Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
may be more easily tracked and information on
individuals more easily exchanged. However,
in light of heightened awareness in the United
States and other countries due to recent security
threats and breaches (e.g., September 11
th
plane
high-jackings and London subway bombings),
there has been a renewed interest in means of
security that may better protect public places and
transportation.
Virtual access includes biometric protection
of information, that is, network and computer
security. This provides protection of data that
are stored on a company's computer systems and
traverses the corporate network (Suydam, 2000).
A major use of biometrics in the virtual access
category is the replacement of passwords, or as
an additional level of security on top of a pass-
word (Dean, 2002; Liu & Silverman, 2001). Since
passwords can be easily forgotten or given away,
this alternative may not only improve security, it
may also ease administrative tasks.
Credit card, online banking, online trading,
ATMs, and online purchasing provide many
e-commerce applications to which biometrics
may be applied (Liu & Silverman, 2001). Some
companies hope that the use of biometric tech-
nologies for authentication may reduce the amount
of money spent for fraud cases. Devices in this
category can help prevent unlawful financial
transactions, identity theft, and help provide
security for an individual's credit cases (Arent,
1999; Herman, 2002; Jain et al., 2000; Jeffords,
Thibadoux, & Scheidt, 1999; Liu & Silverman,
2001; Woodward, 1997).
Covert surveillance forms the last category.
Devices in this category are intended to identify
possible criminals. Applications in this area are
often the most controversial, yet are growing in
popularity due to increased interest in providing
additional levels of security by monitoring, for
example, passengers in public transportation,
people attending large public events, buildings
with public access, or traffic. Biometrics may be
used, for example, to compare individuals against
databases of known criminal offenders in airports
or casinos (Scheeres, 2001; Titsworth, 2002). Bio-
metric devices are being used by several states in
attempts to avoid issuance of fraudulent driver's
licenses (Atkinson, 2002; Titsworth, 2002; Way-
man, 2000). The use of mobile biometric devices
by police departments are being explored as a
way to decrease the number of fraudulent IDs
used (Dale, 2001). As these systems advance,
they should help provide personal security for
individuals and help find criminals.
As with many security technologies, biometric
devices have widespread applicability. Unlike
many traditional technologies, they are not spe-
cialized in their usage setting or purpose and their
usefulness is often associated with their function
rather than their stand-alone implementation, as
would be the case with a software package. Bio-
metric devices may be adopted for use in a variety
of settings for a myriad of functions by different
types of entities. The adoption decision for bio-
metrics, not unlike many security technologies,
may be an individual decision or an organizational
decision. That is, these devices may be marketed
as devices that can be obtained by an individual
for general purposes such as securing one's home
or may be implemented as an additional security
device on a vehicle which is then sold as a package.
They may also be implemented by an organiza-
tion where compliance for use is mandatory such
as entry to a facility by employees or where the
implementation and usage may be regarded as a
choice. A determination of the general acceptance
of the device is useful to any entity considering
the adoption of these types of security devices
regardless of context. The purpose of this study
is to develop a general model of user acceptance
for biometric devices, regardless of the context of
their use or the physiological or behavioral traits
they use for identification.
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