Biometrics Recognition
Abstract
A wide variety of systems require reliable personal recognition schemes to either confirm or
determine the identity of an individual requesting their services. The purpose of such schemes
is to ensure that the rendered services are accessed only by a legitimate user and not anyone
else. Examples of such applications include secure access to buildings, computer systems,
laptops, cellular phones and ATMs. In the absence of robust personal recognition schemes,
these systems are vulnerable to the wiles of an impostor. Biometric recognition, or simply
biometrics, refers to the automatic recognition of individuals based on their physiological
and/or behavioral characteristics. By using biometrics it is possible to confirm or establish
an individual’s identity based on “who she is”, rather than by “what she possesses” (e.g., an
ID card) or “what she remembers” (e.g., a password)