The Password You’ll Never Forget…
N.ELANGOVAN
C.KATHIRESAN
Third B.Tech., IT
Email ID: sparkelango@gmail.com, ckn.kathir@gmail.com
Mobile: 9629289182, 7708793101
KING COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY,
NALLUR,NAMAKKAL .
ABSTRACT:
Biometrics has fast emerged as a promising technology for authentication and has already found place in most hi-tech security areas. It is this specific aspect of the technology that we would like to focus on. We seek to explain how well biometrics can be used for security and authentication in variousplaces. A very common misconception amongst the masses is that, Biometrics is meant only for the elite and people with deep pockets. But that is far from reality. Biometrics apart from being very effective is also very cost-effective. (though there are biometric solutions which are costly, we'll see some very cost-effective solutions too)
In biometric security we use physical characteristics or behavioral traits of an individual for security purpose. Mainly there are five types of biometrics security: finger recognition, face recognition, hand geometry, voice recognition and iris recognition.
The main advantage of password verification is that it only requires keyboard for input purpose and matching is done very easily. The biometrics system requires scanners, digital image processor and complex matching circuitry.
The other thing is that in password security we have to remember the password an it may leak out. But here in biometrics security the password is always present as an indent which can neither be stolen nor is to be remembered.
Thus from cost point of view password system is better and simple to implement.But biometrics security provides a very high security and thus eliminates its demerit of cost from security point of view. So where security is highly required, implementation of biometrics security is a very good solution as there is to fear of stealing or forgetting the password.
INTRODUCTON:
What Is Biometrics?
A biometric is a measurable, physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity or verify the claimed identity of an enrolled user.
History of Biometrics
n The first known example of biometrics was fingerprinting in China in the 14th century, used to distinguish young children from one another.
n In the past three decades, it has moved from solely fingerprinting to more than ten discreet methods.
n Laws and regulations continue to be drafted and standards are beginning to be developed. No biometric has yet reached the breadth of fingerprinting.
Uses of Biometrics
Identification determines who a person is.
n Take the measured characteristic and try to find a match in a database containing records of people and that characteristic.
n Can require a large amount of processing power and some time if the database is large
Verification determines if a person is who they say they really are.
n Take the measured characteristic and compare it to the previously recorded data for that person
n Requires less processing power and time
How Does Biometrics Work?
All biometric systems operate the same way in a four-step process that is automated and computerized.
Capture – a physical or behavioral sample is captured by the system during enrollment
Extraction – unique data are extracted from the sample and a template is created; unique features are then extracted by the system and converted into a mathematical code (biometric data); this sample is then stored as the biometric template for that person.
Comparison – template is then compared with a new sample; a computer algorithm normalizes the captured biometric signature so that it is in the same format as an individual’s signature stored in the database; biometric data are then stored as the biometric template for that person
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Password Survey and Limitations
- 26% use common words, dates, phone numbers
- 38% recycle old passwords
- 62% change password only if perceiving
security threat
- 17% keep password in monitor, desk, table etc.,
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How many different passwords do they have?
o Average heavy users have 27 passwords
o Some users have upto 70 passwords
Identity Thefts
- 9.9 million victims
- Total loss to business 47.6 billion dollars
- Total loss to victims 5 billion dollars
- Hours spent for rectification 297 billion
ID alternatives - Bio metrics
Why Use Biometrics?
n PINs, passwords, and physical tokens, are popular present-day methods used for authentication and verification. However, there are a number of problems associated with these types of identification.
o People forget, reuse, and write down passwords.
o People loose tokens or they may be stolen.
o Recognition of passwords or tokens does not ensure the identity of the person providing it.
n There is little “work” on the part of the user to authenticate or verify themselves.
o No memorization of passwords
o No misplacing of tokens
Biometrics Types:
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FINGER PRINTING:
Basics
n Takes an image (using ink or a digital scan) of a person’s fingerprints and records the characteristics.
n
How It Works
n User presses his/her finger gently against a smaller reader surface.
n The reader scans the finger (usually about 5 seconds) and sends the information to a database.
n This is then compared to the information within.
n To prevent fake or detached fingers from being used, many systems also measure blood flow, temperature, or check for correctly arrayed ridges at the edges of the finger
FACE RECOGNITION:
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Facial recognition technology
Facial recognition systems are built on computer programs that analyze images of human faces for the purpose of identifying them. The programs take a facial image, measure characteristics such as the distance between the eyes, the length of the nose, and the angle of the jaw, and create a unique file called a "template." Using templates, the software then compares that image with another image and produces a score that measures how similar the images are to each other. Typical sources of images for use in facial recognition include video camera signals and pre-existing photos such as those in driver's license databases.
How well does facial recognition work?
Computers can do increasingly amazing things, but they are not magic. If human beings often can't identify the subject of a photograph, why should computers be able to do it any more reliably? The fact is that faces are highly complex patterns that often differ in only subtle ways, and that it can be impossible for man or machine to match images when there are differences in lighting, camera, or camera angle, let alone changes in the appearance of the face itself.
Not surprisingly, government studies of face-recognition software have found high rates of both "false positives" (wrongly matching innocent people with photos in the database) and "false negatives" (not catching people even when their photo is in the database). One problem is that unlike our fingerprints or irises, our faces do not stay the same over time. These systems are easily tripped up by changes in hairstyle, facial hair, or body weight, by simple disguises, and by the effects of aging.
For example by study, it was found false-negative rates for face-recognition verification of 43 percent using photos of subjects taken just 18 months earlier, for example. The study also found that a change of 45 degrees in the camera angle rendered the software useless. The technology works best under tightly controlled conditions, when the subject is starting directly into the camera under bright lights.
In addition, questions have been raised about how well the software works on dark-skinned people, whose features may not appear clearly on lenses optimized for light-skinned-people.
Samir Nanavati of the International Biometric Group, a consulting firm, sums it up: "You could expect a surveillance system using biometrics to capture a very, very small percentage of known criminals in a given database."
Samir Nanavati of the International Biometric Group, a consulting firm, sums it up: "You could expect a surveillance system using biometrics to capture a very, very small percentage of known criminals in a given database."
It would work especially poorly in the frenetic environment of an airport, where fast-moving crowds and busy background images would further reduce its already limited effectiveness.
HAND GEOMETRY:
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How it Works
Every hand is unique. Hand geometry scanners such as those made by Recognition Systems Inc. take over 90 measurements of the length, width, thickness, and surface area of the hand and four fingers--all in just 1 second.The technology uses a 32,000-pixel CCD digital camera to record the hand's three-dimensional shape from silhouetted images projected within the scanner. The scanner disregards surface details, such as fingerprints, lines, scars, and dirt, as well as fingernails, which may grow or be cut from day to day.
When a person uses the scanner, it compares the shape of the user's hand to a template recorded during an enrollment session. If the template and the hand match, the scanner produces an output--it may unlock a door, transmit data to a computer, verify identification, or log the person's arrival or departure time.To register in a hand-scan system a hand is placed on a reader’s covered flat surface. This placement is positioned by five guides or pins that correctly situate the hand for the cameras. A succession of cameras captures 3-D pictures of the sides and back of the hand. The attainment of the hand-scan is a fast and simple process. The hand-scan device can process the 3-D images in 5 seconds or less and the hand verification usually takes less than 1 second. The image capturing and verification software and hardware can easily be integrated within standalone units. Hand-scan applications that include a large number of access points and users can be centrally administered, eliminating the need for individuals to register on each device. The user's template may reside in internal memory or on other media such as a hard disk or smart card chip.
Applications
Geometry scanners verify identity at the front entrances of over half the nuclear power plants in the U.S.The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) use Rhand geometry scanners to allow over 60,000 frequent travelers to bypass immigration lines (through the INSPASS program). Employers use hand-scan for entry/exit, recording staff movement and time/attendance procedures.The drastic reductions in cost of microprocessors in recent years have brought affordable hand geometry technology to the commercial market. Biometrics are no longer found only in nuclear power plants. Day care centers, athletic clubs, obstetrics wards, and police departments now use scanners. Tomorrow will find ever-expanding applications for this thoroughly time-tested technology--for financial transactions, ticket-less travel, and new business and residential applications where high security is a major concern.
Geometry scanners verify identity at the front entrances of over half the nuclear power plants in the U.S.The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) use Rhand geometry scanners to allow over 60,000 frequent travelers to bypass immigration lines (through the INSPASS program). Employers use hand-scan for entry/exit, recording staff movement and time/attendance procedures.The drastic reductions in cost of microprocessors in recent years have brought affordable hand geometry technology to the commercial market. Biometrics are no longer found only in nuclear power plants. Day care centers, athletic clubs, obstetrics wards, and police departments now use scanners. Tomorrow will find ever-expanding applications for this thoroughly time-tested technology--for financial transactions, ticket-less travel, and new business and residential applications where high security is a major concern.
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One reason that vein recognition has such great potential for explosive growth, and may one day be the leading biometric technology in the world is its potential to be applied in several unique forms. There is a wide selection of great companies that have all developed different kinds of vein recognition biometric technologies.
There are a variety of methods for vein recognition biometric technology. Some companies have developed devices that scan the vein structure pattern in the index finger, or more than one finger at a time. Others have developed vein recognition devices designed for reading the vein patterns located under the palm and at the back of the hand. The variety of devices available gives a wide selection of choices for consumers to meet different needs and demands.
Another reason for the fast emergence of vein recognition biometrics is very, very low False Rejection and False Acceptance Rates. Vein patterns are unique to each individual and they do not change over time except in size so it is hardly possible to fool the technology. Vein recognition technology has a False Rejection Rate of 0.01% and a False Acceptance Rate of 0.0001% and so it is arguably the most suitable for high-security deployment.
The potential for vein recognition biometric technologies is very promising for many reasons. Vein recognition biometric devices are often small, portable and affordable because they often use a single-chip design. It often takes less than two seconds for a vein recognition biometric device to authenticate the user, and contact is not necessary.
Other promising facts about vein recognition biometric technologies include their capability to fuse with existing biometric technologies. Vein recognition can be used along with fingerprint and hand geometric technology, provide one-to-many matching and also enhance security and decrease vulnerability for fraud.
IRIS RECOGNITION:
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Iris scan biometrics employs the unique characteristics and features of the human iris in order to verify the identity of an individual. The iris is the area of the eye where the pigmented or colored circle, usually brown or blue, rings the dark pupil of the eye.
The iris-scan process begins with a photograph. A specialized camera, typically very close to the subject, no more than three feet, uses an infrared imager to illuminate the eye and capture a very high-resolution photograph. This process takes only one to two seconds and provides the details of the iris that are mapped, recorded and stored for future matching/verification.Eyeglasses and contact lenses present no problems to the quality of the image and the iris-scan systems test for a live eye by checking for the normal continuous fluctuation in pupil size.
The inner edge of the iris is located by an iris-scan algorithm that maps the iris’ distinct patterns and characteristics. An algorithm is a series of directives that tell a biometric system how to interpret a specific problem. Algorithms have a number of steps and are used by the biometric system to determine if a biometric sample and record is a match.
Iris’ are composed before birth and, except in the event of an injury to the eyeball, remain unchanged throughout an individual’s lifetime. Iris patterns are extremely complex, carry an astonishing amount of information and have over 200 unique spots. The fact that an individual’s right and left eyes are different and that patterns are easy to capture, establishes iris-scan technology as one of the biometrics that is very resistant to false matching and fraud.The false acceptance rate for iris recognition systems is 1 in 1.2 million, statistically better than the average fingerprint recognition system. The real benefit is in the false-rejection rate, a measure of authenticated users who are rejected. Fingerprint scanners have a 3 percent false-rejection rate, whereas iris scanning systems boast rates at the 0 percent level.
Iris-scan technology has been piloted in ATM environments in England, the US, Japan and Germany since as early as 1997.Airports have begun to use iris-scanning for such diverse functions as employee identification/verification for movement through secure areas and allowing registered frequent airline passengers a system that enables fast and easy identity verification in order to expedite their path through passport control.
Other applications include monitoring prison transfers and releases, as well as projects designed to authenticate on-line purchasing, on-line banking, on-line voting and on-line stock trading to name just a few. Iris-scan offers a high level of user security, privacy and general peace of mind for the consumer.A highly accurate technology such as iris-scan has vast appeal because the inherent argument for any biometric is, of course, increased security.
Important points:
The iris is a thin membrane on the interior of the eyeball. Iris patterns are extremely complex.
- Patterns are individual (even in fraternal or identical twins).
- Patterns are formed by six months after birth, stable after a year. They remain the same for life.
- Imitation is almost impossible.
- Patterns are easy to capture and encode
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-Bill Gates at Gartner Group Itexpo '97.
In comparing voice to other forms of biometrics, the frequency locations plotted on the voice print table are proportionate to the physical locations of minutiae used in fingerprint identification. The minutiae are the endpoints and bifurcations of the swirls of your fingerprint. The advantage of using speech is that the number of locations is almost endless. The capacity to extend data collection over multiple words for even better accuracy is a distinct advantage over image-based techniques such as fingerprints and retina scans where only a finite amount of biometric data is available. Although it is virtually impossible for an impostor to copy someone's voice, it is also very difficult for someone to repeat exactly the phrase originally enrolled. This is very similar to the fact it is difficult to reproduce the exact version of your signature on your credit card.
Voice biometrics works by digitizing a profile of a person's speech to produce a stored model voice print, rather like a template, which is referred to each time that person attempts to access secure data. The position and movement of the glottal tissues, lips, jaw and tongue correspond with speech movements in the vocal tract. Biometrics technology reduces each spoken word into segments: sub-word like syllables, phonemes, trip hones or similar units of sound, composed of several dominant frequencies called formants, which remain relatively constant over that segment. Each segment has three or four dominant tones that can be captured in digital form and plotted on a table or spectrum. This table of tones yields the speaker's unique voice print.
The voice print is stored as a table of numbers, where the presence of each dominant frequency in each segment is expressed as a binary entry. Since all table entries are either 1 or 0, each column can be read bottom to top as a long binary code. When a person speaks his or her passphrase, the code word or words are extracted and compared to the stored model for that person.When authenticating, a user is asked to answer up to three prompted questions, the answers to which are easily remembered by the user. In order to provide audible content of at least one second in length, typical prompts are:
- User's first, middle and last name .User's date and month of birth Mother's first, middle and last maiden name .Home telephone number.
FUTURE OF BIOMETRICS
n Biometrics will grow!
n It will be present in areas that really need security.
n It will be integrated into our daily lives.
n IBM has shipped 3 million ThinkPads that have an embedded security chip and the ability to authenticate by fingerprint to get on the system.
n Door locks (with knob and handle) that contain a fingerprint sensor
n Cars
n Safes
n USB Flash Drives
n Weaponry
REFERENCES
[1] L. Hong, A. Jain & S. Pankanti, Can Multibiometrics Improve performance, Proceedings of AutoID 99, pp. 59-64, 1999.
[2] A. Ross & A. K. Jain, Information Fusion in Biometrics, Pattern Recognition Letters, 24 (13), pp. 2115-2125, 2003.
[3] A.S. Tolba & A. A. Rezq, Combined Classifier for Invariant Face Recognition, Pattern Analysis and Applications, 3(4), pp. 289-302, 2000
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