Systems Security Certified Practitioner – SSCP – Question0029

What physical characteristic does a retinal scan biometric device measure?

A.
The amount of light reaching the retina
B. The amount of light reflected by the retina
C. The pattern of light receptors at the back of the eye
D. The pattern of blood vessels at the back of the eye

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

The retina, a thin nerve (1/50th of an inch) on the back of the eye, is the part of the eye which senses light and transmits impulses through the optic nerve to the brain -the equivalent of film in a camera. Blood vessels used for biometric identification are located along the neural retina, the outermost of retina’s four cell layers.
The following answers are incorrect:
The amount of light reaching the retina The amount of light reaching the retina is not used in the biometric scan of the retina. The amount of light reflected by the retina The amount of light reflected by the retina is not used in the biometric scan of the retina.
The pattern of light receptors at the back of the eye This is a distractor
The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question:
Reference: Retina Scan Technology. ISC2 Official Guide to the CBK, 2007 (Page 161)