What type of data does biometric authentication primarily use?

Biometric authentication primarily utilizes physical characteristics as its data source. This form of authentication relies on unique biological traits that can be measured and analyzed, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris patterns, voice recognition, and palm scans. These characteristics are inherently unique to individuals, making them a robust method for verifying identity.

This method offers significant advantages over traditional authentication methods that rely on something you know (like passwords) or something you have (like a smart card). Biometric data cannot be easily forgotten, stolen, or shared, which enhances security. Moreover, because these traits are linked to an individual's biology, they provide a high level of assurance during the identification process.

In contrast, the other options—smart card information, network credentials, and textual passwords—are based on something the user possesses or knows, which can be less secure in scenarios where these elements might be compromised or forgotten. Therefore, the focus of biometric authentication on physical characteristics sets it apart as a unique and secure method for user verification.