Question

Discuss a biometric such as DNA, Fingerprints, Iris Scans, etc. Pick an example and explain if it is a good identifier or authenticator?

Answer 1

Biometrics is the most pertinent means of identifying and authenticating individuals in a reliable and fast way through the use of unique biological characteristics.

If we were to define biometry or biometrics in the most straightforward sense,  we would say the "measurement of the human body."

There are two categories of biometrics:

​Physiological measurements

They can be either morphological or biological. These mainly consist of fingerprints, the shape of the hand, of the finger, vein pattern, the eye (iris and retina), and the shape of the face, for morphological analyses.

For biological analyses, DNA, blood, saliva, or urine may be used by medical teams and police forensics.

​Behavioral measurements

The most common are voice recognition, signature dynamics (speed of movement of pen, accelerations, pressure exerted, inclination), keystroke dynamics, the way we use objects, gait, the sound of steps, gestures, etc.

The different techniques used are the subject of ongoing research and development, and, of course, are being improved continuously.

To see how behavioral biometrics​ is gaining momentum in Banking, visit our web dossier.

However, the different sorts of measurements do not all have the same level of reliability.

Physiological measurements are usually offering the benefit of remaining more stable throughout the life of an individual.

For example, they are not as subject to the effects of stress, in contrast to identification by behavioral measurement.

Where is biometrics used? Use cases

Historically, applications using biometrics have been predominantly initiated by authorities for military access control, criminal or civil identification under a tightly regulated legal and technical framework.

Today, sectors, including banking, retail, and mobile commerce, are demonstrating a real appetite for the benefits of biometrics.

Most importantly, awareness and acceptance have been boosted in the past seven years, as millions of smartphone users are unlocking their phones with a fingerprint or a face.
But what’s so special about biometrics?

Again, biometric systems are great wherever identification and authentication are critical.

Let’s quickly review the most typical use cases of biometric technologies:

1. Law enforcement and public security (criminal/suspect identification)
2. Military (enemy/ally identification)
3. Border, travel, and migration control (traveller/migrant/passenger identification)
4. Civil identification (citizen/resident/voter identification)
5. Healthcare and subsidies (patient/beneficiary/healthcare professional identification)
6. Physical and logical access (owner/user/employee/contractor/partner identification)
7. Commercial applications (consumer/customer identification)

#1 Law enforcement and public security

Law enforcement biometrics are referring to applications of biometric systems that support law enforcement agencies.

This ​category can include criminal ID solutions such as Automated Fingerprint (and palm print) Identification Systems (AFIS). They store, search and retrieve, fingerprint images, and subject records.​

Today Automated Biometric Identification Systems (ABIS) can create and store biometric information that matches biometric templates for face, finger, and iris.

Discover the work of ​​forensic analysts​ in our video.

Live face recognition - the ability to perform face identification in a crowd in real-time or post-event - is also gaining interest for public security - in cities, airports, at borders, or other sensitives such as stadiums or places of worship.

These surveillance systems are being tested or used in many countries. They are, however, challenged and sometimes put on hold. Read California bans law enforcement from using facial recognition.

#2 Military - Know your enemy

Much is unknown about how defense agencies around the world use biometric data.

The fact is that information is difficult to come by and share as it is not public.

The United States military has been collecting faces, irises, fingerprints, and DNA data in a biometric identification system since January 2009. The biometric program started as early as 2004 and initially collected fingerprints.

The Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA) is managing the system, known as the DoD Automated Biometric Information System.

According to OneZero (6 Nov 2019), the 7.4 million identities in the database are, for the vast majority, coming from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For the period 2008-2017, the DoD arrested or killed 1,700 individuals based on biometric and forensic matches (U.S. Government Accountability Office web site

In the first half of 2019, biometric identification has been used thousands of times to identify non-U.S. citizens on the battlefield.

3 Border control, travel, and migration

The electronic passport (e-passport) is a familiar biometric travel document. The second generation of such documents, also known as biometric passports, includes two fingerprints stored in addition to a passport photo.

But think about it for one minute.

Over 1.2 billion e-passports are in circulation in 2020.

That means over 1.2 billion travellers have a standardized digital portrait in a secure document. It's a windfall for automatic border control systems (aka e-gates) but also for self-service kiosks.

• The photo speeds up border crossing through the use of scanners, which use the principle of recognition by comparison of the face or fingerprints.
• Check-ins and bag-drop solutions also increase speed and efficiency while maintaining high levels of security.

Needless to say, that for airports and airlines, providing passengers with a unique and enjoyable travel experience is a business priority.

Biometrics provides here irrefutable evidence of the link between the passport and its holder.

• Biometric authentication is done by comparing the face/fingerprint(s) seen/read at the border with the face/fingerprints in the passport micro-controller. If both biometric data match, authentication is confirmed. ​​​​
• ​Identification, if necessary, is done with the biographic data in the chip and printed.
  

Besides, many countries have set up biometric infrastructures to control migration flows to and from their territories.

Fingerprint scanners and cameras at border posts capture information that helps identify travellers entering the country in a more precise and reliable way. In some states, the same applies to consulates to visa applications and renewals.

We describe in details three examples of such application:

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's IDENT biometric system​, the largest of its kind
• The European Union's EURODAC​, ​​serving 32 nations in Europe (biometrics for asylum​ seekers)
• The ambitious European Entry/Exit System (EES) to be put in place in 2020.

​#4 Healthcare and subsidies

Other applications exist, chiefly national identity cards, widespread in European and the Middle East countries or Africa for ID and health insurance programs, such as in Gabon.

With these biometric ID cards, fingerprints are used to confirm the identity of the bearer of the card before he or she may access governmental services or healthcare.

Why is it so?

In Gabon, for example, even before the program started, it was clear to everyone that all resources should be implemented to avoid the health cover program turning into a center of attention for the citizens of neighbouring countries.

This feature was crucial to ensure that the generosity of the program would not lead to its collapse through the fraudulent use of rights.

Hence beneficiaries are individually identified so that access to care can be reserved for them. It has been decided that the identification of insured parties will be nominative with the implementation of a Gabonese individual health insurance number.

Civil data, a photograph of the holder, and two fingerprints are digitized within the microprocessor, ensuring the encryption and protection of this data.

Hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics are using the health insurance card to check social security rights while protecting the confidentiality of personal data. Terminals are performing checks with fingerprint sensors.

#5 Civil Identity, population registration, and voter registration

AFIS databases (Automated Fingerprint Identification System), often linked to a civil register database, ensure the identity and uniqueness of the citizen to the rest of the population in a reliable, fast, and automated way.

They can combine digital fingerprints, a photo, and an iris scan for higher reliability.

Civil identity and population registration

India’s Aadhaar project ​is emblematic of biometric registration​​. It is by far the world's largest biometric identification system and the cornerstone of reliable identification and authentication in India.

Aadhaar number is a 12-digit unique identity number issued to all Indian residents. This number is based on their biographic and biometric data (a photograph, ten fingerprints, two iris scans).

1,258,270,690 people have an Aadhaar number as of 24 June 2020, covering more than 99% of the Indian adult population.

Yes, you read that right: it's over 1.25 billion people.

Initially, the project has been linked to public subsidy and unemployment benefit schemes, but it now includes a payment scheme.

According to Finance minister Arun Jaitley in his speech of 1 February 2018, Aahaar is providing an identity to every Indian that has made many services more accessible to the people.

It has reduced:

• Corruption,
• Cost of delivery of public services,
• Go-betweens.

Voter registration

​Biometrics can also be critical for the "one person, one vote​" principle.

To know more about this aspect, please visit our web dossier on biometric voter registration​.​

#6 Physical and logical access control

Biometric access control systems help to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing:

• facilities (physical access control)
• computer systems and networks (logical access control) based on biometric authentication.

In IT, biometric access control can be a complementary user’s authentication factor and supports organizations’ Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies.

Unlike codes, static passwords, one-time passwords, or access cards that rely on data that can be forgotten or lost, biometric authentication is based on who people are (and not what they have).

In the mobile world, smartphones (a form of IT system) now usually include fingerprint and facial recognition features.

The iPhone 5 was first to introduce fingerprint recognition in 2013 (with TOUCH ID), and facial recognition became trendy with the iPhone X introduced in November 2017 (with FACE ID).

Today many Android phones have this feature (combined with iris scanning) too.

According to Counterpoint, more than 1B smartphones with fingerprint sensors were shipped in 2018, and those 1B smartphones will come with some form of face unlock solution in 2020.

#7 Commercial applications

KYC (Know Your Customer) or KYC check is the mandatory process of identifying and verifying the identity of the client when opening an account and periodically over time. (source: what is KYC? – Thales).

It is today a significant element in the fight against financial crime and money laundering.

With the use of biometrics, banks, fintech organizations, or even telecom operators can make customer mandatory KYC checks (Know Your Customer) faster and more efficiently using biometrics.

In India, the use of Aadhaar-based KYC for mobile connections and bank accounts is authorized (Aadhaar amendment act July 2019).

Retailers can leverage facial recognition to identify a premium customer or a former shoplifter as soon as they come into the store. If the system recognizes one, it sends an alert to the store manager.

The technology is a powerful marketing enabler or can be applied to policing.

• That’s what U.K.’s The Guardian claims (04 August 2019) as it states that it has become pointless to report shoplifting to the police in the country. Retailers have to find solutions to tackle an estimated £700m ($900m) loss. They turn to facial recognition solutions.
• According to the NYmag web site (October 2018), U.S. retailers are using facial recognition too. Almost all the top U.S. companies have facial recognition in their agenda or have at least investigated its potential. Wallmart dropped it, Target is not communicating on it, Lowe’s is using the technology, and Saks Fifth Avenue is using it in Canada.

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