ABSTRACT
Any pattern recognition system that authenticates a user by determining the authenticity of a specific physiological or behavioral characteristic is basically a biometric system. With so many differing biometric modalities, it would seem that each biometric system supporting those modalities would be unique. However, biometric systems have much in common with one another. The biometric components are generically similar in terms of function. Additionally, the biometric system stages-enrollment, verification/identification, and updating-are fairly consistent across biometric types. Moreover, all biometric systems share similar concerns with regard to acceptance, fraud, data storage, and privacy.
