done. The main features used in this technology are :

• Latencies between two successive keystrokes.
• Finger placement.
• Pressure applied on the keys.
• Overall typing speed.

Advantages

• It is simple to implement and does not require any specialized hardware.

Disadvantages

• Various circumstances, such as psycho-emotional state, hand injury, and fatigue, can influence keystroke rhythm, which has limited accuracy.

What are the challenges of Biometric Authentication?

There are a couple of challenges to using biometric authentication:

• If stored biometric data is compromised, it would be a significant privacy concern. Biometric data of an individual, unlike other credentials like passwords or PINs, cannot be changed.
• One must ensure that the collected biometric data is not influenced by noise or errors. Biometric systems must endure failures within a rational bound and give reliable results.

How secure is Biometric Authentication?

The biometric system is still in its infancy and cannot be considered to be 100% secure. A biometric system can be compromised in many ways :

• Attackers can use a backdoor to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to the system.
• Attackers can provide a facsimile of the actual biometrics to gain access. In the worst case, the attacker can use body parts not attached to the owner to gain access. A biometric system should be able to tell the difference between a live body part and an amputated one.
• At the time of enrollment, the biometric data of an individual is collected and stored in a database so that it can later be compared with the collected biometric data for authentication. An attacker can perpetrate a Man-In-The-Middle Attack while storing the biometric data and manipulate the data to take advantage of that later.

So, biometric systems cannot be considered to be entirely secure. However, two-factor authentication comprising of biometric data of an individual and something you know like a password or PIN will increase security to a great extent and provide effective countermeasures.

Biometrics and Privacy Concerns

Privacy is a big concern for biometrics. We have seen a couple of incidences where the use of biometrics called for questions from privacy advocates. For example, using face recognition technology, one can monitor public places and use scanned images to identify known criminals. But, if the scanning is done without the knowledge of the public and utilizing a technology that is not fully understood for its impacts, then it is a big privacy concern.

Privacy concern also exists about how the biometric data stored in a database can be used. Using or sharing biometric data without the individual’s knowledge is also a big privacy concern.

Also, biometric systems should be safeguarded from fraudulent activities and data breaches. Biometrics of an individual, unlike other credentials, cannot be changed.

Applications of Biometrics

Biometrics are used in several places: …