Biometrics & Accessibility

Rawlson O'Neil King Lead Researcher, Biometrics Research Group, Inc. Contributing Editor, BiometricUpdate.com rawlson@biometricupdate.com

Biometrics Research Group, Inc.

Biometrics Research Group is a leading research vendor and publisher.

What are Biometrics?

Biometrics are measurable physical and behavioral characteristics that enable the establishment and verification of an individual’s identity.

Biometric Modalities

•Fingerprint Recognition

•Iris Recognition

•Hand Geometry

•Voice Recognition

•Retinal Scan Technology

•Facial Thermography

•Rapid DNA & DNA Profiling

•Gait Recognition

•Gesture Recognition

Biometric Marketplace

Global biometrics market will grow to US$15 billion by 2015 from its 2012 estimated value of US$7 billion.

Biometric Marketplace

Biometric Marketplace

Fingerprint recognition was valued at US$5 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2015.

Biometric Marketplace

Face, iris, vein, and voice recognition biometric technologies together form the second largest segment. This sector is worth an estimated US$2 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach US$5 billion in 2015.

Biometric Marketplace

Face, iris, vein, and voice recognition biometric technologies together form the second largest segment. This sector is worth an estimated US$2 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach US$5 billion in 2015.

Biometric Marketplace Biometrics has mainly be used by government for security and border control applications. Traditional use of biometric technologies by government have been a contributing factor to myths about biometric technology. General skepticism about government can be considered a major factor that drives skepticism and myths about biometrics.

Biometric Myths

Biometrics are a new concept. Myth. Physical size, face shape, complexion and other noticeable features have been used to identify people for thousands of years.

Biometric Myths

Use of biometrics can lead to injury. Myth. Eye scan technology and hardware do not use organ-damaging lasers.

Biometric Myths

Biometrics authenticates identity. Myth. Biometrics do not authenticate a specific identity, but only the person "enrolled" in a system.

Biometric Myths

Biometric data is ubiquitous. Myth. The world as depicted in the movie "Minority Report" simply does not exist. Fingerprint data captured by a commercial fingerprint system does not automatically and instantaneously end up in law enforcement databases.

Biometric Myths

Stolen body parts can be used for biometric authentication. Myth. With most biometric technologies, an element of "aliveness" detection is required.

Biometric Myths Biometrics are infallible. Myth. Biometric technologies are subject to error. i.e., Smaller fingerprint sensors can be inaccurate. i.e., Skin conditions and ageing can affect performance. i.e., Certain biometric modalities will perform poorly or not at all for people with disabilities.

Biometric Reality

Biometrics, like all other technologies, can fail.

Academic Shoshana Magnet notes that technical literature often points out that biometric technology frequently malfunction. Magnet argues that biometric system fail because rendering human bodies in biometric code falsely assumes that people’s bodies are always the same and unchanging over time. By focusing on moments when biometrics fail, Magnet demonstrates that they fail more often when women, people of color and people with disabilities are subjected to their use.

Biometric Reality

Magnet has argued in previous academic articles with colleagues that despite biometrics and other security systems being marketed as objective and neutral, they in fact, only reinforce existing social inequalities. Such social inequalities include physical and mental disabilities. For example, certain eye-based biometrics will not work with the blind.

Accessibility Considerations

It should be a fundamental tenet of the design, engineering and manufacture of all the components of the enrolment process that consideration should be given at each stage of the development to the accessibility requirements of disabled people.

Accessibility Considerations

Consideration should be taken to make the processes of enrolment and verification barrier free, in order to make processes accessible, especially to disabled persons.

Accessibility Considerations

In regard to facial, iris or fingerprint scanning, the pattern recognition software or optical scanner should be capable of compensating for distortion caused by a disabled person, i.e., keeping their head or hands high still in one position for long enough. The equipment should compensate to be able to produce an acceptable recognition of the intended biometric of the individual.

Accessibility Considerations

Instead of using a single biometric modality for disabled persons, use multi biometric solutions such as two Factor Authentication (2FA)

What is 2FA? Two-factor authentication adds a second level of authentication to an account log-in. 2FA requires the user to have two out of three types of credentials before being able to access an account: Something you know, such as a Personal Identification Number

(PIN), password, or a pattern Something you have, such as an ATM card, phone, or fob Something you are, such as a biometric like a fingerprint or

voice print

2FA: Emerging security approach

Two-factor authentication allows for either replacement or augmentation of passwords.

2FA Market Size The global multi-factor authentication market is expected to reach US$5.45 billion by 2017, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.3 percent from 2012 to 2017. Arguably, a portion of 2FA market growth will be driven by technological innovation seeking to make biometric modalities more accessible. Such changes will be initiated by legislation and regulation in North America and European Union member states.