Recent independent research has suggested that many of these high-technology devices may be surprisingly simple to defeat. Biometric fingerprint readers, facial recognition systems and IP-addressable surveillance cameras are especially vulnerable due to the relative ease of manufacturing biological similes or accessing a corporate LAN/WAN or Internet connection. Many biometric systems already have high rates of false acceptance. These high error rates can allow access to unauthorized or unregistered users, even in the absence of deceptive tricks.
Manufacturers of biometric readers have claimed that their devices can provide an increased level of security by preventing unauthorized personnel from gaining access to a facility and by minimizing the total number of false reads. Because biometric data is unique to each individual, it always has been believed that it would be nearly impossible to duplicate the specific characteristics needed to effectively fool a biometric system. However, several studies conducted both in the United States and abroad have raised some serious questions about the true accuracy of biometrics.