Biometrics and Information Assurance
 |
Biometrics refers to the automated methods of identifying or authenticating the identity of a living person based on a physical or behavioral characteristic. Unique physical traits, such as fingerprints, faces, irises, retinas, voice, or the geometry of the hand can be used.
These methodologies share a standardized approach for enrollment and verification. For example, at enrollment the person offers a live biometrics sample, such as a fingerprint, that is scanned electronically, processed, and stored as a template. This information is then used to confirm the person's identity at a future time.
When an individual presents a biometrics sample, the computer searches for a match against the stored template. There are various levels of matches based on the search criteria available. For example, confirmation of the match may be made using a one-to-many (1:many) search or a one-to-one (1:1) search. In a 1:many search, the individual presents only one live sample and the database searches for a match. A 1:1 search typically requires a user to present a name or PIN along with the biometrics sample. The systems then check the biometrics sample against the data stored under the name or PIN. This process is called verification or authentication.
