Biometric Identification Will Replace Many Passwords In Next Five Years, Says IBM Scientist

Passwords have been around since ancient history, but they may become obsolete sooner than you think. According to a recent prediction by IBM Speech CTO David Nahamoo, many of the problems with passwords will be solved by biometric systems that can identify individuals based on unique biological features.

It's not just fingerprints, DNA and retinas anymore;the way you walk is unique and so is the way you type, for example. Orwell references may be inevitable, but the technology can be used for good as well, aiding in various interactive systems, fromvideo games to cars to iPads, and otherwise making it easier to prove that you're you.

For a long time, it was hard to use biometrics quickly and accurately in our daily lives, but the combination of various identifiers may make the systems convenient enough for widespread use. A recent column in InformationWeek points to the United States Visitor And Information Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) as a prime example of a system that's been able to scale: "The enrollment and validation of these attributes is fast and accurate enough for use in everyday, large-scale deployments, and the Department of Homeland Security just announced it will pay Accenture Federal Services $71 million over 13 months to further improve the system."