Biometric security. Computer artwork showing a human hand with its fingerprints being analysed, and a human eye with its iris being scanned. Fingerprints and irises both contain unique patterns that can be used to determine the identity of an individual. When these are scanned, a computer will divide the scans into areas that are then compared to information already stored in a database. The process of automated identification of people using unique physiological traits is known as biometric identification.