Registering refugees using personal information has become the norm — but cybersecurity breaches pose risks to people giving sensitive biometric data

The <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/worldwide-refugees-reach-all-time-high/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">number of refugees worldwide</a> reached record high levels in 2022. More than 108.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of violence or persecution. Meanwhile, <a href="https://hir.harvard.edu/new-technologies-that-monitor-displaced-persons/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">governments and aid agencies are increasingly using</a> a <a href="https://www.digital-adoption.com/what-is-digital-technology/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">controversial method</a> of effectively identifying and tracking many refugees. This method, known as biometrics, involves collecting someone’s physical or behavioral characteristics, ranging from fingerprints to voice. Organizations that collect the personal physical data can store it to instantly recognize someone after scanning their fingerprints or irises, for example. The United Nations refugee agency, often known as UNHCR, is among the groups that have grown their <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/blogs/unhcrs-biometric-tools-in-2023/#:%7E:text=UNHCR%2C%20the%20UN%20Refugee%20Agency,in%20countries%20across%20the%20world" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">biometrics programs</a> over the past several years to <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/02/big-brother-turns-its-eye-on-refugees/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">help identify refugees</a> and deliver lifesaving aid and other services. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ITS9Jk4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">cybersecurity scholar</a>, I think it is important to understand that while identifying people using biometrics might be convenient for organizations collecting the data, the practice comes with inherent privacy risks that can threaten vulnerable people’s safety. <a href="https://medium.com/the-conversation/registering-refugees-using-personal-information-has-become-the-norm-but-cybersecurity-breaches-3668a731fb6f">Visit Now</a>