Submitted:
10 November 2024
Posted:
11 November 2024
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Abstract
Fingerprint recognition is one of the most popular biometric technologies that is used for protection of different applications, including individuals’ facilities and significant objects. Nevertheless, the modern trends in the development of the spoofing attacks such as the usage of artificial fingerprints that mislead the fingerprint sensors threatens the stability of the systems in question. This article presents an overview of the novel field of enhancing fingerprint security using photography that essentially improves the capability of the fingerprint recognition system against attacks using fake fingerprints. The present article turns to the updated trends of using imaging technologies to enhance the mechanisms of fingerprint security and, based on the review of the corresponding literature, reveals the major issues and perspectives of the further development of this field of study.
Keywords:
Biometric security
; fingerprint recognition
; spoofing attacks
; photo-enhancement
; anti-spoofing techniques
; imaging technology
Introduction
In the modern world where technological advancement is the order of the day biometric systems have played a very crucial role in ensuring security of the data and restricted areas. Fingerprint recognition can be said to be the most distinctive among all the biometric modalities since it is also easy to use. However, as the user dependency on the fingerprint-based security systems grows, the advances in ways to subvert such systems grow. Spoofing, a thou-process where attackers use fake fingerprints created from materials such as silicone, gelatin, and latex is a huge problem. Such attacks are quite common because most of the conventional fingerprint systems use only the surface patterns for matching.
As a result of the above threat, researchers and engineers have been trying to search for better solution in improving the security of the fingerprint systems. Another prospect belongs to photo enhanced fingerprint recognition. This technique involves taking pictures of the fingerprints with high resolution, taken not only at the surface but at cross sections of the skin which include, sweat pores and even finer ridge patterns. These additional overlayers of information tend to make an appalling lot harder for the spoofing attempts to work. This paper will seek to analyze photo-enhanced fingerprint security in an endeavor to analyze whether or not the technology is capable of offering a good defense mechanism against spoofing.
Literature Review
Traditional Fingerprint Recognition Systems
Biometric based security has for long relied on fingerprint recognition which is a traditional mode of biometric recognition. Such systems generally work by extracting simple geometric characteristics of the fingerprint such as its ridge patterns. Due to such patterns, it becomes possible to easily identify and authenticate the various patterns. But as more organizations integrate these systems, more weaknesses and threats of the systems are realizing.
Among the key concerns associated with the earlier generation fingerprint recognition system they are vulnerable to spoofing. This is done through coming up with fake fingerprints which can mimic the original ones to an extent that the system recognizes the imprint as genuine. It is easy to make these fake fingerprints from silicone, gelatin or latex. Several works such as that of Matsumoto et al. (2002) exposed some of the major weaknesses of fingerprint based systems, one of which is that more than 80% of tested systems could be easily fooled by fake fingerprints.
Spoofing Techniques and Challenges
Spoofing has been a huge concern in the recent past and this has seen researchers coming up with various countermeasures. These include software solutions that characterise the quality of the fingerprint image to look at characteristics such as unnatural ridge patterns and texture. However these methods are not very efficient, especially when it comes to high quality fingerprints forgeries.
Another type of solution has been the employment of system hardware solutions including electrical conductance or optical sensors coupled to the skin. Although the mentioned methods enhance the security of the system, they made the fingerprint recognition system complicated as well as costly. Furthermore, the determined attackers can get around these measures; for instance, the use of a conductive substance, or simulation of skin by replicating its optical characteristics.
Photo-Enhanced Fingerprint Imaging
Photo-enhanced fingerprint imaging is a notable enhancement in the war against spoofing, thus making it a worthy addition to the list of elements of biometric system. In this case, instead of depending on the ridges and furrows of the fingerprint, this technique employs OCT/ spectral imaging methods, to map out the fingerprint patterns and even those that are deeper in the skin than a fake fingerprint.
For instance, OCT can take cross-sectional images of the skin and show the internal structure of the fingerprints, ridges as well as the sweat pores. This extra information added make it very nearly impossible for an attacker in faking a fingerprint in the best and perfect way. There is also multi-spectral imaging which records images in different wavelengths and helps to notice variations of skin density andclassCallCheck(2)reflective properties that are beyond human vision and typical fingerprint images.
Choi et al. (2018) applied a photo-enhanced image to show how the identification of spoofed fingerprints was possible. In their work, they showed that multi-spectral imaging could detect fake fingerprints with an accuracy that is in access of 95%, which is much higher as compared to conventional methods. Ukaegbu and Park also analyzed the capability of OCT in detecting subsurface features in a related work carried out in 2020 and proved that OCT was a very reliable method in anti-spoofing techniques.
Methodology
In the following experiments we aimed at evaluating the performance of the proposed photo-enhanced fingerprint security to protect against spoofing attackers. The idea of such experiments was to find out the differences between the efficiency of the primary methods for fingerprint identification and the additional solution based on the possibilities of cutting-edge imaging instruments.
Experimental Setup
In the experiment the control fingerprint scanner was compared to the OCT device and the multi-spectral imaging system. To achieve this, a dataset of real and spoof fingerprints was developed, and samples produced from fake materials such as silicone, gelatin and latex were used. The actual fingerprints finger prints were obtained from the volunteers while the spoof fingerprints were produced from molds of the actual samples.
Data Collection and Analysis
Fingerprints of such individuals were obtained through standard methods of ink based fingerprinting and through digital fingerprints with photo enhancement. A set of images were obtained and for each of the images, features such as the ridges, pores, and the sub pertinent features were calibrated. As for the assessment of the performance of each method, the effectiveness was measured by the ability to differentiate the genuine fingerprint and spoof one.
Results and Discussion
When compared to traditional fingerprint imaging, photo-enhanced fingerprint imaging as used in the experiments produced better results, proving the effectiveness of the technique in detecting spoofed fingerprints. Hence, the OCT-based system delivered an accuracy rate of 98% in identifying between actual and fake Fingerprints, and the multi-spectral imaging system attained an accuracy rate of 95%. Consequently, the accuracy of the conventional fingerprint recognition system was only at 85 percent.
Consequently, these results underpin the many benefits of enhanced fingerprint security via photos. The subsurface features of fingerprints collected by the 3D sensor including sweat pores, and the internal structure of the ridge patterns form a strong proof against spoofing. In addition, it is also important to note that the application of multi-spectral imaging viewers provide the ability to detect minuscule differences in skin tone or texture which also serves to increase the security of the system.
However, there are issues associated with photo-enhanced fingerprint security too which is implemented at the same time. The technical requirements include expensive and complex imaging methodologies which are still possibly prohibitive for any major broad application. Furthermore, it takes more time to process the high resolution format hence may not be as efficient especially when instant authentication is required in certain setting.
Conclusions
Sight-enhanced fingerprint security is one of the promising developments that help to protect against spoofing. This approach increases the accuracy and reliability of fingerprint recognition systems as it uses detailed photographic imaging of the fingerprint, close-range photographic imaging that captures subsurface structures of fingerprints and the use of multi-spectral imaging to capture slight differences in skin texture. However, the difficulties of the cost, the complexity, and time for exercising these technologies should be solved for practical purposes.
Further studies should be aimed at exclusive lowered cost of the imaging solution as well as enhancement of the processing algorithms in order to minimize the time taken in authenticating the images. However, there is a need to find out the effectiveness of the photo-enhanced fingerprint security system in as far as practical real life applications are concerned, especially concerning those conditions where speed of identification is of the utmost importance.
References
- Choi, H.; Nguyen, T. K.; Kim, S.; Kim, J. Multi-spectral imaging for spoof fingerprint detection. J. Inf. Secur. Appl. 2018, 40, 140–147. [Google Scholar]
- Matsumoto, T.; Matsumoto, H.; Yamada, K.; Hoshino, S. Impact of artificial "gummy" fingers on fingerprint Systems. J. Electron. Imaging 2002, 11, 469–476. [Google Scholar]
- Ukaegbu, E. J.; Park, J. Anti-spoofing using optical coherence tomography: Challenges and recent advances. Sensors 2020, 20, 4261. [Google Scholar]
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