Resumen
The article focuses on uses and abuses of biometrics. Biometrics are seductive. They are the oldest form of identification. In order to be useful, biometrics must be stored in a database. There is a variety of different biometrics. There are hand geometry, fingerprints, iris scans, DNA, typing patterns, signature geometry. Biometrics are hard to forge, it is hard to put a false fingerprint on finger, or make iris look like someone else's. Some people can mimic others' voices and Hollywood can make people's faces look like someone else, but these are specialized or expensive skills. Biometrics are powerful and useful, but they are not keys. They are not useful when one needs the characteristic of a key that is secrecy, randomness, and the ability to update or destroy. They are useful as a replacement for a PIN or a replacement for a signature. Biometrics are useful in situations where the connection from the reader to the verifier is secure but one thing should always be kept in mind that biometrics are not secrets.