2024 11th International Conference on Reliability, Infocom Technologies and Optimization (Trends and Future Directions) (ICRITO)
Amity University, Noida, India. Mar 14-15, 2024
A Biometric Security Model for The Enhancement
of Data Security
Shruti Sett
Amity Institute of Information Technology,
Amity University,
Noida, India
shruti.sett.027@gmail.com
Abstract: In this modern world of technology, data
protection has become a top concern for both individuals and
businesses. The ever-present threat of identity theft highlights
the limitations of traditional security measures such as
encrypted passwords and authenticated IDs. This study
addresses the growing challenges of cybersecurity by proposing
a new biometric security model that specifically focuses on
fingerprint recognition. Fingerprints are unique to each person
and have historically served as a reliable method of personal
identification. Our research leverages the proven accuracy and
efficiency of fingerprint recognition and advocates its
integration into traditional password-based authentication
processes. The synergy of fingerprint recognition and
passwords ensures that only authenticated users have access to
sensitive information, protecting it from theft and misuse. The
urgent need for robust information security is driving the
increased adoption of biometric data. This paper addresses his
twin goals of user authentication and privacy and provides an
in-depth look at biometrics as a good alternative to traditional
methods. Biometric authentication based on various physical
and behavioural characteristics of people provides excellent
protection against theft, loss, or unauthorized access. provides
a comprehensive overview and provides insight into its
effectiveness and limitations. This paper contributes to ongoing
efforts to address vulnerabilities in current authentication
systems by identifying gaps and suggesting directions for
future research. The proposed biometric security model
represents an important step towards enhancing data security
and countering evolving cyber threats in the digital era.
Keywords:Biometric Security, Fingerprint-matching,
Minutiae-based matching, Information Security, User
Authentication, Privacy Protection.
I. INTRODUCTION
In a time where mechanical walks and raising security
concerns unite, our research paper tends to the dire
requirement for strengthened information insurance through
a nuanced investigation of biometric security. Biometrics, a
computerized acknowledgment framework considering
extraordinary natural or social qualities, envelops
fingerprints, facial elements, irisexamples, and voice, and
that's only the tip of the iceberg. This paper focuses on a
thorough biometric security model intended to expand
information security through modern validation techniques.
Biometrics, such as fingerprints, iris sweeps, and voice
recognition, offer a secure and reliable method of
identification. They are resistant to loss or misuse, providing
enhanced security and customer comfort. However,
biometrics also face vulnerabilities in attacks like replay,
data breaches, and brute-force attempts. Biometrics has
applications in criminal investigations, AI, and advanced
criminology, and has gained popularity in areas requiring
979-8-3503-5035-7/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE
Himanshu Gupta
Amity Institute of Information Technology,
Amity University,
Noida, India
bhgupta@amity.edu
severe personality checks, such as banking and security
records. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on
information security, simplifying the complexities of
biometric verification and its diverse
applications.Biometrics, derived from Greek words "bios"
(life) and "metrikos" (measurement), uses unique biological
traits like fingerprints or facial features to automatically
identify and confirm an individual. [2] There are many
applications of biometric technology that involve the
identification and verification of people. Authentication finds
application in government systems, fraud prevention,
timekeeping, physical access control, and automotive
locks/ignitions.
A. BIOMETRIC TRAITS
The table provided enumerates prevalent human
physiological and behavioural traits employed in biometric
system implementation.[3]
These traits possess specific properties:
i. Universality: Every individual must possess
properties utilized by the system.
ii. Distinctiveness: Characteristics must be discernible,
ensuring that two individuals do not share identical
traits.
iii. Performance: Optimal EER should be
individualized.
iv. Permanence: Properties do not need to be changed
or modified during a person's lifetime.
v. Acceptability: The capture phase should not be
cumbersome, and the system should be user friendly.
B. Fingerprint Identification
Fingerprint biometrics is a highly accurate method of
biometric recognition that relies on the intricate tapestry of
ridges and valleys on our fingertips and tiny, one-of-a-kind
markers called minutiae.[1] Fingerprint scanners come in
two main types: touch-based and contactless optical systems.
Touch-based systems, commonly found on laptops, function
like digital cameras, using visible light to capture digital
images of fingertips. However, this method has drawbacks
such as elastic deformation of the skin upon contact and user
pressure affecting the result. Contactless fingerprint
scanners, on the other hand, bathe the finger in light and
analyse the reflected or transmitted signals to capture the
unique fingerprint. Some systems even add a layer of
liveness detection, using the body's natural perspiration as a
telltale sign of a real finger. High magnification lenses and
specialized lighting technology capture sweat on the fingers,
determining whether they are alive or not.
1
 TABLE I. CONTRAST AMONG VARIOUS BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES
C. Operation Principle
Operating on the principle of capturing detailed images
of unique marks, the most advanced technologies employed
are optical, silicon, and ultrasound.[4] In the realm of
fingerprint recognition, two primary algorithm families are
utilized:
1. Minutia coordination involves comparing specific
points of interest within the fingerprint patterns. The
enrolment process involves identifying minutiae points with
their location and direction, which are then compared to a
"fingerprint memory" to determine if the fingerprint matches
the stored template, similar to comparing a map to the actual
terrain.
2. Design coordinating compares the in general
characteristics of the fingerprints, not as it were person
focuses. Unique finger impression characteristics can
incorporate sub-areas of certain intrigued counting edge
thickness, ebb and flow, or thickness. Amid enrolment, little
areas of the unique finger impression and their relative
separations are extricated from the unique finger impression.
Fingerprint zones defined by unique patterns near minutiae,
low ridge flow, and atypical edge combinations.
Fig. 1. Generating binary code through Fingerprint.
Fingerprint recognition systems store and compare
unique fingerprint data, using various storage methods and
compression. These systems verify a match between stored
and scanned prints. Fingerprint readers focus on specific
areas where ridges intersect, form patterns, or create loops,
like the central "whorl" found in fingerprints. These unique
2
characteristics are converted into a code, acting as a secure
identifier for the individual.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Reversible biometrics, a combination of biometrics and
encryption, uses a one-way transformation to scramble
biometric data into an irreversible format, providing an extra
layer of security compared to raw data storage.[5][6] This
portion delves into previously proposed related work aimed
at establishing a user authentication system. The approach
involves incorporating soft biometric features and fuzzy
vault schemes.Nandkumar et al. [7] propose a multi-
biometric template security approach using Fuzzy-Vault,
emphasizing its importance in safeguarding biometric data
that is irreplaceable and cannot be reset.Securing different
templates for users separately is not particularly beneficial
for security reasons.Therefore, our proposal suggests a
method to consolidate multiple templates from users into a
single thing. Abhilasha et al.[8] devised a two-phase
authentication mechanism for federated identity management
systems. The initial phase involves biometric two-factor
authentication based on zero-knowledge evidence. They
generated cryptographic biometric keys using techniques
from vector space models.These secret keys leverage the
advantages of biometric authentication while protecting the
privacy of biometric data. Sunil et al. [9] developed a secure
fingerprint storage method using unique, erasable biometric
features, generating a secure feature matrix and
cryptographic keys for data encryption and decryption.A new
method has been presented. They introduced a method for
creating erasable keys from fingerprints, aiming to overcome
the constraints associated with conventional approaches. The
integration of encryption with biometrics is a feature of the
Biometric Cryptographic System, also recognized as the
Cryptographic Biometric System [10]. Within this system,
they introduced the concept of cancellable biometrics, which
had been previously proposed in [11].Souter et al. in [12]
anticipated a modern, more progressed use of biometrickeys
authoritative calculation utilizing an optical relationship
based unique mark coordinating framework. Their
calculation ties a cryptographic key with the user's unique
finger impression pictures at the time of enrolment and
employments Fourier handling to pay recompense for unique
mark picture relocation. [13] A channel is planned in arrange
to get a trade-off between mutilation resistance and
segregation of these pictures.
 determine positive identification, ensuring a secure
and reliable biometric authentication process.

Fig. 2. Biometric System.

III. PROPOSED TECHNIQUE

The study proposes a novel minutiae-based fingerprint
matching technique that improves the robustness of
biometric security systems. The technique uses scale-
invariant feature transform (SIFT) to extract robust key
points and descriptors from pre-processed fingerprint images,
making them insensitive to changes in scale, rotation, and
illumination. This resilience to image variations significantly
improves matching accuracy, especially in real-world
scenarios where sensor noise and external factors are
unavoidable. The minutiae approach also achieves surprising
computational efficiency, as it uses a furan-based matcher to
quickly identify corresponding key points between input and
stored fingerprint images. This reduces processing time and
increases the scalability of the system, allowing it to handle
large databases without sacrificing accuracy. This technology
paves the way for integration into various security
applications, such as border control and mobile device
authentication, where fast and reliable identification is
paramount. The new minutiae-based fingerprint matching
technology is a significant advancement in biometric security
systems, enhancing their reliability and efficiency. By
leveraging SIFT functionality and optimizing the matching
process, this approach will lead to a future where fingerprint-
based security becomes more resilient to real-world
challenges, protects sensitive information, and protects
critical infrastructure while providing additional convenience
and security to users.

STEPS INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION

i. Acquisition of Fingerprint Images: Obtaining
fingerprint images through biometric sensors or
devices is the initial step in the biometric
identification process.
ii. Improving Image Quality: Enhancing the quality
of fingerprint images by employing pre-processing
methods to eliminate noise and rectify distortions,
ensuring clearer and more reliable data.
iii. Integration of SIFT for Feature Extraction:
Implementing the Scale-Invariant Feature Transform
(SIFT) to extract robust key points and descriptors
from pre-processed fingerprint images, ensuring
resilience to variations in fingerprint patterns.
iv. Identification of Minutiae Points: Identifying
traditional minutiae points within fingerprint images,
capturing unique ridge characteristics that contribute
to individualized biometric profiles.
v. Secure Matching and Decision-Making: Swiftly
matching corresponding key points using a furan-
based matcher for efficient comparison and
establishing a threshold for decision-making to
Fig. 3. Flowchart Showing Enhanced Fingerprint Matching.
IV. IMPLEMENTATION
In the proposed model, a sample fingerprint image is
read, and SIFT key points along with descriptors are
computed. Subsequently, the dataset of real fingerprint
images is traversed, and for each image, SIFT key points and
descriptors are calculated. FLANN-based matching is then
employed to identify potential correspondences between key
points. Matches are filtered based on distance ratios, and a
match score is computed as the ratio of valid matches to the
total number of key points. Throughout the iteration, the best
match and its corresponding score are kept track of.
Upon completion of the processing loop, the filename of
the best-matching real fingerprint image and its associated
matching score are output. If valid matches are found, the
matches are visualized using the OpenCV library. The goal is
to ascertain the real fingerprint image that best aligns with
the provided sample, enabling fingerprint recognition or
authentication in biometric systems.

3
 VI. RESULT AND ANALYSIS
The results obtained from the implementation include the
identification of the real fingerprint image that exhibits the
highest match with the provided sample. The SIFT
algorithm, implemented using OpenCV, is utilized to detect
key points and compute descriptors for both the sample and
real fingerprint images. Through FLANN-based matching,
potential correspondences between key points are
established, and matches are filtered based on distance ratios.

Fig. 4. Sample Altered Fingerprint

V. LIBRARIES USED
i. OpenCV (cv2): The code utilizes OpenCV for image The best-matching real fingerprint image, along with its
and video processing, employing functions like associated matching score, is determined by tracking the
`cv2.imread` for reading images and highest match score throughout the iteration. If valid matches
`cv2.SIFT_create()` for creating a SIFT object. are found, the script visualizes the matches using the
OpenCV library. Ultimately, the capability of the code lies in
its ability to ascertain the real fingerprint image that aligns
most closely with the given sample, contributing to
fingerprint recognition or authentication in biometric
systems.
ii. SIFT Algorithm: The SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature
Transform) algorithm is utilized for identifying key
points and computing descriptors in fingerprint
images, contributing to robust feature matching.

iii. os: The `os` library is employed to interact with the

operating system, facilitating navigation through the
directory structure and access to files in the dataset.
Fig. 5. Fingerprint Matching

TABLE II. COMPARISON BETWEEN FINGERPRINT-MATCHING TECHNIQUES.

Technique Description Strength Weakness

Proposed technique (SIFT-based Combines minutiae-based matching More robust to image variations, More complex to implement than
minutiae matching) with scale-invariant feature transform noise, and distortions; traditional techniques
(SIFT) for robustness. Computationally efficient; Scalable

Minutiae-based matching Relies on comparing minutiae (ridge Unique and user-friendly; Easy to Sensitive to image quality
endings, bifurcations) in fingerprints. implement variations, noise, and distortions;
Computationally expensive

Correlation-based matching Measures the similarity between two Less sensitive to minutiae variations; Less accurate than minutiae-based
fingerprint images based on their overall Faster than minutiae-based matching matching; Susceptible to spoofing
pattern. attacks

4
 VII. FUTURE ENHANCEMENT [5] N. K. Ratha, S. Chikkerur, J. H. Connell, and R. M. Bolle, 2007,
“Generating Cancelable fingerprint templates”.
Based on the above technique, it is concluded that the [6] M. Savvides, B. V. K. V. Kumar, and P. K. Khosla, August 2004,
method proposed in this article signifies a noteworthy stride “Cancelable Biometric filters for face recognition”.
in the realm of biometric security. With the incorporation of [7] K. Nandakumar, and A. K. Jain, 2008, “Multi biometric Template
scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) and the employment Security Using Fuzzy Vault”, 2nd IEEE International Conference on
of a furan-based matcher, the minutiae-based fingerprint- Biometrics: Theory, Applications and Systems: pp. 1-6
matching technique demonstrates an elevated level of [8] Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Anna Squicciarini, and Elisa Bertino,
accuracy and efficiency. The anticipation is that, owing to its 2006, “Privacy preserving multi-factor authentication with
biometrics”, Conference on Computer and Communications Security:
inherent robustness, this model will garner widespread pp. 63-72
adoption and witness ongoing advancements in the future. [9] Sunil V. K. Gaddam, and Manohar Lal, 2010, “Efficient Cancelable
The system's scalability, coupled with the computational Biometric Key Generation Scheme for Cryptography”, International
efficiency of the furan-based matcher, positions it to adeptly Journal of Network Security, Vol.11, No. 2: pp. 57-65
manage increasingly extensive databases without [10] U. Uludag, S. Pankanti, S. Prabhakar, and A. Jain, 2004, “Biometric
compromising on precision. As the trajectory of cryptosystems: Issues and challenges”, In Proceedings of the IEEE,
technological progress unfolds, further optimizations in Special Issue on Enabling Security Technologies for Digital Rights
Management, Vol. 92: pp.948–960.
sensor technologies and image processing are expected to
refine the model's performance, augmenting its resilience to [11] R. Ang, R. Safavi-Naini, and L. McAven, 2005, “Cancelable key-
based fingerprint templates”, ACISP 2005: pp.242-252
a spectrum of real-world challenges.The model's optimized
[12] C. Soutar and D. Roberge, 1999, “Biometricencryption”, ICSA Guide
speed not only ensures swift and reliable identification but to Cryptography, McGraw-Hill
also positions fingerprint-based security as an integral [13] S. Prabhakar, S. Pankanti, A. K. Jain” Biometric recognition: security
component in fortifying sensitive information and and privacy concerns” IEEE Security and Privacy, pp. 33-42,
safeguarding critical infrastructure. The future scope of this March/April 2003
technique extends across diverse applications, setting a [14] Jain K, Hong L, Bolle R. Online fingerprint verification. IEEE
definitive standard for the forthcoming generation of transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence. 1997;
biometric identification systems. Its adaptability and 19(4):302–313.
effectiveness lay the groundwork for a future where [15] Catherine J. Tilton, " The Role of Biometrics in Enterprise Security"
February 2006. Available:
biometric security not only meets but surpasses the demands
of evolving security landscapes, offering enhanced protection http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps1q06-20050132-
Tilton-OE.pdf.
and convenience across a multitude of sectors. [16] Fieke Hillerström, Ajay Kumar,“On Generation and Analysis of
Synthetic Finger-Vein Images for Biometrics Identification”, June
VIII. CONCLUSION 2014.
An innovative approach to biometric security has been
presented in this research paper, focusing on the proposed
minutiae-based fingerprint-matching technique. It presents a
method using SIFT to extract key points and descriptors
from fingerprint images, making them resilient to scale,
rotation, and illumination variations. This approach
addresses limitations in traditional minutiae-based matching,
such as image quality variations, noise, and subtle
distortions. It strengthens biometric security systems against
real-world challenges by creating unique anchors in the
fingerprint landscape, ensuring identification accuracy
despite blurred or obscured details. The furan-based matcher
enhances computational efficiency and facilitates rapid and
reliable identification, crucial in security applications where
time is of the essence. As this approach gains traction, it
promises a security landscape where sensitive information is
shielded with heightened resilience. This represents a
pioneering step towards a future where biometric security
achieves unprecedented levels of reliability, safeguarding
critical data against evolving threats.
REFERENCES
[1] N. Radha and S. Karthikeyan, “A Study on Biometric Template
Security”, ICTACT.
[2] Kapil Chauhan, “Role of Biometric security for The Enhancement of
Data Security”, International Journal of Computers & Technology,
October 2015, ISSN 2277-3061
[3] Vincenzo Conti, C Militello, S Vitabile, “Biometric authentication
overview: a fingerprint recognition sensor description”, International
Journal of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2017, 2(1):26‒31
DOI:10.15406/ijbsbe.2017.02.00011
[4] Amber Habib, Ijlal Shahrukh Ateeq, Kamran Hameed, “Biometric
Security System based on Fingerprint Recognition”, International
Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology (ISSN : 2277-1581)
Volume No.2, Issue No.9, pp : 892-894 1 Sept. 2013