Last updated on July 7th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Discover the crucial role of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in cybersecurity. Learn how OCR technology enhances data protection in the digital age.
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Protecting Image-Derived Data: The Role of OCR in Cybersecurity
Images are a huge part of our personal and professional lives nowadays. Large-scale businesses use images for storing data. Similarly, we see many images while scrolling through social media or generally while using our phones.
This means that images need to be as accessible as possible. In this way, we can utilize images to their full potential. As of now, the content present inside images is not directly editable or understandable by machines. So, how can that happen?
In this article, we will introduce a technology named OCR to you. Some of you might already be familiar with it. However, what we share is the cybersecurity aspect of it. Here, we will discuss how OCR has made images more accessible and protected.
OCR in the 2023
The global optical character recognition (OCR) market size was valued at $10,456 Million in 2022 and is projected to reach $12,567 Million in 2023. This shows the increasing use of OCR in various fields of life. Also, this means that it is an effective medium for cybersecurity.
Role of OCR in Cybersecurity
OCR has introduced automation in a lot of aspects in cybersecurity. In the following, we have made a list of ways in which cybersecurity is benefiting from OCR.
Document Protection
Documents with crucial information are now not kept in physical form. Instead, they are converted into a digital format. This is with the help of images. Images of physical documents are taken and inserted into OCR-powered software.
Such tools convert pictures to text. In this way, OCR allows businesses to digitize their documents. In this digital form, the documents are much safer than in the hard copy form. There are many reasons for this. For example:
- Digital documents can be secured using cloud-based systems and passwords.
- These files don’t require huge storage spaces and locks that can easily be broken into.
- Digital documents are easy to share without the risk of being leaked.
These and a multitude of other reasons make digitalized documents much more secure than paper-based documents. And all of this is possible because of OCR.
ID Detection
OCR technology has automated the process of ID detection. Now, software are available that can access the information present inside images of IDs. After this detection, they match it with the database and perform the specified function.
This is used for security purposes on a lot of websites. For example, if you want to make a LinkedIn account, you first have to provide an image of your ID card or your passport. After that, the program scans your ID and accepts or declines it. This program uses OCR to verify the content of your image.
In this way, websites save themselves from a lot of fraud.
Data Loss Prevention
Lost data can also be restored effectively with the help of OCR. Let’s suppose that you are unable to find an image or accidentally deleted it. However, if it’s still in your database, you can search for it. Integrating OCR into your search program will be useful in this case. This is because now you can simply search for the content present inside the lost image and find it.
Malware Detection
Since OCR allows a machine to read the text present inside unmodifiable files, it can also allow machines to read malicious content. For instance, if an image has a code embedded in it that allows it to break through a database, OCR can detect it and block its entry.
Final Thoughts
By now, you should be aware of all the perks that you can get a hold of if you use OCR. All the cybersecurity advantages of OCR are provided above. So, if you have not made use of this technology until now, it is time that you give it a try. It will make your data much more accessible and secure than before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some concerns that users mostly have regarding OCR. We hope that if you have any confusion, they get cleared through this list.
Kirk is a writer who specializes in dissemination of cyber security information & news.
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