Overview
Biometrics literally means measurements of life from the Greek word “Bio” meaning
Life and “Metric” meaning to measure. Technology that makes use of biometrics uses
measurements of a person’s physiology and behavioral characteristics to do something.
In security biometrics are often used for identification and verification.
Identification:
Identification is when the system tries to identify who the user is based on their
biometrics. This is done by matching the current user’s characteristics to a large database
containing all users.
Identification has the potential problem of mistaking one person for another. An example
would be a facial recognition system that mistakes one twin for the other.
Verification:
Verification is when the user has stated their identity and the system merely needs to
confirm it. The system pulls up the record of the previously recorded characteristics and
compares them against the biometrics of the current user.
Types of Biometrics:
There are many different types of biometric measurements possible. The two major types
are physiological and behavioral. As examples the talk featured examples of each type of
biometric using movies.
Physiological:
Physiological biometrics make use of a user’s physical characteristics.
Fingerprints:
To compare fingerprints biometric systems look at the ridges and furrows of the finger.
This technology is often used in crime labs and physical access systems. It is also being
considered in payment systems. According to the FBI fingerprint identification is 95-
98% accurate.
Face:
Face recognition works by looking at specific nodal points on the user’s face and
comparing it against a database of previously recorded patterns. Nodal points are specific
characteristics of the face such as the distance between eyes or the width of the nose.
Face recognition is used in Airports and Las Vegas casinos to identify people who are on
a watch list. NIST says it is 80-90% accurate in controlled conditions.
Eyes:
There are two main types of biometrics involving eyes, retinal and iris. A retinal scan
measures the pattern of blood vessels on the retina. This type of scan is fairly invasive,
the machine has to be very close to the eye and the subject has to hold very still. An iris
scan examines the unique patterns of ridges on the colored portion of the eye. This is less
invasive and the subject can be further away from the camera. Both eye scans are
extremely accurate but won’t work on some groups such as the blind or people with
cataracts.
DNA:
DNA works by taking a sample of the subject for example a drop of blood or a hair. The
length and protein sequence of the DNA is then looked at to generate a profile which is
compared against other profiles. Currently this is used by law enforcement and in
paternity cases. This is also a very accurate method, it’s a 6 billion to 1 chance of having
two people with the same DNA unless there is an identical twin.
Behavioral Biometrics
Behavioral biometrics measures how you do something. For example how you speak.
Voice:
Voice biometrics is measured by analyzing sound patterns and rhythms of speech. The
patterns are then matched against a database of previously recorded patterns. This is
most often used at banks and financial firms. However, it has variable accuracy that can
be effected by background noises and the user’s physical condition.
Keystrokes:
The keystrokes biometric works by measuring something the user is typing such as a
password or phrase on the keyboard. The system records the timing of the typing and
compares the password and the timing to the database. Verification is very fast. This
technology can be used anywhere that has a keyboard.
Usability Metrics:
Failure to enroll (FTE) is when the technology is unable to record the characteristics of a
given person. Failure to acquired (FTA) is when a system is unable to make a decision
about a person due to insufficient data. These two metrics give us a good indication of
the resilience of a system.
TEXT BOOKS :
1. Biometrics - Identity Verification in a Networked World - Samir Nanavati, Michael
Thieme, Raj Nanavati, WILEY- Dream Tech
2. Biometrics for Network Security- Paul Reid, Pearson Education.
REFERENCE:
1. Biometrics- The Ultimate Reference- John D. Woodward, Jr. Wiley Dreamtech.