Implementing Biometrics based Systems: Identifying Selection Criteria

Following up from last week’s article, researchers from the Biometrics Research Laboratory, BRL, at Namibia Biometric Systems recommends that it is a good idea to establish what criteria make sense to use in selecting a biometric solution. There are quite a large number of biometric technologies and applications out there, so the first step has […]

Implementing Biometrics based Systems: Common Mistakes

Fraudsters have had years to mastered and fine tune their fraudulent methods on conventional means of identification such as passwords, secret codes and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) which can easily be compromised, shared, observed, stolen or forgotten. Therefore, both governments and commercial sectors have turned to more secure Biometrics based solutions which automatically recognize an […]

Biometric Systems in Academia

The deployment of biometric systems has increased significantly in academic institution for cashless catering system, automated system for recording attendance and automated biometric library systems. Biometric systems in academic institutions circumvent the limitations of traditional systems. Biometric systems in academic institutions are safe, secure and easy to use without using any password or secret codes […]

Biometric Payment System

Biometric payment system uses biometric authentication to identify the user and authorize the deduction of funds from a bank account. Biometric payment system based on fingerscanning is the most common biometric payment method. Biometric payment system circumvents the limitations of traditional payment systems. Biometric payment system is much safe, secure and easy to use without using any password or […]

Enhanced Banking Solution by Namibia Biometric Systems, NBS

The last article focused on biometric solution for online banking, new biometric Automated Teller Machines, ATMs. This article focuses on the limitations of online banking as it does not cater for offline banking services which are essential for good customer satisfaction and for a large segment of the population in 3rd world countries. A review […]

Namibia Biometric Systems’ Banking Solution

This article is motivated by the work conducted by researchers within Biometric Research Laboratory, BRL, at Namibia Biometric Systems on biometric solution for banking. The work is motivated by the growing interest in the deployment of biometric solution in banking and to minimize error rates during the implementation phase. Researchers at BRL discovers interesting results […]

Multimodal Biometrics Fusion using Multi-Traits

The articles on Multimodal biometrics have focused on data sources. The articles looked at multi-sensor fusion strategy, multi-algorithm strategies and multi-instance fusion. Multi-sensor fusion strategy utilises a single biometric trait captured using multiple sensors in order to extract diverse information from the image. While, multi-algorithm system uses only a single biometric capturing device (single sensor) […]

Limitations of using a Single Biometric in applications

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in the use of biometrics for user – authentication applications such as electronic passports, electronic voting, etc because biometrics-based authentication offers multiple benefits over knowledge and possession-based methods such as password and PIN based systems. It is crucial that such biometrics-based authentication systems are designed to […]

Multimodal Biometrics Fusion using Multi-Instance

The articles on Multimodal biometrics have focused on data sources. The articles looked at multi-sensor fusion strategy, multi-algorithm strategies and multi-instance fusion. Multi-sensor fusion strategy utilises a single biometric trait captured using multiple sensors in order to extract diverse information from the image. While, multi-algorithm system uses only a single biometric capturing device (single sensor) […]

Information Fusion For Multimodal Biometrics

Multimodal biometric systems overcome limitations such as: Noise in captured data – A voice sample can be altered by cold while a fingerprint image can be altered by a scar. Noise data can also be a result of defective or improper maintenance of the sensors. When the captured biometric data from a single trait is […]

How Automated Border Control (ABC) Works

As outlined in the previous article, Automated Border Control (ABC) is defined as the use of automated or semi-automated systems which can verify the identity of travellers at border crossing points (BCPs), without the need for human intervention. Automated border process is conducted as follows: The traveller inserts the biographical data page of the passport […]

Biometrics in Automated Border Control (ABC)

Border control plays a critical role in securing any Nation’s borders between Ports of Entry (POEs) against all threats. Research analysts at our Biometric Research Laboratory, BRL, approach border control from a risk-based orientation which allows the border control teams to apply Information, Integration and Rapid Response in the most targeted, effective, and efficient manner. […]

Benefits of Electronic Voting

There are an increasing number of countries around the world that have implemented or piloted electronic voting (e-voting) and electronic counting (e-counting) systems. Although each country’s experience is different, the increasing adoption of these new technologies is due in part from the recognition that technology may offer benefits over traditional methods of voting and counting. […]

Levels of Fusion in Multimodal Biometric Systems

The previous articles on Multimodal biometrics had focused on data sources such as multi-sensor, multi-algorithm, multi-instance and multi-traits. This article will focus on the levels of fusion. The amount of information available to a biometric system drastically decreases as one proceeds from the sensor module to the decision module (matching module). In a multibiometric system, […]

Multimodal Biometrics Fusion using Multi-Instance

The previous two articles focused on multi-sensor fusion strategy and multi-algorithm strategies. Multi-sensor fusion strategy utilises a single biometric trait captured using multiple sensors in order to extract diverse information from the image. On the other hand, multi-algorithm systems circumvent the limitations of multi-sensor as multi-algorithm systems do not require the use of additional biometric […]

Multimodal Biometrics Fusion using Multi-Algorithms

The previous article focused on multi-sensor fusion strategy where a single biometric trait is captured using multiple sensors in order to extract diverse information from the image. A multi-sensor fusion strategy can be implemented as follows using face and fingerprint traits: Face Biometric System – a system may capture the two dimensional texture content of […]

The Fifth Essential for Biometrics Success

The previous articles have outlined four main essentials for biometrics success as align with the goals of the organization, considering and address biometrics privacy concerns, surveying the users and sticking to the project plan. The four essentials for biometrics successes can be summarised as follows: Aims and Objectives – It is critical that the aims […]

Behavioral Biometric Applications

Although biometrics refers to the identification of an individual based on his/her physiological or behavioural characteristics. That is, relies on “something which you are or you do” to make personal identification and therefore offers a better solution for identification. Very few applications employ behavioural biometrics. The behavioural characteristics are actions carried out by a person […]

Why Biometrics in Military

The Military is a core unit of most governments authorised to use deadly force and weapons, to support the interests of the country and its citizens. The task of the Military is to defend the State, its citizens and the prosecution of war against another State. In addition, the Military may have additional functions within […]

Why Biometrics in Healthcare

National healthcare systems in the 21st century generally face the following challenges: an aging population; increase in long-term illness; better survival rates due to improved health technologies; shortage of skilled health care workers; health inequality; and increased expectations in the healthcare system to deliver a world class service to its citizens. This has resulted in […]

Ethics Issues with Biometrics

The use of biometric information to identify or authenticate individuals gives rise to ethical concerns around the improper use of the identification and authentication processes because the biometric data is considered personal data. It is important for the public to be aware of some of the ethical concerns with regards to biometrics: Tracking you down […]

Biometric System Threats and Vulnerability

A biometric system can generally be thought of just like another information system with a few exceptions. Like any information system, biometric systems contain sensitive information that must be protected from authorized disclosure, modification or corruption. However, unlike most other information systems, a biometric system is used to protect other systems and assets. Therefore the […]

Common Mistakes when Implementation Biometrics Based Systems

In today’s modern society biometric identification is integral to improved security and information management in both private and government applications to reduce risk and improve business efficiencies. The 1st step in implementing a biometrics solution is been able to select a suitable biometric system meeting predefined criterions. It is important to understand not just the […]

An Introduction to Statistical Measures of Biometrics

The main aspect used to measure or evaluate the performance of a biometric system is its accuracy. From the user’s point of view, an error of accuracy occurs when the system fails to authenticate the identity of a registered person or when the system erroneously authenticates the identity of an intruder. For example, for Cars […]

Why Use Biometric Authentication

The primary aim of Biometrics is to solve the limitations of the old traditional access controls to humans. More traditional means of access control include token-based identification systems, such as a driver’s license or passport, and knowledge-based identification systems, such as a password or personal identification number. In particular, traditional methods have the following limitations: Weak passwords are easy to […]

How Biometric Authentication Works

In general, biometric systems collect a sample of a physiological or behavioural characteristic, then, utilizing an algorithm, translate the sample into a unique template. A template is the digital representation of a biometric characteristic. In many cases, characteristics are recorded as images, but for speaker recognition a waveform is recorded and for signature recognition, time […]

Planning for Biometrics Scenarios – Part 4

This article focuses on malicious software, malware, on a server that contains biometrics sensitive information. This scenario happens hundreds or thousands of times each day around the world. The impact of malware on a biometric server can be devastating. It is therefore critical to plan for this scenario. Planning for this scenario must consider at […]

Planning for Biometrics Scenarios – Part 3

The previous two articles outlined three main biometric scenarios to plan for such as high security hosting, other Entry Access and Port of entry. In summary so far: High security hosting – Mainly concerned with a high volume of people requiring access to a highly secure facility. A master list of authorized individuals is kept […]

Planning for Biometrics Scenarios – Part 2

The previous article outlined two main biometric scenarios to plan for, high security hosting and Other Entry Access. High security hosting has to deal with a high volume of people requiring access to a highly secure facility via a guarded access point which makes impossible for highly trained guards to remember every individual who should […]

Planning for Biometrics Scenarios

Biometrics encompasses a large field of research and there are more interesting scenarios where biometrics can be employed. Biometrics may have associated possible pitfall scenarios. Examples of interesting uses of biometrics are as follows: High-Security Hosting – A high volume of people requiring access per second to a highly secure facility via a guarded access […]

Limitations of using a Single Biometric in applications

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in the use of biometrics for user authentication applications such as electronic passports, electronic voting, etc because biometrics-based authentication offers multiple benefits over knowledge and possession-based methods such as password and PIN based systems. It is crucial that such biometrics-based authentication systems are designed to resist […]

Circumventing the limitations of Biometric Systems

Biometrics offers multiple usability advantages over traditional based authentication techniques, but raises privacy and security concerns. However, when traditional authentication methods are compromised can be replaced while biometrics is permanently associated with a user and cannot be replaced. Advanced biometrics research has been conducted by many research groups world-wide to circumvent the limitations of biometrics. […]

What you didn’t know about Biometrics: System Limitations

Securing biometric information and ensuring the privacy of personal identities is a growing concern in today’s society. Our previous articles have highlighted the limitations of tradition authentication schemes. Traditional authentication schemes mainly utilize tokens or depend on some secret knowledge possessed by the user for verifying his or her identity. These traditional based techniques have […]

Biometric System Limitations

Securing biometric information and ensuring the privacy of personal identities is a growing concern in today’s society. Our previous articles have highlighted the limitations of tradition authentication schemes. Traditional authentication schemes mainly utilize tokens or depend on some secret knowledge possessed by the user for verifying his or her identity. These traditional based techniques have […]

Accuracy in Biometric Systems

Although biometric technology is characterised by providing strong user authentication, there is very little informative discussion of accuracy in the biometric industry. There is also very little understanding of what accuracy means in a real-world environment as opposed to a laboratory environment. Most vendor statements on accuracy bear little relevance to real-world performance of biometric […]

Importance of Biometrics

The main aim of Biometrics is to solve the limitations of the old traditional access controls to humans. The extent to which biometrics solve the limitations of the old traditional access control can be impacted by how biometrics is implemented, the biometrics algorithms, the algorithm implementer. These are some of the important factors which must […]