Biometrics in a Data Driven World : Trends, Technologies, and Challenges

This book is a compilation of important topics in biometrics-based authentication, with a focus on new trends such as applications in mobile platforms, social media, healthcare, etc. One of the main challenges that the book addresses is the effect of quality on biometric samples, both in traditional and mobile applications – what kinds of noise and disturbances affect authentication performance, potential solutions to mitigate them and what the ramifications are in terms of security. For example, how do face recognition systems perform with faces with artificial make-up/disguise? The book also addresses challenges in computing related to biometric data.

Biometrics in a Data Driven World: Trends, Technologies, and Challenges aims to inform readers about the modern applications of biometrics in the context of a data-driven society, to familiarize them with the rich history of biometrics, and to provide them with a glimpse into the future of biometrics.

The first section of the book discusses the fundamentals of biometrics and provides an overview of common biometric modalities, namely face, fingerprints, iris, and voice. It also discusses the history of the field, and provides an overview of emerging trends and opportunities. The second section of the book introduces readers to a wide range of biometric applications.

The next part of the book is dedicated to the discussion of case studies of biometric modalities currently used on mobile applications. As smartphones and tablet computers are rapidly becoming the dominant consumer computer platforms, biometrics-based authentication is emerging as an integral part of protecting mobile devices against unauthorized access, while enabling new and highly popular applications, such as secure online payment authorization.

The book concludes with a discussion of future trends and opportunities in the field of biometrics, which will pave the way for advancing research in the area of biometrics, and for the deployment of biometric technologies in real-world applications.

The book is designed for individuals interested in exploring the contemporary applications of biometrics, from students to researchers and practitioners working in this field. Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in college-level security courses will also find this book to be an especially useful companion.