Abstract
Biometrics refers to the use of biological markers to verify an individual's identity. Although humankind has used biometric methods for millennia, it is a particularly popular security measure in today's technologically advanced society. Sometimes subtle and sometimes invasive, biometrics measures of identification and verification can be found in many public and private spaces, including transportation and health services, consumer and corporate entities, educational and research facilities, and government and security sites. As varied as the locations within which they are found, biometrics encompasses an ever-growing array of measures, ranging from the commonplace practice of fingerprinting through to the detection of scleral vascular patterns, or the blood vessels found in the whites of the eyes. This chapter introduces the reader to the field of biometrics, including different methods of identification and verification, privacy and security considerations, and legal and ethical concerns.