Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Iris Recognition And Afis Technology Essay

Introduction

The biometric scanning technology is a great revolution for contemporary society. There are many application made from biometric scanning technologies, which may use in many different way. Some of these applications based on biometrics are complex. This report is going to evaluate the effectiveness of Iris recognition and AFIS for to control accessing to a secure workplace.

Background

The human beings use the biometric information, which has already been a long history. For example, using fingerprint for signature, identifying someone from gait. In the middle of nineteen century, many features of human beings’ body were used to identify the criminal cases (Jain and Ross, 2004). With the progress of human society, a practically modern biometric scanning system is becoming more and more important.

Today, there are many security problems such as to control access to a secure workplace, privacy and data security, which can be solved by the biometric scanning system. However, there were lists of practical biometric applications. To evaluate the effectiveness and find out which one is preferable, which is a required and meaningful action.

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Definition

The biometric scanning system seems a kind of technology that uses the features of the human beings’ body. Jain and Ross (2004) point that the biometric scanning system is a science system that based on the identity of a person, which include the physical and behavioural features of the human beings. The physical attributes is static features such as fingerprint, face, retina, iris, vein pattern, hand and finger geometry. The behavioural attributes is dynamic features such as voice, gait and signature.

Outline

This report will talk about using biometric scanning system to control accessing to a secure workplace by two aspects, which include Iris recognition and Automatic Fingerprint Identification Scanning system. These two aspects will put perspective in a critical way in order to show both positive and negative. Hopefully, the outcome of this work can be a guide book for those who wish to select a possible biometric scanning system to protect the security of accessing a secure workplace.

The AFIS

In fact, to control accessing to a secure workplace is a category of identification and authentication. There are many method can reach this objective. The AFIS is one of these methods. In this section, firstly, it will find out the definition of the AFIS. Secondly, it will look at the uniqueness property of fingerprint identification. Thirdly, it will look at the reliability, convenience and availability. Lastly, it will mention fingerprint identification could be affordable.

What is the AFIS?

The AFIS is an abbreviation of Automatic Fingerprint Identification Scanning. This is a kind of biometric that use people’s fingerprint to identify something. The AFIS may use a database to store data that include fingerprint image, detail features of fingerprint of ten fingers and something else. It can be a tool for identification and authentication of large population group. The system will search in the database to match the correct person. Maltoni and Cappelli (2008) argues that using computer to process the fingerprint data that people input into the computer and computer will achieve the goal of identification and authentication by a series of actions such as sorting, locating, analysing and comparing.

The uniqueness property

The automatic fingerprint identification scanning has uniqueness property because it based on the fingerprint. The fingerprint is a physical attribute of human body. It even was used in the ancient time. Using a Fingerprint to make an identification and authentication probably has already more than hundreds years (Jain and Ross, 2004). At present, it was used in many areas for identification and authentication purpose because it is a simply unique way. For example, this method is used for door lock, car lock, computer accessing, internet accessing, attendance recording, bank account accessing, etc. There are a number of ways that use this method for identification and authentication purpose can be found.

Some still do not think the uniqueness property is a very good feature for identification and authentication because there is a possibility of copy. When people use fingerprint to make an identification and authentication, the finger must be touched. It will leave a vestigial fingerprint on the touched panel of fingerprint machine, which will be copied easily. If this action is done by others who have ulterior motives, then the individual information will be used in an illegal way. This is very dangerous for individual information (Maltoni and Cappelli, 2008).

However, the copy from the vestigial fingerprint of others is easy to identify although make a copy is a feasible method. Usually, this copy is so-called artificial fingerprint. Compare with the real fingerprint from human body directly, the copy is unclear, the shape is not complete, dull and one-dimensional. Therefore, users do not need to worry about this case.

Reliability, convenience and availability

The automatic fingerprint identification scanning is reliability, convenience and availability because fingerprint identification and authentication is the mature biometric technology (Komarinski, 2005). Firstly, the fingerprint is reliable because it includes quite huge information and will keep for all life of human being, In spite of the fingerprint just a little part of human body. Secondly, this is a convenient way and with available information which people used for identification and authentication. The reason is that human fingerprint cannot change and it can use any time and people do not need to worry about forgot things like cards, keys or others.

The reliability of match fingerprints could be a problem. Due to automatic fingerprint identification scanning uses computer to compare and match the fingerprints. This action is only referring to some simple information about fingerprint such as shape or other simple information. Meanwhile, the performance of computer will affect the reliability of fingerprints matching as well. The results might not be accurate completely (Maltoni & Cappelli, 2008).

In fact, this is not a drawback to fingerprint identification because this issue caused by the performance of computer. This fact just demonstrates that the information come from the fingerprint is extremely large, even the computer was made busy. This is not the drawback of fingerprint but the exactly advantage it is. At present, the computing technology upgrade rapidly, thus, it does not need to worry too much for this. The reliability of computing matching algorithm will be improved.

Smaller Equipments and Cost Effective

Fingerprint identification scanning needs a fingerprint identification machine, which just is smaller equipment. Generally speaking, the fingerprint machine compare with its effectiveness, the price of this kind of equipment is probably not too much. It is affordable for some organizations even just for individuals. In addition, Maltoni and Cappelli (2008) argues that there are many type of fingerprint identification machine that for different usage of situation in the market. It seems just like a common machine, which such as microwave oven, TV, computer and something else. Due to this is a machine then there could have some issues sometimes. However, it is not a fault of the fingerprint identification. Much more, this should not be an excuse to say that the disadvantages of using fingerprint identification outweigh the advantages.

Iris Recognition

The iris recognition is another method to control accessing to a secure workplace. In this section, firstly, it will find out the definition of iris recognition as well. Secondly, it will indicate the higher reliability of iris recognition, it will mention the iris recognition is difficult to hoodwink.

What Is Iris Recognition?

As previous definition of biometrics, the iris is a statically human physical attribute. The iris, a kind of externally visible tissue with coloured, is an internal component part of eyes. Each iris contains a unique iris image. It includes many features such as lens, filaments, spots, structure, concave points, rays, wrinkles and stripes and other features structure, Patel (2008) claim that Iris can be used for biometric identification and authentication. Its key features are highly complex and unique. There is no two iris is same. The equipment of iris recognition scanning consists of a fully automatic camera to look for user’s eyes, when the camera found the iris, it began to focus. Iris recognition will take a high quality image of the iris.

Higher Reliability

The most important feature of the iris recognition is that it is a relatively stable and highly reliable method used to control access to a secure workplace. Firstly, iris has higher uniqueness and located inside of eyes, which include abundant information inside of human eyes. Secondly, iris recognition has higher stability due to its appearance is difficult to change after formed. Thirdly, there is higher recognition accuracy. Shoniregun and Stephen (2008) argues that the rate of correct of iris recognition is relative high compare with other solutions of biometrics. Lastly, it is a quickly biometric security scanning system. In most situations, it is only need one second for each person. It is very much lower than fingerprint identification scanning. According to these features, there is a strong possibility that the iris recognition could be a better way for controlling accessing to a secure workplace.

Any biometric scanning technology has its drawbacks. Iris recognition as a kind of relative emerging technology has drawbacks as well. To use this method will cost high due to this technology is relative new and probably is not as mature as fingerprint identification. Why iris recognition is cost high? The main reason is that iris recognition needs an extremely high quality camera lens. This required core component for iris recognition is very expensive. Furthermore, there is a drawback seems like the most important point, which is that very difficult to scan and read the black eyes. If to do that, needs a good quality light source.

However, there is a essential point cannot forget that security is the most import thing for using a biometric scanning system to control accessing to a secure workplace. Compare with other biometric scanning system, iris recognition is more secured, stable, reliable, convenient and fast way to protect secure workplace. As technologies development, the cost might be reduced. Users would benefit more from the iris recognition.

Difficult to hoodwink

Using iris recognition can prevent hoodwinking. Due to iris is a specific part of human eyes. It cannot be touched. Vacca (2007) argues that when it used for identification and authentication, which is totally without physical touch. It is a very important feature for protect individual biometric information. Compare with fingerprint identification scanning, iris recognition is better than automatic fingerprint identification scanning. If someone would like to change the appearance of iris, and then need to do very careful operating, moreover, it will have a big risk of sight.

Conclusion

To sum up, the advantages of using biometric scanning system outweigh the disadvantages. It is no exaggeration to say that those benefits from automatic fingerprint identification scanning are very attractive for individuals and organizations (Patel, 2008; Shoniregun and Stephen, 2008). From a critical thought, the report has been mentioned two biometric scanning methods which are automatic fingerprint identification scanning and iris recognition. Although these two methods exist some possible issues, advantages is mainly and clearly part. Firstly, as for AFIS, it has mentioned three benefits of fingerprint identification, which are uniqueness, reliability, convenient, availability and cost effective. Secondly, regarding iris recognition, it has mentioned the higher reliability and difficult to hoodwink. As a suggestion, for highly security reason, the iris recognition can be used. For example, airport, immigration checking. If just for common use such as enter into the office, classroom or computer room, automatic fingerprint identification scanning is good for that.

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