An Exploration on Security and Privacy Issues of Biometric Smart ID Cards

Biometric and smart card technologies, which can be combined to create a digital identity for an individual, have recently received a great deal of attention. The biometric smart ID concept has been used by governments, financial institutions, and private companies worldwide to counter identity fraud in such applications as multi-purpose access cards, ATM cards, e-passports, and national ID cards. However, there are increasing concerns about both the technology's potential vulnerabilities and its relation to privacy issues (such as excessive profiling of users). In this paper, we analyze biometric smart card technology as it relates to security and privacy threats and investigate different biometric ID system configurations.