Overview on fingerprinting authentication technology

This paper addresses the characteristics, technology, and possible future of fingerprints authentication method. Fingerprint physiology makes it an ideal for biometrics authentication, primarily the tiny details located on its surface called minutiae. Fingerprint scanning systems are designed to detect minutiae. Images of detected minutiae are processed through matching algorithms in order to verify a query fingerprint that is identical to a stored fingerprint. However, fingerprint authentication based on minutiae can be easily bypassed and the need for a more secure method is required. With respect to the issue, this work explores the possibility of detecting the thickness of the skin layer within a fingerprint as a method of biometrics authentication. Current thickness measuring methods that are non-invasive for that task are identified as Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR). Of the three listed, only OCT and NIR methodology seems viable for simple yet reliable use and can become as promising methods for authentication based on skin layer thickness

Biometrics Systems and Technologies: A survey

In a nutshell, a biometric security system requires a user to provide some biometric features which are then verified against some stored biometric templates. Nowadays, the traditional password based authentication method tends to be replaced by advanced biometrics technologies. Biometric based authentication is becoming increasingly appealing and common for most of the human-computer interaction devices. To give only one recent example, Microsoft augmented its brand new Windows 10 OS version with the capability of supporting face recognition when the user login in. This chapter does not intend to cover a comprehensive and detailed list of biometric techniques. The chapter rather aims at briefly discussing biometric related items, including principles, definitions, biometric modalities and technologies along with their advantages, disadvantages or limitations, and biometric standards, targeting unfamiliar readers. It also mentions the attributes of a biometric system as well as attacks on biometrics. Important reference sources are pointed out so that the interested reader may gain deeper in-depth knowledge by consulting them