A biometric error is an incorrect result from a system that uses physical or behavioral traits—such as a face, fingerprint, or voice—to estimate identity. A false match occurs when the system incorrectly links a person to another identity; a false non-match occurs when it fails to recognize a genuine match. These results are probabilistic, not proof of identity.
In cyber security, errors can undermine access controls, investigations, and records. In facial-recognition workflows, for example, treating a candidate match as certain may contribute to mistaken identification and harmful action. Reduce risk by requiring human review and independent evidence before consequential decisions, limiting when biometric results may be used, and keeping audit logs so decisions can be examined. Biometric output should be treated as one signal, not a final verdict.