Biometrics and Applications

This chapter provides an overview of biometrics technology, its history and the solutions provided by research on societal and scientific issues. Biometrics consists of verifying or identifying the identity of an individual based on their morphological characteristics, behavioral characteristics or biological characteristics. The biometric features by which an individual's identity can be verified are called biometric modalities. These modalities are generally grouped into three categories: biological, behavioral and morphological biometrics. Biometrics is used to secure access to places or tools (premises, smartphones and computers), for border control (automated border crossing systems), by police services (identity control) or for payment security (notably on smartphones). Facial recognition technology has come on in leaps and bounds since its invention in the 1970s, and is now the most “natural” of all biometric measures. Researchers at a German company developed an attack technique to bypass Windows 10 Hello facial authentication.