Forensic technology has expanded the range of knowledge obtained from fingerprints in recent years. Initially, fingerprints were mainly used to trace evidence in cases of crime. These days, however, fingerprinting has become an additional layer of verification that is routinely used across the corporate, government, and security sectors. For example, fingerprinting is also used as a part of a corporate or government criminal background check process to verify that there are no criminal records that would prevent an individual from working in certain positions. Let’s take a deeper look at how fingerprinting has developed into a convenient and secure tool for security across a wide variety of advanced applications.
Fingerprint Technology: What Is It and How Does It Work
The use of fingerprints for personal identification dates back to the nineteenth century. The FBI began developing technologies to automate the fingerprinting process in 1969 for the identification of individuals as forensic evidence. By 1975, the FBI started funding the development of fingerprint scanners for convenience and faster access to data.
In the present day, fingerprinting is one of the most widely used biometric identification methods. Biometric technologies are a highly effective way to authenticate an individual’s identity, as every individual is a unique biometric template. Fingerprint recognition is based on a unique and unchanging fingerprint pattern that can be used for identification. This technology utilizes the friction ridges on the fingertips, also called fingerprints. The inked patterns left by friction ridges contain unique details that are difficult to replicate.
Fingerprint recognition offers a fast and convenient way to securely verify a person’s identity. Several organizations like law enforcement operations, immigration services, health and pharmaceuticals, banks, and investment institutions require fingerprint-based background checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Benefits of Fingerprint Archiving
Fingerprints are unique to every individual and change very little over time. Fingerprint archiving allows you to store your fingerprint information in a secure web server for easier and regular access. Here are a few benefits fingerprint archiving offers:
Safe and Secure
Archived fingerprints are encrypted on secure servers and can only be accessed with customer authorization.
Available Hard Cards
Hard cards or ink fingerprint cards can be easily generated from archived fingerprints, which are commonly used for submitting to out-of-state licensing agencies and requests specific to other countries.
Ease of Access
Ink fingerprint cards can be mailed to your expert service provider, who digitally scans and archives the fingerprints. The customer can then conveniently access their fingerprints anytime with proper authorization.
e-Fingerprint Submission
Fingerprints can also be transmitted electronically to the FBI via a secure channel approved by the FBI. This process usually occurs when a live-scan digital fingerprint scanner is utilized.
Risks Associated with Fingerprint Archiving
Fingerprint archiving is a new and emerging technology used in many ways. For example, it is used as a security feature to verify identities, such as at government buildings or physical security access points. Biometric data has a wide variety of benefits, but some users are concerned that this advancement might result in some drawbacks.
Data Breaches
Organizations that store or rely on fingerprints or other biometric data are often under the threat of data breaches. Because biometric data is biological evidence that cannot be replaced, organizations need to take additional measures to protect it.
Privacy Concerns
When biometric information is converted into data and archived, especially in repositories with significant surveillance, there is a risk of leaving behind a permanent digital record vulnerable to unauthorized access.
Expensive
Implementing a more advanced security system is expensive and requires considerable expenditures for many organizations.
Keeping Your Fingerprints Safe and Confidential
As an expert service provider, First Contact HR provides secure fingerprint archiving services, including capturing digital fingerprints, scanning FBI fingerprint cards and storing them on a highly secure, cloud-based server.Digital fingerprint files are encrypted and stored without personal identity details to improved privacy and security.
Archiving fingerprints is a convenient and highly effective solution for individuals or businesses that require multiple licenses or clearances from several states or agencies, say every 1 to 5 years. To have your fingerprints stored securely, you need to ensure that the organization you are trusting is reputable and can verify that their system is fully secure. In addition, to guarantee public safety, your service provider needs to adhere to all the regulatory requirements, including not disclosing the customer’s PII (Personal Identifiable Information) like social security numbers or other sensitive personal information.
Without your authorization, a reliable fingerprint archiving provider will not disclose your information to any unauthorized party. First Contact HR is leader in fingerprint archiving and offers this service nationwide. Our clients may access their fingerprints any time after quickly verifying their identities with our assistance. We then print out the equivalent of ink-based fingerprint hard cards which are mailed directly to our clients.