Modern science does not stand still. Increasingly, high-quality protection is required for devices so that someone who accidentally takes possession of them cannot take full advantage of the information. In addition, methods of protecting information from unauthorized access are used not only in everyday life.
In addition to entering passwords in digital form, more individualized biometric security systems are used.
What is this?
Previously, such a system was used only in limited cases, to protect the most important strategic objects.
Then, after September 11, 2011, we came to the conclusion that this way of protecting information and access can be applied not only in these areas, but also in other areas.
Thus, human identification techniques have become indispensable in a number of methods to combat fraud and terrorism, as well as in areas such as:
- biometric systems for access to communication technologies, network and computer databases;
-database;
- access control to information storages, etc.
Each person has a set of characteristics that do not change over time, or those that can be modified, but belong only to a particular person. In this regard, the following parameters of biometric systems that are used in these technologies can be distinguished:
- dynamic - features of handwriting, voice, etc.;
- static - fingerprints, auricle photography, retinal scanning and others.
In the future, biometric technologies will replace the usual methods of authenticating a person using a passport, as embedded chips, cards and similar innovations in scientific technologies will be introduced not only in this document, but also in others.
Small digression about the methods of identification:
- Identification - one to many; the sample is compared with all available ones according to certain parameters.
- Authentication - one to one; the sample is compared with the previously obtained material. In this case, the person may be known, the received data of the person are compared with the sample parameter of this person available in the database;
How biometric security systems work
In order to create a base for a certain person, it is necessary to consider his biological individual parameters with a special device.
The system remembers the received biometric sample (writing process). In this case, it may be necessary to make several samples in order to compile a more accuratecontrol value of the parameter. The information received by the system is converted into a mathematical code.
In addition to creating a sample, the system may request additional steps to combine a personal identifier (PIN or smart card) and a biometric sample. Later, when a match is scanned, the system compares the received data by comparing the mathematical code with the already recorded ones. If they match, it means the authentication was successful.
Possible errors
The system may generate errors, unlike recognition by passwords or electronic keys. In this case, the following types of incorrect information are distinguished:
- type 1 error: false access rate (FAR) - one person can be mistaken for another;
- type 2 error: False Rejection Rate (FRR) – the person is not recognized in the system.
In order to exclude, for example, errors of this level, it is necessary to cross the FAR and FRR indicators. However, this is impossible, since this would require identification of a person by DNA.
Fingerprints
At the moment, the most well-known method is biometrics. Upon receipt of a passport, modern Russian citizens must undergo a fingerprinting procedure to enter them into a personal card.
This method is based on the uniqueness of the papillary pattern of the fingers and has been used for quite a long time, starting with forensics(dactyloscopy). By scanning fingers, the system translates the sample into a kind of code, which is then compared with an existing identifier.
As a rule, information processing algorithms use the individual location of certain points that contain fingerprints - forks, the end of a pattern line, etc. The time it takes to translate an image into a code and issue a result is usually about 1 second.
Equipment, including software for it, are currently produced in a complex and are relatively inexpensive.
Errors occur when scanning fingers (or both hands) quite often if:
- There is unusual moisture or dryness in the fingers.
- Hands treated with chemicals that make identification difficult.
- There are micro cracks or scratches.
- There is a large and continuous flow of information. For example, this is possible in an enterprise where access to the workplace is carried out using a fingerprint scanner. Since the flow of people is significant, the system may fail.
The most famous companies that deal with fingerprint recognition systems: Bayometric Inc., SecuGen. In Russia, they are working on this: Sonda, BioLink, SmartLock and others.
Ocular iris
The shell pattern is formed at 36 weeks of fetal development, is established by two months and does not change throughout life. Biometric iris identification systems are notonly the most accurate among others in this series, but also one of the most expensive.
The advantage of the method is that scanning, that is, image capture, can occur both at a distance of 10 cm and at a distance of 10 meters.
When fixing the image, data on the location of certain points on the iris of the eye are transmitted to the calculator, which then gives information about the possibility of tolerance. The human iris data processing speed is about 500ms.
At the moment, this recognition system in the biometric market occupies no more than 9% of the total number of such identification methods. At the same time, the market share of fingerprint technology is over 50%.
Scanners that allow capturing and processing the iris of the eye have a rather complex design and software, and therefore a high price is set for such devices. In addition, Iridian was originally a monopoly in the production of human iris recognition systems. Then other large companies began to enter the market, which were already engaged in the production of components for various devices.
Thus, at the moment in Russia there are the following companies that form human recognition systems by the iris of the eye: AOptix, SRI International. However, these firms do not provide indicators on the number of errors of the 1st and 2nd kind, so it is not a fact that the system is not protected from fakes.
Face geometry
There are biometric systemssecurity related to face recognition in 2D and 3D modes. In general, it is believed that the facial features of each person are unique and do not change during life. Characteristics such as distances between certain points, shape, etc. remain unchanged.
2D mode is a static identification method. When fixing the image, it is necessary that the person did not move. The background, the presence of a mustache, beard, bright light and other factors that prevent the system from recognizing a face also matter. This means that for any inaccuracies, the result will be incorrect.
At the moment, this method is not very popular due to its low accuracy and is used only in multimodal (cross) biometrics, which is a combination of ways to recognize a person by face and voice at the same time. Biometric security systems may include other modules - for DNA, fingerprints and others. In addition, the cross method does not require contact with a person who needs to be identified, which allows you to recognize people by photo and voice recorded on technical devices.
3D method has completely different input parameters, so it cannot be compared with 2D technology. When recording an image, a face in dynamics is used. The system, capturing each image, creates a 3D model, with which the obtained data is then compared.
In this case, a special grid is used, which is projected onto a person's face. Biometric security systems, making multiple frames persecond, process the image with the software included in them. At the first stage of image creation, the software discards inappropriate images where the face is not clearly visible or secondary objects are present.
Then the program detects and ignores extra items (glasses, hairstyle, etc.). Anthropometric features of the face are highlighted and remembered, generating a unique code that is entered into a special data store. The image capture time is about 2 seconds.
However, despite the advantage of the 3D method over the 2D method, any significant interference on the face or change in facial expressions degrade the statistical reliability of this technology.
Today, biometric face recognition technologies are used along with the most well-known methods described above, accounting for approximately 20% of the entire biometric technology market.
Companies that develop and implement facial identification technology: Geometrix, Inc., Bioscrypt, Cognitec Systems GmbH. In Russia, the following companies are working on this issue: Artec Group, Vocord (2D method) and other, smaller manufacturers.
Palm veins
About 10-15 years ago, a new technology of biometric identification came - recognition by the veins of the hand. This became possible due to the fact that hemoglobin in the blood intensively absorbs infrared radiation.
A special IR camera photographs the palm, resulting in a grid of veins appearing in the picture. This image is processed by the software and the result is returned.
The location of the veins on the arm is comparable to the peculiarities of the iris of the eye - their lines and structure do not change with time. The reliability of this method can also be correlated with the results obtained during identification using the iris.
You don't need to contact the reader to capture the image, but using this present method requires some conditions to be met in order to get the most accurate result: it is impossible to get it if, for example, photographing a hand on the street. Also, during scanning, you can not light up the camera. The end result will be inaccurate if age-related diseases are present.
Distribution of the method on the market is only about 5%, but there is great interest in it from large companies that have already developed biometric technologies: TDSi, Veid Pte. Ltd., Hitachi VeinID.
Retina
Scanning the pattern of capillaries on the surface of the retina is considered the most reliable method of identification. It combines the best features of biometric human recognition technologies based on the iris of the eyes and the veins of the hand.
The only time the method can give inaccurate results is cataracts. Basically, the retina has an unchanged structure throughout life.
The disadvantage of this system is that the retinal scan is performed when the person is not moving. The technology, complex in its application, provides for a long processing time.
Due to the high cost, the biometric system is not widely used, but it gives the most accurate results of all human features scanning methods on the market.
Hands
The previously popular hand geometry identification method is becoming less used, as it gives the lowest results compared to other methods. When scanning, fingers are photographed, their length, the ratio between the nodes and other individual parameters are determined.
Ear shape
Experts say that all existing identification methods are not as accurate as recognizing a person by the shape of the ear. However, there is a way to determine the personality by DNA, but in this case there is close contact with people, so it is considered unethical.
Researcher Mark Nixon from the UK claims that methods of this level are new generation biometric systems, they give the most accurate results. Unlike the retina, iris or fingers, on which extraneous parameters can most likely appear that make identification difficult, this does not happen on the ears. Formed in childhood, the ear only grows without changing its main points.
The inventor called the method of identifying a person by the organ of hearing "image beam transformation". This technology involves capturing an image with rays of different colors, which is then translated into a mathematical code.
However, according to the scientist, his method also has negative sides. Tofor example, hair that covers the ears, the wrong angle, and other inaccuracies can interfere with obtaining a clear image.
Ear scanning technology will not replace such a well-known and familiar method of identification as fingerprints, but it can be used along with it.
This is believed to increase the reliability of human recognition. Especially important is the combination of different methods (multimodal) in the capture of criminals, the scientist believes. As a result of experiments and research, they hope to create software that will be used in court to uniquely identify the perpetrators from the image.
Human voice
Personal identification can be carried out both locally and remotely using voice recognition technology.
When talking, for example, on the phone, the system compares this parameter with those available in the database and finds similar samples in percentage terms. A complete match means that the identity has been established, that is, identification by voice has occurred.
In order to access anything in the traditional way, certain security questions must be answered. This is a numeric code, mother's maiden name and other text passwords.
Modern research in this area shows that this information is quite easy to get hold of, so identification methods such as voice biometrics can be used. In this case, it is not the knowledge of the codes that is subject to verification, but the personality of the person.
ForTo do this, the client needs to say some code phrase or start talking. The system recognizes the caller's voice and checks if it belongs to this person - whether he is who he claims to be.
Biometric information security systems of this type do not require expensive equipment, this is their advantage. In addition, you do not need to have special knowledge to perform a voice scan by the system, since the device independently produces a result of the "true - false" type.
However, the voice can change either with age or due to illness, so the method is reliable only when everything is in order with this parameter. The accuracy of the results can be affected, in addition, by extraneous noise.
Handwriting
Identification of a person by the way letters are written takes place in almost any area of life where it is necessary to put a signature. This happens, for example, in a bank, when a specialist compares the sample generated when opening an account with the signatures affixed during the next visit.
The accuracy of this method is not high, since identification does not occur with the help of a mathematical code, as in the previous ones, but by a simple comparison. There is a high level of subjective perception. In addition, handwriting changes greatly with age, which often makes it difficult to recognize.
It is better in this case to use automatic systems that will allow you to determine not only visible matches, but also other distinctive features of the spelling of words, such as slope,distance between points and other characteristic features.
