Human recognition using biometrics: an overview

Establishing identity is becoming critical in our vastly interconnected society. Questions such as “Is she really who she claims to be?”, “Is this person authorized to use this facility?”, or “Is he in the watchlist posted by the government?” are routinely being posed in a variety of scenarios ranging from issuing a drivers license to gaining entry into a country. The need for reliable user authentication techniques has increased in the wake of heightened concerns about security and rapid advancements in networking, communication, and mobility. Biometrics, described as the science of recognizing an individual based on his or her physical or behavioral traits, is beginning to gain acceptance as a legitimate method for determining an individuals identity. Biometric systems have now been deployed in various commercial, civilian, and forensic applications as a means of establishing identity. This paper presents an overview of biometrics and discusses some of the pertinent terminology necessary to understand this technology. The importance of information fusion in the context of biometrics is also highlighted. It is becoming increasingly apparent that multibiometric systems will play a significant role in dispensing the role of identity management in the 21^st century.