Davenport launches biometric security program

In order to keep curriculum fresh, colleges and universities have to adapt to changing times, which is why one university is developing a degree in biometric security, reports the Associated Press.

The School of Technology at Davenport University in Michigan is banking on biometric security becoming a booming field in just a few short years. Revenue from bio security has grown from $300 million in 2001 to more than $2 billion last year.

Biometric security is a field of technology that can identify people based on unique personal characteristics such as scanning fingerprints, eyes, facial features or vocal patterns.

"I think with the advancements in this technology and with how security is becoming a really important issue, ... there's going to be huge job growth in this field," said Todd Fortier who is seeking a degree in biometric security at Davenport.

Some applications of biosecurity are iris-recognition devices in some European airports and fingerprint scanners at the entrance to Walt Disney World in Florida to help block phony tickets.

"Biometrics is the wave of the future. You're seeing fingerprint scanners or readers on every device, from your laptops to your door entry," said Scott Meuser, systems specialist for D/A Central Inc., a 50-year-old security company based in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park.