Decentralized Biometrics: Is it the Ultimate Solution?
Debesh Choudhury, PhD
Information Security Researcher, Academician, Entrepreneur | Password & Cybersecurity, Digital Identity, Biometrics Limit, 3D Education | Linux Trainer | Writer | Podcast Host
Biometrics is creating a wave in almost every fintech application. The other technology that is already entwined with biometrics is blockchain. The success of such a technological marriage depends on the reliability of both of the technologies. Primarily, it relies on how well spoofing of biometrics can be addressed. The final challenge rests on blockchain and its variants for device independent and error free processing.
How biometrics would address spoofing issues ?
The biometric spoofing is the major problem in adapting biometrics for fintech applications. Most of the biometric modalities are prone to spoofing attacks. Liveness detection of facial expression and fingerprints are often tried to avoid spoofing problems but with very limited success. Only a few modalities such as finger vein ID shows some promise. Since finger vein ID is the human vein patterns underneath the skin, it can't be easily hacked or copied.
Whether the biometric recognition system is empowered with a blockchain technique or not, the spoofing problems remain the same. So an adequately secure anti spoofing mechanism is must for any consumer application of biometrics. But, one has to check whether blockchain can improve the traditional biometric recognition systems or not.
What advantages may a decentralized biometrics really offer?
It is claimed that blockchain can offer advantages in biometrics by empowering it to be stored in multiple decentralized and distributed ledgers. Can this advantage surmount the present limitations? Do the special features of blockchain add new problems in an otherwise simple passwords and PIN based multi layer authentication system?
Can digital identity management improve by using blockchain?
According to the theory, the blockchain algorithm may revolutionize the digital identity management. The digital information of the humans may be broken into pieces and distributed over several blocks stored in different computer servers. To reconstruct the complete identity, all the distributed partial identity information are needed.
Hyperledger project of the Linux Foundation shows promise for biometrics
The open source Hyperledger project of the Linux Foundation is an interesting modification of blockchain algorithm for applications for business, which has the support of IBM and several other tech corporations.
Hyperledger can be public or open as original blockchain claims, it can also be private or public proof, i.e., hyperledger can be private and permission-ed. This is suitable to be adapted for digital identity management and biometric identity authentication. It attracted several business players including United Biometrics, HyPR Securities to adopt hyperledger to provide decentralized biometrics for real world applications.
But problems remain in decentralized biometrics ..
The most user friendly aspect of password and PIN based centralized authentication system is simple. If the password is lost or stolen, the users have the option of resetting or reviving the account with helps from the central processing center.
In a decentralized biometrics system, there is no possibility of reviving the account if the private key is lost. If the user somehow loses the private key, the account is lost for ever.
What could be the ultimate solution if the private encryption key is lost?
This is a tricky situation that can often happen in real life. A lost private key means the user loses all data, in case of bitcoin the user loses all the digital money or cryptocurrency! In case of bitcoin, the distributed ledger community haven't given any sure solution for reviving the data or bitcoin.
Multi-biometrics may recover the lost private encryption key
In case of digital identity management problems, the researchers have suggested that the solution could be to physically visit a secure facility where a multitude of biometrics tests may help to reclaim the private key. Now, this is just under discussion between the many regulatory authorities around the world.
The blockchain’s private key-loss conundrum is still unsolved!
So, me and my collaborator are keeping our fingers crossed. Because we are in a rigorous study mode to test distributed ledger technology for biometrics and other real world problems.
What do you think? Supposing your bank offers the decentralized biometrics as an authentication tool for its users, what would you do? Would you accept "blockchain-ed" biometrics as your authentication method? If you lose the private key, then you would lose the entire funds in your account. Are you ready to do that?
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I am Debesh Choudhury and you can see my LinkedIn blog page here. My current research focuses on Biometric Security and Privacy Protection. You can give me a connection invite, follow me on Twitter and Facebook or beBee.
Here are some other posts I authored:
- Spoofing Biometrics isn't Impossible
- Privacy protection could have saved Aadhaar data breach
- Data Protection is a Big Challenge
- Why GNU/Linux is not Accepted by the Academic Community
- Unix-like Operating Systems are Safer to Malware and Virus Attacks
- Why Google and Microsoft Run after Glass and Lens?
- Power of a LinkedIn Connection
- Best Solution to Software Virus
- Need 15 Tips to Eat a Biscuit?
In June 2015, Dr. Jeffrey Strickland and I founded a new LinkedIn Group called "The Unfluencers". To learn about the history of "The Unfluencers" please read the seminal LinkedIn article by Dr. Jeffrey Strickland entitled -- "Who are the Unfluencers". This group is an open group. You are welcome to join this group and engage yourself in the discussions. The Unfluencer?? Logo is a registered trademark of Dr. Jeffrey Strickland.
Text Copyright ? 2018 Debesh Choudhury— All Rights Reserved
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Debesh Choudhury is an academician and researcher. He is interested in the science and engineering of optics and electronics. He uses GNU/Linux, Free and Open Source Software for all his works related to computers, be it educational or entertainment, professional or personal.
#Biometrics #Blockchain #Hyperledger #DebeshChoudhury
Independent Writing and Editing Professional
6 年Interesting concept. My first reaction was, "What a great idea.", but the thought of losing an account forever if I lose the key is a bit much to deal with. And that would still be an issue if the hardware and software were perfect (which will never occur). If I invest in a little cryptocurrency, that's one thing, but my life savings or the deed to my home is quite another! If central identity key creation/recovery services were established (presumably the required hardware and expertise to run? it would be quite expensive), that would alleviate the problem by creating a more serious one. Then, whoever controls those centers would have too much power (they could keep copies of any keys they created without the clients necessarily knowing about it and decide who they would allow to use the service.) That can't happen when I create a password on my own (unhacked) computer. This would be creating a man in the middle situation as part of the system design. I'm going to look at those videos later. They look very interesting.
leading research at cern
6 年I'm sharing this article my dear friend Debesh ??excellent thanks Roberto ??
Quite a interesting read, more we can read on blockchain and biometrics ie: decentralized authentication and encryption management
Leading & Growing Consulting Practices ★ Connecting Analytics, Economics & Strategy ★ Developing Tomorrow's Leaders & Experts ★ Speaker ★ Onalytica Key Opinion Leader Industry 4.0
6 年You've hit on a great topic that I don't hear much about. On the surface it would seem #blockchain is a great solution, so it's important to see it may not be the panacea people outside the cycber security world might think it is.