An Introduction to Biometrics

Abstract

Biometric systems use unique and measurable physical, biological, or behavioral traits of people to establish or to verify their identification. Biometrics are most often used to perform identity verification for authorized access to computer networks or secure facilities. The physical attributes typically used include fingerprints, face, iris, hand geometry, handwriting, or voice. Compared to common identification methods, such as identification (ID) cards, personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords, biometrics can be more convenient for users, have lower costs for businesses, can reduce fraud, and are more secure. However, challenges for using biometrics include issues of policy and privacy.

In this presentation, we review the more commonly used biometric signals – fingerprints, face images, and iris images – and discuss the general structure of the identification algorithms. We also define some of the metrics used in evaluating biometric systems. Some of the issues that need to be considered in implementing a biometric system are also discussed. Improvements in the technology have made biometric systems more accurate, more convenient and more secure than the more widely accepted means of identification such as ID cards. In an age where identity theft is becoming more prevalent and terrorist threats substantiate the need for automatic identification of people from a distance to identify potential terrorists, biometrics appears to be an important part of solutions to these problems.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Delores M. Etter joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty at the United States Naval Academy in August 2001. She recently returned from a two-year leave of absence during which she served as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RDA). From June 1998 through July 2001, Dr. Etter served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology. She was formerly a member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1990-98), and at the University of New Mexico (1980-89). She was also a Visiting Professor in the Information Systems Laboratory at Stanford University in 1983-84. Her academic interests are in digital signal processing and communications. Her research interests include adaptive signal processing and biometric signal processing, with an emphasis on identification using iris recognition. She has also written a number of textbooks on computer languages and software engineering.

Dr. Etter is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She is also a former member of the National Science Board and the Defense Science Board. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). She served as President of the IEEE Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing Society from 1988-89, and was Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing from 1993-95. Dr. Etter was a member of the Naval Research Advisory Committee from 1991-97, and chaired the committee from 1995-97.