Explain a Technology - Biometric Security

When it comes to information security, there have been many methods to creating user validation. Most commonly, this is done with passwords, but they are unreliable due to the users. Passwords can be easily stolen or an attacker could guess the correct password by utilizing a brute force or dictionary attack. Users also have bad habits of setting their passwords as dates, names, or events in their lives that could easily be guessed after gathering some information about the person. To avoid these password issues, many organizations have begun to use biometric security features. Biometrics use human characteristics or traits to validate a person’s identity.

There are two main categories of biometrics; behavioral and physiological. Behavioral biometrics are based on a user’s decisions and traits related to their thoughts and how they think. Examples of behavioral biometrics include signatures and voice recognition. Physiological biometrics are the most common and are related to physical traits that are unique to a person. Examples of physiological biometrics includes fingerprints, facial features, and the iris of the eye (Hosseini).

Fingerprint recognitions is the most common type of biometric security. These scanners work by storing an image of the fingerprint as well as the features of the print such as arches, loops, whirls, and any imperfections. For fingerprint scanners, there are three main ways that they can identify a fingerprint; minutia, correlation, and ridge. Minutiae is based on the user’s fingerprint matching the stored image on several preset points. While this is common, it does have its drawbacks which is that some fingerprints may not be considered unique based on the points and it could be duplicated. Correlation creates and overlay between the stored fingerprint and the users to compare and find if they match at a high enough percentage. Ridge is a newer form that identifies the ridges and their depth on the fingerprint and compares it to the stored information.  The majority of fingerprint scanners utilize an optical sensor to capture an image, but some use ultrasound sensors which use echography to match the fingerprint. Echography uses the reflection of a high frequency-sound wave to create an image of an object. Fingerprint scanners tend to be a very reliable form of biometric security and is commonly used for door locks, computer network access, and some ATMs and banks (Ahmed, 2018).

Facial recognition is another common physical biometric security measure. Apple recently introduced facial recognition to the iPhone X by allowing the user to sign into their phone utilizing facial identification. This utilizes facial mapping, which operates by creating an image of the user’s face, mathematically factoring the size, width, or length of a facial feature, and creates a mapped template for that user. This is similar to the Minutiae form of fingerprint recognition. A typical facial recognition system has 80 different points that it uses for comparison. While facial recognition is commonly used it is not very popular when it comes to security. This is due to the fact that facial recognition relies heavily on its software, meaning that it is not an efficient security measure for most businesses. It is most commonly used for mobile devices, marketing, and social media such as Facebook which they use to identify other users for image tagging (Elprocus, 2017).

               Signature recognition is a behavioral biometric security measure that is not very popular. Even though many businesses utilize signature pads, their usage is not for security purposes. Most credit card scanners do not check if the user’s signature matches, in these cases a signature is used mainly for confirmation of the transaction. When used for security purposes, signature recognition doesn’t match the visual of the signature, but rather the amount of pressure, stroke pattern, and writing speed. The visual aspect of a signature can vary greatly depending upon the situation, but typically the average user will follow their own pattern when it comes to writing (J., 2017).

               Signature recognition operates in two different ways, which is static and dynamic. The static version has the user write their signature on a piece of paper. The paper is than scanned using an optical scanner which can be used to identify signature shape. Again, while a user may not sign their name the same every time, so the software is designed to recognize common shapes and patterns in the way the text is written. The dynamic version utilizes a signature pad which creates a digital version of the signature. This form measures the pressure, speed, and pattern to identify the user. In security situations, the dynamic version is used to protect data or to gain access to confidential materials. The dynamic system is less common due to the expensive software and hardware. It is also not a flawless system and requires a user to input their signature multiple times before it is able to recognize the patters, and even then, it can return a false-positive (Elprocus, 2017).

               Biometric security is far more secure than passwords or pin codes, which makes it a perfect solution for extremely confidential information security. Biometrics are unique for each user, but the equipment and software can be expensive and difficult to maintain. The many different types of biometric security have their own purposes and can best be utilized in certain situations. Biometric security measures add a greater layer of physical security and ensure better data and asset protection for any organization.

References

Ahmed, A. (2018). What are the different types of biometric technology. Retrieved from M2SYS: http://www.m2sys.com/blog/biometric-technology/what-are-the-different-types-of-biometric-technology/

Elprocus. (2017). Biometric Sensors - Types and Its Workings. Retrieved from Elprocus: https://www.elprocus.com/different-types-biometric-sensors/

Hosseini, P. (n.d.). Biometrics. Retrieved from TIC: https://www.tic.ir/Content/media/article/Biometrics_0.pdf

J., K. (2017). Various Biometric Authentication Techniques: A Review. Retrieved from OMICS International: https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/various-biometric-authentication-techniques-a-review-2155-6180-1000371.pdf