Multitier Biometric Template Security Using Cryptographic Salts and Personal Image Identification

Individual identification can be accurately done by measuring biological parameters termed as biometrics. These have been proved as an exceptional tool for identity verification. Security of biometric template is the most challenging aspect of biometric identification system. Storing the biometric template in the database increases the chance of compromising it which may lead to serious threat and misuse of the individual identity. This paper proposes a novel and computationally simpler approach to store a biometric sample in the form of template by using cryptographic salts. Use of Personal Image Identification (PII) makes the proposed algorithm more robust and adds another level of security. The saltcrypted templates are created and stored instead of storing the actual sample behaving as a fuzzy vault. The algorithm has been analytically proved computationally simple compared to the existing template security mechanisms. The fuzzy structure of saltcrypted template is entirely dependent on user interaction through PII. Actual template is not stored at any point of time which adds new dimension to the security and hence to individual identity

Pseudo Identities Based on Fingerprint Characteristics

This paper presents the integrated project TURBINE which is funded under the EU 7th research framework programme. This research is a multi-disciplinary effort on privacy enhancing technology, combining innovative developments in cryptography and fingerprint recognition. The objective of this project is to provide a breakthrough in electronic authentication for various applications in the physical world and on the Internet. On the one hand it will provide secure identity verification thanks to fingerprint recognition. On the other hand it will reliably protect the biometric data through advanced cryptography technology. In concrete terms, it will provide the assurance that (i) the data used for the authentication, generated from the fingerprint, cannot be used to restore the original fingerprint sample, (ii) the individual will be able to create different "pseudo-identities" for different applications with the same fingerprint, whilst ensuring that these different identities (and hence the related personal data) cannot be linked to each other, and (iii) the individual is enabled to revoke an biometric identifier (pseudo-identity) for a given application in case it should not be used anymore