Biometrics Systems Specialists

Archaeologists have found evidence that fingerprints were used on clay tablets to seal business transactions in Ancient Babylon. In more recent times, a French police officer named Alphonse Bertillon created an identification system in 1888 that recorded a criminal’s arm length, height, and other body measurements on index cards. This method of identification was eventually replaced by fingerprinting in the early 1900s. The FBI has used various forms of biometric identification since its founding in 1908, including taking over the management of the national fingerprint collection in 1924. More recently, in 2007, the FBI created the Biometric Center of Excellence to assist in its efforts to fight crime and terrorism with biometrics technology. "Biometrics has been incredibly useful to the FBI and its partners in the law enforcement and intelligence communities, and the Bureau continues to look to new scientific advancements to increase the range and quality of its identification and investigative capabilities," according to the FBI's Web site.

Today, biometric technologies have applications in not only law enforcement, but also in border management and travel security, education, banking, cybersecurity, health care, human resources, elections management, and physical access to private homes and sensitive areas of corporations and businesses.