Book Image

Identity Management with Biometrics

By : Lisa Bock
Book Image

Identity Management with Biometrics

By: Lisa Bock

Overview of this book

Biometric technologies provide a variety of robust and convenient methods to securely identify and authenticate an individual. Unlike a password or smart card, biometrics can identify an attribute that is not only unique to an individual, but also eliminates any possibility of duplication. Identity Management with Biometrics is a solid introduction for anyone who wants to explore biometric techniques, such as fingerprint, iris, voice, palm print, and facial recognition. Starting with an overview of biometrics, you’ll learn the various uses and applications of biometrics in fintech, buildings, border control, and many other fields. You’ll understand the characteristics of an optimal biometric system and then review different types of errors and discover the benefits of multi-factor authentication. You’ll also get to grips with analyzing a biometric system for usability and accuracy and understand the process of implementation, testing, and deployment, along with addressing privacy concerns. The book outlines the importance of protecting biometric data by using encryption and shows you which factors to consider and how to analyze them before investing in biometric technologies. By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed with a variety of recognition processes and be able to make the right decisions when implementing biometric technologies.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
1
Section 1 –Understanding Biometric Authentication
6
Section 2 – Applying Biometric Technologies
12
Section 3 – Deploying a Large-Scale Biometric System

Summarizing the operation of a biometric system

A biometric system validates the identity or authenticity of an individual, by comparing the physiological or behavioral characteristics against a stored template. The process can be performed by either of the following:

  • A person: Comparing the characteristics using a manual method
  • A machine: Comparing the characteristics using an automated method

Today, much of the work in biometric identification and authentication is done using automation. Most systems have a common sequence of events. The process begins at the user interface, then the system acquires the image, prepares the image for comparison, determines if there is a match, and then presents the results.

The basic process is outlined in the following diagram:

Figure 3.4 – Basic operation of a biometric system

Let's take a look at each step, starting with the user interface.

Initiating contact with the user interface...