AUTHENTICATIONS

DEFINE AUTHENTICATIONS

• Authentication is a process where users verify that they are

who they say they are. The user who attempts to perform
functions in a system is in fact the user who is authorised to
do so.
• For Example: When you use an ATM card, the machine will
verify the validation of the card then the machine will request
for a pin number. This is where the authentication process
takes place.
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 METHODS OF AUTHENTICATION

• There are two commonly used authentication methods

 BIOMETRIC DEVICES
 CALLBACK SYSTEM
 BIOMETRIC DEVICES

•A device that translates personal

characteristics into a digital code that is
compared with a digital code stored in the
database.
BIOMETRIC DEVICES
 FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION

• In order to prevent fake fingers

from being used, many
biometrics fingerprint systems
also measure blood flow, or
check for correctly arrayed ridges
at the edges of the fingers
 FACIAL RECOGNITION

• Facial recognition analyses the

characteristics of an individual's face
images captured through a digital video
camera. Facial recognition is widely used,
touted as a fantastic system for
recognising potential threats (whether
terrorists, scam artists, or known
criminals).
 HAND GEOMETRY SCANNING

• Hand scanning involves the measurement and

analysis of the shape of one's hand.

• Unlike fingerprints, the human hand isn't unique.

• Individual hand features are not descriptive

enough for identification.

• It is possible to devise a method by combining

various individual features and measurements of
fingers and hands for verification purposes.
 IRIS SCANNING

• Iris scanning analyses the features that exist in the coloured

tissues surrounding the pupil which has more than 200 points that
can be used for comparison, including rings, furrows and freckles.
• The scans use a regular video camera and can be done from
further away than a retinal scan.It will work perfectly fine through
glasses and in fact has the ability to create an accurate enough
measurement that it can be used for identification purposes.
• The accuracy of this method is excellent while the cost involved is
high
 RETINAL SCANNING

 Retinal biometrics involves the scanning of retina and analysing the

layer of blood vessels at the back of the eye.
 Retinal scanning involves using a low-intensity light source and an
optical coupler and can read the patterns at a great level of
accuracy.
 Retina scanning requires the user to remove glasses, place their eye
close to the device, and focus on a certain point. Whether the
accuracy can outweigh the public discomfort is yet to be seen.
 The accuracy in retinal scanning is very good and the cost involved
is fair.
 VOICE RECOGNITION

 Voice recognition system compares a person’s live speech with their stored
voice pattern.
 Voice recognition biometrics requires user to speak into a microphone. What
he speaks can be his password or an access phrases.
 Verification time is approximately 5 seconds. To prevent recorded voice use,
most voice recognition devices require the high and low frequencies of the
sound to match, which is difficult for many recording instruments to recreate
well. Also, some devices generate random number of sequences for
verification.
 The accuracy in voice recognition is fair and the cost involved is very
reasonable.
SIGNATURE VERIFICATION
SYSTEM

Signature verification system uses special pen and tablet. After pre-
processing the signature, several features are extracted.
 
The authenticity of a writer is determined by comparing an input signature to
a stored reference set (template) consisting of three signatures.
 
The similarity between an input signature and the reference set is computed
using string matching and the similarity value is compared to a threshold.
 
The accuracy in signature verification system is fair and the cost involved is
excellent.
 ADVANTAGES OF BIOMETRIC

• Quicker Authentication • Scalability

• Improves the Security System • Flexible
• Maximizes Convenience • Offers the best ROI
• Complete Control Over Access • Complete Data Accuracy
 Quicker Authentication
• Traditionally, businesses used to opt for the ‘pen and paper’
method, where an employee would sign in by penning his
signature on an ‘attendance sheet.’
• The manual process would be time-consuming; however, the
biometric system eliminates the need for physical attendance.
• Employees can just use the retina or fingerprint scanner to sign
in to record their attendance.
 Improves the Security System
• Passwords, pins, security codes are hard to remember for some
people. The biometric system eliminates the need to remember
passwords. It offers different modes like retina recognition,
fingerprint, or face scanner.
• Additionally, the system can be used to protect sensitive data,
because fingerprints can’t be forged, while passwords and pins
can be stolen.
 Maximizes Convenience
• The biometric system is a convenient method of tracking each
employee in an organization because it provides authentic sign-
in and sign-out data.
• HR officers don’t have to browse heaps of attendance sheets to
calculate leaves, late sign-ins, or overtime for individual
employees. The handy tool gathers all the information for you.
 Complete Control Over Access
• The physical authentication gives HR officers and organizations
control over who has access to the office building, vaults,
sensitive data, and lockers.
• The biometric system allows them to limit access to
unauthorized personnel.
• All you do is give access to only those who matter.
 Scalability
• The biometric system is one system per organization deal. The technology
can be used for more than one aspect of the organization, whether it’s a
new department or a special project. It is the most scalable security
solution for big and small businesses today.
• For example, banks are investing in affordable mobile app development
 and biometric where users can sign using the fingerprint on their
smartphones!
 Flexible
• The biometric system offers users the flexibility of using
physical traits and eliminating the need for remembering
passwords or pins.
• Most smartphones, in the present day, have fingerprint
scanners that allow the user quick access to the files on their
phones.
• Likewise, apps like WhatsApp also offer finger identification,
that helps users keep their data protected from unwanted theft.
 Offers the best ROI
• The biometric authentication system has an unmatched
ROI as compared to other security solutions.
• It’s a single device that keeps track of every sign in and
employee access in a large enterprise.
• The device is much better than a resource who would
do the same job for a hefty salary.
 Complete Data Accuracy
• The data provided by a company biometric is 100%
authentic and reliable.
• The biometric system only allows access to authorized
personnel and keeps out intruders.
• Data security is guaranteed once a physical trait is
logged onto the system by restricting outside access.
 DISADVANTAGES OF BIOMETRIC
• Physical Disabilities • Software Malfunction
• Expensive on the Pocket • No Remote Access
• Physical Traits Can’t Be • Security Breaches
Altered
• Fake Positives
• Scanner Issues
 Physical Disabilities
• The authentication system only recognizes traits that were entered and fail to
recognize the user if their physical traits change even the slightest. Here are
a few reasons why traits might change:
 A burnt or damaged finger
 A retina transplants
 Tattooed hands
 If the user is wearing lenses (and usually doesn’t) or vice versa
• In such situations, the authentication method needs to be changed to grant
authorized user access, which can be inconvenient.
 Expensive on the Pocket
• While the system is reliable and handy, the cost is not
easy on the pocket.
• The biometric system is yet to be mainstream, which is
why the setup, integration, and hardware can be
costly, especially for small businesses.
 Physical Traits Can’t Be Altered
• Like any other system, the biometric system is not
perfect.
• The system is still changing to become better. That
means users can’t rely on the safety of their data.
• If the data were stolen, they can’t try to ‘change’ their
identification traits like they can change passwords
during a security breach.
 Scanner Issues
• Some biometric systems can face scanning issues if
there is even a slight change, especially if the company
is using retina scanning.
• Iris scanning is still not 100% reliable because the
system will fail if the user has long eyelashes, different
eye color, or a reflection in the cornea.
 Software Malfunction

• The biometric system is also unreliable because it’s an

automatic system that depends on electricity to run. If
there is a power shortage, no user can enter or exit.
• Additionally, if the software has a bug or fails due to
any reason, it will restrict access to users until the
software is restored.
 No Remote Access
• In a crisis, like a security breach, HR professionals
cannot access the system ‘remotely’ to try and
eliminate sensitive data, which is a major disadvantage
for the system.
 Security Breaches
• In the case of a security breach, the hackers tend to
steal all data to access unauthorized parts of business
later.
• Once the data is stolen, no one can do anything about
it because it can’t be altered.
 Fake Positives
• Hacking is an undying cyber theft, which means that
hackers can easily manipulate stolen biometric data to
create fake positives.
• Fake positives are finger impressions made out of
silicone to access sensitive data of organizations,
making the biometric security vulnerable.
 CALLBACK SYSTEM

The callback system is commonly used

in the bank operation and business
transaction.
 
For example, when you book for the taxi
service, the operator will ask you to
hang up and she will call you back to
confirm for the service required
 WHY IS AUTHENTICATION IMPORTANT?

• Authentication is important in order to safeguard

against the unauthorized access and use.
EXERCISES