For the past seven years, Apple has been utilizing facial recognition data to enhance security features. You may also be using your fingerprint to unlock various devices.

However, have you ever tried using your palm to pay at Whole Foods? Or did the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) scan your face the last time you flew? While biometric identification such as fingerprints and facial recognition can expedite processes, they also introduce several security risks.

Should you provide organizations and government bodies with your sensitive personal information? Let’s delve into this to help you make an informed decision.

Are you planning to fly soon?

If so, you might already have encountered the TSA’s traditional technology, reminiscent of Apple’s Face ID. They take your photo and compare it against your ID to verify your identity for security clearance. Fortunately, they claim that these images are deleted once you’ve passed through security.

The TSA’s new Touchless Identity Solution operates differently. All you need to do is face a camera and wait for the agent’s approval. It’s quick and straightforward! But what’s the catch?

To utilize this feature, you’ll need a U.S. passport, TSA PreCheck, and membership in a participating airline’s rewards program. When you check-in with your airline’s app, you’ll have the option to consent to a biometric scan.

If you agree, the TSA will store your photo in a cloud-based verification system. When you approach the camera, it will match your live image with the one on file. The TSA asserts that both images will be erased within 24 hours of your flight’s departure.

Pay with your palm

Whole Foods employs a system akin to the TSA’s with its palm scanning technology. By using the Amazon One app, you can associate a credit card with your unique “palm signature.” When you scan your palm in the store, the data is compared against palm signatures that Amazon stores in the cloud. If there’s a match, you are successfully charged.

Amazon claims they only retain the mathematical representation of your palm signature, not the actual images. This means a hacker wouldn’t be able to use a detailed photo of your palm to impersonate you.

The security dilemma

So, are these sophisticated biometric systems immune to hacking? It’s hard for a criminal to deceive airport biometric screenings; agents would catch on quite fast.

Even at Whole Foods, it would be challenging for someone to use a photograph of your palm for shopping. Their systems also utilize “liveness detection,” which observes motion, depth, and texture.

However, keep in mind that as technology progresses, so do the tactics of criminals. Artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. It’s possible that in the future, a deepfake mask could trick facial recognition systems, especially in scenarios where there’s no real person present to verify identity.

What’s the primary concern?

Let’s assume we trust agencies and large corporations to manage your biometric data. Even so, they’re not immune to data breaches. Once you share any type of information, it becomes a target for hackers.

Considering subscribing to one of these services or a similar one? Here are some tips for protecting your biometric information:

◾ Prior to granting access to your biometric data, evaluate the organization’s reputation. Agencies like the TSA are usually more trustworthy than a random app. At the very least, search online to see if the organization has had any “data breaches.”

◾ Whenever feasible, pair your biometric data with a strong password, two-factor authentication, or an authenticator app.

◾ When you must upload biometric information online, be sure to use a virtual private network to secure your internet connection first—especially when connected to public networks. This adds an additional layer of protection against potential data theft.