Face recognition technologies for evidential evaluation of video traces

Human recognition from video traces is an important task in forensic investigations and evidence evaluations. Compared with other biometric traits, face is one of the most popularly used modalities for human recognition due to the fact that its collection is non-intrusive and requires less cooperation from the subjects. Moreover, face images taken at a long distance can still provide reasonable resolution, while most biometric modalities, such as iris and fingerprint, do not have this merit. In this chapter, we discuss automatic face recognition technologies for evidential evaluations of video traces. We first introduce the general concepts in both forensic and automatic face recognition , then analyse the difficulties in face recognition from videos . We summarise and categorise the approaches for handling different uncontrollable factors in difficult recognition conditions. Finally we discuss some challenges and trends in face recognition research in both forensics and biometrics . Given its merits tested in many deployed systems and great potential in other emerging applications, considerable research and development efforts are expected to be devoted in face recognition in the near future

A SIFT-Based Fingerprint Verification System Using Cellular Neural Networks

Recently, with the increasing demand of high security, person identification has become more and more important in our everyday life. The purpose of establishing the identity is to ensure that only a legitimate user, and not anyone else, accesses the rendered services. The traditional identification methods are based on “something that you possess ” and “somethin

Vulnerability assessment in the use of biometrics in unsupervised environments

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorIn the last few decades, we have witnessed a large-scale deployment of biometric systems in different life applications replacing the traditional recognition methods such as passwords and tokens. We approached a time where we use biometric systems in our daily life. On a personal scale, the authentication to our electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) utilizes biometric characteristics to provide access permission. Moreover, we access our bank accounts, perform various types of payments and transactions using the biometric sensors integrated into our devices. On the other hand, different organizations, companies, and institutions use biometric-based solutions for access control. On the national scale, police authorities and border control measures use biometric recognition devices for individual identification and verification purposes. Therefore, biometric systems are relied upon to provide a secured recognition where only the genuine user can be recognized as being himself. Moreover, the biometric system should ensure that an individual cannot be identified as someone else. In the literature, there are a surprising number of experiments that show the possibility of stealing someone’s biometric characteristics and use it to create an artificial biometric trait that can be used by an attacker to claim the identity of the genuine user. There were also real cases of people who successfully fooled the biometric recognition system in airports and smartphones [1]–[3]. That urges the necessity to investigate the potential threats and propose countermeasures that ensure high levels of security and user convenience. Consequently, performing security evaluations is vital to identify: (1) the security flaws in biometric systems, (2) the possible threats that may target the defined flaws, and (3) measurements that describe the technical competence of the biometric system security. Identifying the system vulnerabilities leads to proposing adequate security solutions that assist in achieving higher integrity. This thesis aims to investigate the vulnerability of fingerprint modality to presentation attacks in unsupervised environments, then implement mechanisms to detect those attacks and avoid the misuse of the system. To achieve these objectives, the thesis is carried out in the following three phases. In the first phase, the generic biometric system scheme is studied by analyzing the vulnerable points with special attention to the vulnerability to presentation attacks. The study reviews the literature in presentation attack and the corresponding solutions, i.e. presentation attack detection mechanisms, for six biometric modalities: fingerprint, face, iris, vascular, handwritten signature, and voice. Moreover, it provides a new taxonomy for presentation attack detection mechanisms. The proposed taxonomy helps to comprehend the issue of presentation attacks and how the literature tried to address it. The taxonomy represents a starting point to initialize new investigations that propose novel presentation attack detection mechanisms. In the second phase, an evaluation methodology is developed from two sources: (1) the ISO/IEC 30107 standard, and (2) the Common Evaluation Methodology by the Common Criteria. The developed methodology characterizes two main aspects of the presentation attack detection mechanism: (1) the resistance of the mechanism to presentation attacks, and (2) the corresponding threat of the studied attack. The first part is conducted by showing the mechanism's technical capabilities and how it influences the security and ease-of-use of the biometric system. The second part is done by performing a vulnerability assessment considering all the factors that affect the attack potential. Finally, a data collection is carried out, including 7128 fingerprint videos of bona fide and attack presentation. The data is collected using two sensing technologies, two presentation scenarios, and considering seven attack species. The database is used to develop dynamic presentation attack detection mechanisms that exploit the fingerprint spatio-temporal features. In the final phase, a set of novel presentation attack detection mechanisms is developed exploiting the dynamic features caused by the natural fingerprint phenomena such as perspiration and elasticity. The evaluation results show an efficient capability to detect attacks where, in some configurations, the mechanisms are capable of eliminating some attack species and mitigating the rest of the species while keeping the user convenience at a high level.En las últimas décadas, hemos asistido a un despliegue a gran escala de los sistemas biométricos en diferentes aplicaciones de la vida cotidiana, sustituyendo a los métodos de reconocimiento tradicionales, como las contraseñas y los tokens. Actualmente los sistemas biométricos ya forman parte de nuestra vida cotidiana: es habitual emplear estos sistemas para que nos proporcionen acceso a nuestros dispositivos electrónicos (teléfonos inteligentes, tabletas, ordenadores portátiles, etc.) usando nuestras características biométricas. Además, accedemos a nuestras cuentas bancarias, realizamos diversos tipos de pagos y transacciones utilizando los sensores biométricos integrados en nuestros dispositivos. Por otra parte, diferentes organizaciones, empresas e instituciones utilizan soluciones basadas en la biometría para el control de acceso. A escala nacional, las autoridades policiales y de control fronterizo utilizan dispositivos de reconocimiento biométrico con fines de identificación y verificación individual. Por lo tanto, en todas estas aplicaciones se confía en que los sistemas biométricos proporcionen un reconocimiento seguro en el que solo el usuario genuino pueda ser reconocido como tal. Además, el sistema biométrico debe garantizar que un individuo no pueda ser identificado como otra persona. En el estado del arte, hay un número sorprendente de experimentos que muestran la posibilidad de robar las características biométricas de alguien, y utilizarlas para crear un rasgo biométrico artificial que puede ser utilizado por un atacante con el fin de reclamar la identidad del usuario genuino. También se han dado casos reales de personas que lograron engañar al sistema de reconocimiento biométrico en aeropuertos y teléfonos inteligentes [1]–[3]. Esto hace que sea necesario investigar estas posibles amenazas y proponer contramedidas que garanticen altos niveles de seguridad y comodidad para el usuario. En consecuencia, es vital la realización de evaluaciones de seguridad para identificar (1) los fallos de seguridad de los sistemas biométricos, (2) las posibles amenazas que pueden explotar estos fallos, y (3) las medidas que aumentan la seguridad del sistema biométrico reduciendo estas amenazas. La identificación de las vulnerabilidades del sistema lleva a proponer soluciones de seguridad adecuadas que ayuden a conseguir una mayor integridad. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo investigar la vulnerabilidad en los sistemas de modalidad de huella dactilar a los ataques de presentación en entornos no supervisados, para luego implementar mecanismos que permitan detectar dichos ataques y evitar el mal uso del sistema. Para lograr estos objetivos, la tesis se desarrolla en las siguientes tres fases. En la primera fase, se estudia el esquema del sistema biométrico genérico analizando sus puntos vulnerables con especial atención a los ataques de presentación. El estudio revisa la literatura sobre ataques de presentación y las soluciones correspondientes, es decir, los mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación, para seis modalidades biométricas: huella dactilar, rostro, iris, vascular, firma manuscrita y voz. Además, se proporciona una nueva taxonomía para los mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación. La taxonomía propuesta ayuda a comprender el problema de los ataques de presentación y la forma en que la literatura ha tratado de abordarlo. Esta taxonomía presenta un punto de partida para iniciar nuevas investigaciones que propongan novedosos mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación. En la segunda fase, se desarrolla una metodología de evaluación a partir de dos fuentes: (1) la norma ISO/IEC 30107, y (2) Common Evaluation Methodology por el Common Criteria. La metodología desarrollada considera dos aspectos importantes del mecanismo de detección de ataques de presentación (1) la resistencia del mecanismo a los ataques de presentación, y (2) la correspondiente amenaza del ataque estudiado. Para el primer punto, se han de señalar las capacidades técnicas del mecanismo y cómo influyen en la seguridad y la facilidad de uso del sistema biométrico. Para el segundo aspecto se debe llevar a cabo una evaluación de la vulnerabilidad, teniendo en cuenta todos los factores que afectan al potencial de ataque. Por último, siguiendo esta metodología, se lleva a cabo una recogida de datos que incluye 7128 vídeos de huellas dactilares genuinas y de presentación de ataques. Los datos se recogen utilizando dos tecnologías de sensor, dos escenarios de presentación y considerando siete tipos de instrumentos de ataque. La base de datos se utiliza para desarrollar y evaluar mecanismos dinámicos de detección de ataques de presentación que explotan las características espacio-temporales de las huellas dactilares. En la fase final, se desarrolla un conjunto de mecanismos novedosos de detección de ataques de presentación que explotan las características dinámicas causadas por los fenómenos naturales de las huellas dactilares, como la transpiración y la elasticidad. Los resultados de la evaluación muestran una capacidad eficiente de detección de ataques en la que, en algunas configuraciones, los mecanismos son capaces de eliminar completamente algunos tipos de instrumentos de ataque y mitigar el resto de los tipos manteniendo la comodidad del usuario en un nivel alto.Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y Automática por la Universidad Carlos III de MadridPresidente: Cristina Conde Vila.- Secretario: Mariano López García.- Vocal: Farzin Derav

Imaging time series for the classification of EMI discharge sources

In this work, we aim to classify a wider range of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) discharge sources collected from new power plant sites across multiple assets. This engenders a more complex and challenging classification task. The study involves an investigation and development of new and improved feature extraction and data dimension reduction algorithms based on image processing techniques. The approach is to exploit the Gramian Angular Field technique to map the measured EMI time signals to an image, from which the significant information is extracted while removing redundancy. The image of each discharge type contains a unique fingerprint. Two feature reduction methods called the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and the Local Phase Quantisation (LPQ) are then used within the mapped images. This provides feature vectors that can be implemented into a Random Forest (RF) classifier. The performance of a previous and the two new proposed methods, on the new database set, is compared in terms of classification accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure. Results show that the new methods have a higher performance than the previous one, where LBP features achieve the best outcome

Biometrics

Biometrics uses methods for unique recognition of humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In computer science, particularly, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance. The book consists of 13 chapters, each focusing on a certain aspect of the problem. The book chapters are divided into three sections: physical biometrics, behavioral biometrics and medical biometrics. The key objective of the book is to provide comprehensive reference and text on human authentication and people identity verification from both physiological, behavioural and other points of view. It aims to publish new insights into current innovations in computer systems and technology for biometrics development and its applications. The book was reviewed by the editor Dr. Jucheng Yang, and many of the guest editors, such as Dr. Girija Chetty, Dr. Norman Poh, Dr. Loris Nanni, Dr. Jianjiang Feng, Dr. Dongsun Park, Dr. Sook Yoon and so on, who also made a significant contribution to the book