Biometric authentication provides what type of identifier?

• A. It uses a password as the sole factor.
• B. It provides a unique identifier based on physical characteristics of the user.
• C. It uses a hardware token as a second factor.
• D. It is a collection of user credentials.

Answer: (B)

Biometric authentication provides a unique identifier based on physical characteristics of the user. By comparing traits like fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial geometry to a stored profile, the system can determine who you are because these biological traits are inherently tied to you and are difficult to imitate. This distinguishes biometrics from passwords (which are something you know) and hardware tokens (something you have). It’s not simply a collection of credentials; it’s using an intrinsic attribute to identify the individual.