How is blockchain used in biometric technology?

Blockchain is used in biometric technology to keep personal data secure since only authorized access is possible. 

 

Biometric technology uses the personal information of people. That's why keeping it secure is very important. NEC India's Digi Yatra, a biometric technology for authenticating passengers, makes use of blockchain to protect the biometric data of passengers. 

 

Digi Yatra has made it possible for passengers to use biometrics like fingerprints, iris scans, or faces to authenticate themselves at significant touchpoints at the airports. The facility is based on consent provided by the passengers for using the biometric details for the purpose of authentication. 

 

Since the authorities are responsible for protecting the sensitive data of passengers, they use blockchain to protect the data. With the help of blockchain technology, authorities ensure that only authorized access to the biometric details is possible.

 

Under the Digi Yatra facility, the data of passengers are encrypted and not stored centrally. In order to keep the data secure, the biometric details are shared only with the airport of travel origin. To make sure that there is no breach, the data is deleted from the system within 24 hours of departure of the flight. 

 

The scheme was launched initially in Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru. As of now, around 3.5 million passengers have used the facility. Owing to the success, the facility was extended to Vijayawada, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Now, the facility is about to be made available at the airports of Mumbai and Kochi. 

Launching Digi Yatra required the use of infrastructure that can be made available by an IT service provider. IP-based cameras with edge processors are installed at various touch-points, like boarding gates. They can help passengers avail the facility of touchless boarding. 

 

Digi Yatra has made the flying experience less cumbersome for the passengers. The processes like security screening get completed within a stipulated time, and they need not wait in queues for a long time. 

 

Source referred - https://in.nec.com/en_IN/blog/2021/20210402.html