Advances in fingerprinting could bolster network security

New technology for matching fingerprints for security purposes is proving about as reliable but much more efficient than traditional techniques, according to a new study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

NIST studied the use of "minutiae templates," which are mathematical representations of full-blown fingerprint images that are seen as being much easier for vendors of biometric security systems to exchange with each other. The study involved use of a new standard for minutiae data that makes data exchange simpler than when proprietary techniques for converting fingerprint images to minutiae data.

The templates are also a fraction of the size of a fingerprint image, reducing the need for storage on smart cards and other such devices.

Fourteen vendors of fingerprint technologies participated in the Minutiae Interoperability Exchange Test (MINEX), which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. The standards group said that performance depended on how many fingerprints from a person were being matched, with systems using two index fingers accurate more than 98% of the time.

Research on fingerprinting for computer security has also been a concentration of scientists at the University of Buffalo, who earlier this year released results of their work on how big keypad sensors need to be and how complete fingerprint images need to be to provide security.

Meanwhile, plenty of work remains to be done on fingerprint technology as news regarding the hacking of a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader showed earlier this year.

For results of the MINEX test, click here.