BIOMETRICS
Recent
advances in emerging biometrics
In recent times, biometrics based
on brain (electroencephalogram) and heart (electrocardiogram) signals have
emerged. The research group at University of Kent led by Ramaswamy Palaniappan
has shown that people have certain distinct brain and heart patterns that are
specific for each individual. The advantage of such 'futuristic' technology is
that it is more fraud resistant compared to conventional biometrics like
fingerprints. However, such technology is generally more cumbersome and still
has issues such as lower accuracy and poor reproducibility over time.
Operator
signatures[edit]
An operator signature is a
biometric mode where the manner in which a person using a device or complex
system is recorded as a verification template.[25] One potential use for this type of
biometric signature is to distinguish among remote users of telerobotic surgery systems that utilize public
networks for communication.[25]
Proposal
calls for biometric authentication to access certain public networks[edit]
John
Michael (Mike) McConnell, a former vice admiral in the United States Navy, a former Director of U.S. National Intelligence, and Senior Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton promoted the development of a future
capability to require biometric authentication to access certain public
networks in his keynote speech[26] at the 2009
Biometric Consortium Conference.
A basic premise in the above proposal is that the person that has uniquely authenticated themselves using biometrics with the computer is in fact also the agent performing potentially malicious actions from that computer. However, if control of the computer has been subverted, for example in which the computer is part of a botnet controlled by a hacker, then knowledge of the identity of the user at the terminal does not materially improve network security or aid law enforcement activities.[27]
Recently, another approach to biometric security was developed, this method scans the entire body of prospects to guarantee a better identification of this prospect. This method is not globally accepted because it is very complex and prospects are concerned about their privacy.
Issues
and concerns[edit]
Human
Dignity[edit]
Biometrics have been considered
also instrumental to the development of state authority[28] (to put it in Foucauldian terms, of discipline and biopower[29]). By turning the human subject into a
collection of biometric parameters, biometrics would dehumanize the person,[30] infringe bodily integrity, and,
ultimately, offend human dignity.[31]
In a well-known case,[32] Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben refused to enter the United States in protest at the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator (US-VISIT) program’s requirement for visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed. Agamben argued that gathering of biometric data is a form of bio-political tattooing, akin to the tattooing of Jews during the Holocaust. According to Agamben, biometrics turn the human persona into a bare body. Agamben refers to the two words used by Ancient Greeks for indicating "life", zoe, which is the life common to animals and humans, just life; and bios, which is life in the human context, with meanings and purposes. Agamben envisages the reduction to bare bodies for the whole humanity.[33] For him, a new bio-political relationship between citizens and the state is turning citizens into pure biological life (zoe) depriving them from their humanity (bios); and biometrics would herald this new world.
Also the commodification of biometrics by the private sector adds to this danger of loss of human value. Corporations value the biometric characteristics more than the individuals value them.[34]
Privacy
and discrimination[edit]
It is possible that data obtained
during biometric enrollment may be used in ways for which the enrolled
individual has not consented. For example, most biometric features could
disclose physiological and/or pathological medical conditions (e.g., some
fingerprint patterns are related to chromosomal diseases, iris patterns could
reveal genetic sex, hand vein patterns could reveal vascular diseases, most
behavioral biometrics could reveal neurological diseases, and so).[39] Moreover, second generation biometrics,
notably behavioral and electro-physiologic biometrics (e.g., based on
electrocardiography, electroencephalography, electromyography), could be also
used for emotion detection.[40]
There are three categories of privacy concerns:[41]
Danger
to owners of secured items[edit]
When thieves cannot get access to
secure properties, there is a chance that the thieves will stalk and assault
the property owner to gain access. If the item is secured with a biometric
device, the damage to the owner could be irreversible, and potentially cost
more than the secured property. For example, in 2005, Malaysian car thieves cut
off the finger of a Mercedes-Benz
S-Class owner when
attempting to steal the car.[42
Biometrics refers to metrics related to human
characteristics. Biometrics authentication (or realistic authentication) is
used in computer science as a form of identification and access
control. It is also used to identify individuals in
groups that are under surveillance. Biometric identifiers are the
distinctive, measurable characteristics used to label and describe individuals.[2] Biometric identifiers are often
categorized as physiological versus behavioral characteristics.
Physiological
characteristics are related to the shape of the body. Examples include, but are
not limited to fingerprint, palm veins, face
recognition, DNA, palm print, hand geometry, iris recognition, retina and odour/scent. Behavioral characteristics are
related to the pattern of behavior of a person, including but not limited to typing
rhythm, gait, and voice. Some researchers have coined the term
behaviometrics to describe the latter class of biometrics.
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.[ Since biometric
identifiers are unique to individuals, they are more reliable in verifying
identity than token and knowledge-based methods; however, the collection of
biometric identifiers raises privacy concerns about the ultimate use of this
information.
According to a
CSO article the biometrics market will be worth US$13.8 billion in 2015.
Current,
emerging and future applications of biometrics
India's national ID program[edit]
India's national ID program called Aadhaar is the largest biometric database in the world. It is a
biometrics-based digital identity assigned for a person's lifetime, verifiable
online instantly in the public domain, at any time, from anywhere, in a
paperless way. It is designed to enable government agencies to deliver a retail
public service securely based on biometric
data (fingerprint, iris scan and face photo), along with demographic data (name, age, gender, address,
parent/spouse name, mobile phone number) of a person. The data is transmitted
in encrypted form over the internet for authentication, aiming to free it from
the limitations of physical presence of a person at a given place.
About 550 million residents have been enrolled and assigned 480 million
Aadhaar numbers as of 7 November 2013.[21] It aims to cover the entire
population of 1.2 billion in a few years.[22]
Recent
advances in emerging biometrics
In recent times, biometrics based
on brain (electroencephalogram) and heart (electrocardiogram) signals have
emerged. The research group at University of Kent led by Ramaswamy Palaniappan
has shown that people have certain distinct brain and heart patterns that are
specific for each individual. The advantage of such 'futuristic' technology is
that it is more fraud resistant compared to conventional biometrics like
fingerprints. However, such technology is generally more cumbersome and still
has issues such as lower accuracy and poor reproducibility over time.
Operator
signatures[edit]
An operator signature is a
biometric mode where the manner in which a person using a device or complex
system is recorded as a verification template.[25] One potential use for this type of
biometric signature is to distinguish among remote users of telerobotic surgery systems that utilize public
networks for communication.[25]
Proposal
calls for biometric authentication to access certain public networks[edit]
John
Michael (Mike) McConnell, a former vice admiral in the United States Navy, a former Director of U.S. National Intelligence, and Senior Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton promoted the development of a future
capability to require biometric authentication to access certain public
networks in his keynote speech[26] at the 2009
Biometric Consortium Conference.A basic premise in the above proposal is that the person that has uniquely authenticated themselves using biometrics with the computer is in fact also the agent performing potentially malicious actions from that computer. However, if control of the computer has been subverted, for example in which the computer is part of a botnet controlled by a hacker, then knowledge of the identity of the user at the terminal does not materially improve network security or aid law enforcement activities.[27]
Recently, another approach to biometric security was developed, this method scans the entire body of prospects to guarantee a better identification of this prospect. This method is not globally accepted because it is very complex and prospects are concerned about their privacy.
Issues
and concerns[edit]
Human
Dignity[edit]
Biometrics have been considered
also instrumental to the development of state authority[28] (to put it in Foucauldian terms, of discipline and biopower[29]). By turning the human subject into a
collection of biometric parameters, biometrics would dehumanize the person,[30] infringe bodily integrity, and,
ultimately, offend human dignity.[31]In a well-known case,[32] Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben refused to enter the United States in protest at the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator (US-VISIT) program’s requirement for visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed. Agamben argued that gathering of biometric data is a form of bio-political tattooing, akin to the tattooing of Jews during the Holocaust. According to Agamben, biometrics turn the human persona into a bare body. Agamben refers to the two words used by Ancient Greeks for indicating "life", zoe, which is the life common to animals and humans, just life; and bios, which is life in the human context, with meanings and purposes. Agamben envisages the reduction to bare bodies for the whole humanity.[33] For him, a new bio-political relationship between citizens and the state is turning citizens into pure biological life (zoe) depriving them from their humanity (bios); and biometrics would herald this new world.
Also the commodification of biometrics by the private sector adds to this danger of loss of human value. Corporations value the biometric characteristics more than the individuals value them.[34]
Privacy
and discrimination[edit]
It is possible that data obtained
during biometric enrollment may be used in ways for which the enrolled
individual has not consented. For example, most biometric features could
disclose physiological and/or pathological medical conditions (e.g., some
fingerprint patterns are related to chromosomal diseases, iris patterns could
reveal genetic sex, hand vein patterns could reveal vascular diseases, most
behavioral biometrics could reveal neurological diseases, and so).[39] Moreover, second generation biometrics,
notably behavioral and electro-physiologic biometrics (e.g., based on
electrocardiography, electroencephalography, electromyography), could be also
used for emotion detection.[40]There are three categories of privacy concerns:[41]
- Unintended functional scope: The authentication
goes further than authentication, such as finding a tumor.
- Unintended application scope: The
authentication process correctly identifies the subject when the subject
did not wish to be identified.
- Covert identification: The subject is
identified without seeking identification or authentication, i.e. a
subject's face is identified in a crowd.
