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 also used.
What it is?
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 method 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 such areas as:
- biometric access systems 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 at the same time belong only to a specific 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, photographing the auricles, scanning the retina and others.
In the future, biometrics technologies will replace conventional methods for authenticating a person with a passport, since embedded chips, cards, and similar innovations in scientific technologies will be introduced not only in this document, but also in others.
A small digression about personality recognition methods:
- Identification - one to many; the sample is compared with all available for certain parameters.
- Authentication - one to one; the sample is compared with previously obtained material. In this case, the person may be known, the obtained data of the person are compared with the sample of the parameter of this person in the database;
How biometric security systems work
In order to create a base for a specific person, it is necessary to consider his biological individual parameters as a special device.
The system remembers the resulting sample biometric characteristics (recording process). In this case, it may be necessary to make several samples to draw up a more accurate control value of the parameter. Information that is received by the system is converted into mathematical code.
In addition to creating a sample, the system may request additional actions in order to combine a personal identifier (PIN or smart card) and a biometric sample. Further, when scanning for compliance, the system compares the data obtained, comparing the mathematical code with the already recorded ones. If they match, it means that authentication was successful.
Possible mistakes
The system may generate errors, in contrast to recognition by passwords or electronic keys. In this case, the following types of issuing incorrect information are distinguished:
- error of the first kind: false access coefficient (FAR) - one person can be mistaken for another;
- error of the 2nd kind: false access denial ratio (FRR) - a person is not recognized in the system.
In order to exclude, for example, errors of this level, the intersection of the FAR and FRR indicators is necessary. However, this is impossible, since for this it would be necessary to carry out the identification of a person by DNA.
Fingerprints
At the moment, the best known method of biometrics. Upon receipt of a passport, modern citizens of Russia undergo mandatory fingerprinting to enter them into a personal card.
This method is based on the uniqueness of the papillary pattern of fingers and has been used for quite a long time, starting with forensics (fingerprinting). By scanning fingers, the system translates the sample into a kind of code, which is then compared with the existing identifier.
As a rule, information processing algorithms use the individual arrangement of certain points that contain fingerprints - branches, the end of the pattern line, etc. The time it takes to translate the image into code and produce the result is usually about 1 second.
Equipment, including software for it, is currently being produced in a complex and are relatively inexpensive.
Errors when scanning fingers of a hand (or both hands) occur quite often if:
- There is unusual moisture or dry fingers.
- Hands are treated with chemical elements that make identification difficult.
- There are microcracks 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. Since the flow of people is significant, the system may fail.
The most famous companies that are engaged in fingerprint recognition systems: Bayometric Inc., SecuGen. In Russia, they are working on this: Sonda, BioLink, SmartLock, etc.
Eye iris
The sheath pattern is formed at 36 weeks of fetal development, is established by two months and does not change throughout life. Biometric identification systems for the iris are not only 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, capturing an image, can occur both at a distance of 10 cm and at a 10-meter distance.
When fixing the image, data on the location of certain points on the iris of the eye is transmitted to a computer, which then provides information about the possibility of admission. The processing speed of information about the human iris is about 500 ms.
At present, 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 more than 50%.
Scanners that allow you to capture and process the iris of the eye have a rather complicated design and software, and therefore, such devices have a high price. In addition, the Iridian company was originally a monopolist 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 of 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 for the number of errors of the 1st and 2nd kind, therefore it is not a fact that the system is not protected from fakes.
Face geometry
There are biometric security systems associated with facial recognition in 2D and 3D modes. In general, it is believed that the facial features of each person are unique and do not change throughout life. Such characteristics as the distances between certain points, shape, etc. remain unchanged.
2D mode is a static way of identification. When fixing the image, it is necessary that the person did not move. Also important are the background, the presence of a mustache, beard, bright light and other factors that prevent the system from recognizing a face. This means that with any inaccuracies, the result will be incorrect.
At the moment, this method is not particularly popular because of its low accuracy and is used only in multimodal (cross) biometry, which is a combination of methods for recognizing 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-sectional method does not require contact with a person who needs to be identified, which allows people to be recognized by photo and voice recorded on technical devices.
The 3D method has completely different input parameters, so you cannot compare it 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 are then compared.
In this case, a special grid is used, which is projected onto the person’s face. Biometric security systems, making several frames per second, process the image with the software included in them. At the first stage of creating the image, the software discards inappropriate images where the face is poorly visible or secondary objects are present.
Then the program determines and ignores excess items (glasses, hairstyle, etc.). Anthropometric features of the face are highlighted and remembered, generating a unique code that is recorded in a special data warehouse. 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 changes in facial expressions degrade the statistical reliability of this technology.
Today, biometric facial 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 are engaged in the development and implementation of 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.
Veins of the palm
About 10-15 years ago, a new biometric identification technology came in - recognition by hand veins. This became possible due to the fact that the hemoglobin in the blood intensively absorbs infrared radiation.
A special IR camera photographs the palm of your hand, as a result of which a network of veins appears on the picture. This image is processed by the software, and the result is displayed.
The location of the veins on the arm is comparable with the features of the iris - their lines and structure do not change with time. The reliability of this method can also be correlated with the results obtained by identification using the iris.
It is not necessary to use a contact device to capture an image, however, using this real method requires certain conditions to be met, under which the result will be most accurate: it is impossible to obtain it if, for example, you photograph your hand on the street. Also, the camera cannot be illuminated during scanning. The end result will be inaccurate if there are age-related diseases.
The distribution of the method on the market is only about 5%, however, it is shown great interest 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 characteristics of biometric technologies for recognizing a person by the iris and veins of the hand.
The only moment when the method can give inaccurate results is cataract. Basically, the retina has an unchanged structure throughout life.
The disadvantage of this system is that the retina is scanned when the person is not moving. The technology, complex in its application, provides a long time for processing the results.
Due to the high cost, the biometric system is not widespread, however, it gives the most accurate results of all the human features scanning methods offered on the market.
Hands
Previously, a popular method of identification by hand geometry is becoming less applicable, as it gives the lowest results compared to other methods. When scanning, fingers are photographed, their length, the relationship between the nodes and other individual parameters are determined.
Ear shape
Experts say that all existing methods of identification are not as accurate as recognizing a person by the shape of an ear. However, there is a way to determine a person by DNA, but in this case there is close contact with people, therefore it is considered unethical.
Researcher Mark Nixon from Great Britain claims that methods of this level are the next generation biometric systems, they give the most accurate results. Unlike the retina, iris or fingers, on which extraneous parameters that make identification more likely to appear, this does not happen on the ears. Formed in childhood, the ear only grows, without changing in its main points.
The inventor called the method of identifying a person by the organ of hearing “radiation image conversion”. This technology provides for the capture of images by rays of different colors, which is then translated into mathematical code.
However, according to the scientist, his method also has negative aspects. For example, obtaining a clear image may be prevented by hair that covers the ears, mistakenly chosen angle and other inaccuracies.
Ear scanning technology will not replace such a well-known and familiar identification method as fingerprints, but can be used along with it.
It is believed that this will increase the reliability of recognition of people. Especially important is the combination of various 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 perpetrators from an image.
Human voice
Identification can be carried out both locally and remotely using voice recognition technology.
When talking, for example, by phone, the system compares this parameter with those available in the database and finds similar samples in percentage terms. Full coincidence means that the identity is established, that is, identification by voice has occurred.
In order to access something in a traditional way, it is necessary to answer certain questions that ensure safety. This is a digital 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 biometry can be used. At the same time, it is not the knowledge of codes that is subject to verification, but the person’s personality.
To do this, the client needs to say a passphrase or start talking. The system recognizes the caller’s voice and checks whether the person belongs to that person — whether he is who he claims to be.
Biometric information protection systems of this type do not require expensive equipment, this is their advantage. In addition, to conduct a voice scan by the system, you do not need to have special knowledge, since the device independently produces a result of the type "true - false".
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 of writing letters 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 a sample generated when opening an account with signatures affixed at 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 with a simple comparison. There is a high level of subjective perception. In addition, handwriting changes greatly with age, which often makes recognition difficult.
It is better in this case to use automatic systems that will allow you to determine not only visible matches, but also other distinguishing features of the spelling of words, such as slope, distance between points, and other characteristic features.