Background
Signature identification is also known as Dynamic Signature Verification (DSV). It is the least controversial of all the biometric technologies because of its natural occurrence in everyday transactions. Any process that requires a signature is a prime contender for signature identification. Individuals are less likely to object to their signature being confirmed as compared to other possible biometric technologies. Not only is DSV the least controversial of current biometrics on the market today, it is also the least expensive. Currently, tablet-based systems that operate using off the shelf digitizers cost as little as $99. Over 100 patents have been issued regarding signature verification. 

How It Works
Signature identification systems analyze two different areas of an individual’s signature: the specific feature of the signature and specific features of the process of signing. The features that are taken into account and measure include speed, pen pressure, directions, stroke length, and when the pen is lifted from the paper. These devices store these factors for future comparisons in their database. Signature identification devices also can analyze the “static” image of one’s signature, which captures the entire image of one’s signature and stores it for comparison. These devices account for changes in one’s signature over time by recording the time, history of pressure, velocity, location, and acceleration of a pen each time a person uses the system. 

The major problem faced with this technology is differentiating between the consistent parts of the signature and the behavioral parts of the signature that vary with each signing. An individual’s signature is never entirely the same every time it is signed and can vary substantially over an individual’s lifetime. Allowing for these variations in the system while providing the best protection against possible forgers is an apparent hurdle faced by this technology. 


Where It Is Being Used
Full adoption of this technology has been slow in the many industries that are natural candidates of signature verification technology, such as the financial industry. Chase Manhattan Bank was the first bank to test a signature identification application. Other examples include: 

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has utilized signature identification in electronically filed tax returns. 
• Employment Services in England to verify an individual that is claiming benefits. 
• Pharmaceutical companies are using it to reduce the overall cost and administration of drug regulatory submissions to the FDA. 
• Pentonville Prison in England is employing signature identification to prevent prisoner's signing off food against other prisoner's accounts. It has also been successfully tested on visitors to the prison. 

Future
Signature identification will continue to grow and become more of an everyday occurrence in our society because of high public acceptance and its efficiency, which are the major advantages it holds over other biometric technologies. Two examples of new applications in the works for signature identification is the healthcare industry is adopting signature identification for the submission of new drug applications, and the computer industry is using signature identification for computer systems access.