - in fact for anyone considering, or involved in, implementing a biometric system. Security and financial administrators, computer science professionals, and biometric systems developers will all benefit from an enhanced understanding of this important technology. If you are considering making biometrics a part of your overall security plan this hands-on guide will be very helpful to you.