Electronic fingerprint scanning for security at airports Research Paper

Electronic fingerprint scanning for security at airports - Research Paper Example Most of the loopholes that have been identified in the security processes are due to the use of fake identities borne by the criminals or terrorists. The exponential increase in the acts of terrorism has made it vital for organizations to be equipped with accurate and reliable modes of authentication. The identity cards cannot be afforded to be trusted anymore due to their vulnerability of being forged. Therefore, another alternate method is being widely accepted in organizations, government agencies and public premises- biometric authentication systems. Biometric authentication systems identify the individual on the basis of his unique biometric features. Biometric features include fingerprint scans, retinal image, palm prints, face gestures etc. Biometric authentication bears accurate identification of the individual since biometric features are unique in every individual and they cannot be as easily forged as other paper based authentication modes. Jain, Hong and Pankanti (2000) d iscussed a study of Jain, Bolle and Pankanti (1999); their research included a comparison of biometrics on the basis of different factors that play a part in the success of the authentication mechanism. The comparisons are given in the following table; Table 1: Comparison between different biometrics (Jain, Bolle and Pankanti (1999) in Jain, Hong and Pankanti (2000)) It can be seen from Table 1 that fingerprint scans do not give low performance in any factor, unlike all the other biometrics. The aspect of uniqueness is high in fingerprint scans therefore it provides accurate identification of individuals. Fingerprint scans can be easily extracted from fingerprint scanners and readers; it is due to this convenience and accessibility that they have been widely accepted around the world. The introduction of fingerprint scanning at public places can prove to identify the individuals who may be a threat to other people in the society. Airports are sensitive places where many incidents of terrorism have been witnessed in the past history; such incidents include hijacking of planes and making individuals hostages. The current authentication mechanism at airports relies on passports that can be easily forged; therefore the integration of fingerprint authentication mechanism in the boarding process of passengers will ensure that individuals with criminal records are not allowed to board on the plane. 2. Literature Review Much research has been done regarding the usage of biometric authentication systems for homeland security. Before the discussion of the approaches that have been adapted by different nations and organizations, it is vital to understand the attributes and processes of the respective systems. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (2006) stated that the basis of an authentication process of any system resides on the following factors; Something that is known by the user, for example, PIN, password etc. Something that is owned by the user, for example, smart card, token ID etc. Something is inherently possessed by the individual, for example, fingerprints, face gestures, palm prints etc. The last factor is known to provide the highest level of security among all the other three factors since inherence based factors are unique in all individuals and cannot be stolen as easily as the other factors. The biometric recognition systems are used to perform two basic operations; identification and verification. The process of identification refers to