Electronic Fingerprint Scanning for Security at Airports - Research Paper Example

?Fingerprint Scanning at Airports Background The advancement in the field of technology has changed the mode of operations in all walks of life. It is due to the integration of technology that business processes and security measures have been improved to a great extent. The conventional processes of paper based identifications have been replaced by technological identifications that offer a more reliable form of authentication. Recent history of mankind has witnessed extensive forms of destructions, terrorism acts and severe attempts of causing harm to the society. Most of the loopholes that have been identified in the security processes are due to the use of fake identities borne by the criminals or terrorists. The exponential increase in the acts of terrorism has made it vital for organizations to be equipped with accurate and reliable modes of authentication. The identity cards cannot be afforded to be trusted anymore due to their vulnerability of being forged. Therefore, another alternate method is being widely accepted in organizations, government agencies and public premises- biometric authentication systems. Biometric authentication systems identify the individual on the basis of his unique biometric features. Biometric features include fingerprint scans, retinal image, palm prints, face gestures etc. Biometric authentication bears accurate identification of the individual since biometric features are unique in every individual and they cannot be as easily forged as other paper based authentication modes. Jain, Hong and Pankanti (2000) discussed a study of Jain, Bolle and Pankanti (1999); their research included a comparison of biometrics on the basis of different factors that play a part in the success of the authentication mechanism. The comparisons are given in the following table; Table 1: Comparison between different biometrics (Jain, Bolle and Pankanti (1999) in Jain, Hong and Pankanti (2000)) It can be seen from Table 1 that fingerprint scans do not give low performance in any factor, unlike all the other biometrics. The aspect of uniqueness is high in fingerprint scans therefore it provides accurate identification of individuals. Fingerprint scans can be easily extracted from fingerprint scanners and readers; it is due to this convenience and accessibility that they have been widely accepted around the world. The introduction of fingerprint scanning at public places can prove to identify the individuals who may be a threat to other people in the society. Airports are sensitive places where many incidents of terrorism have been witnessed in the past history; such incidents include hijacking of planes and making individuals hostages. The current authentication mechanism at airports relies on passports that can be easily forged; therefore the integration of fingerprint authentication mechanism in the boarding process of passengers will ensure that individuals with criminal records are not allowed to board on the plane. 2. Literature Review Much research has been done regarding the usage of biometric authentication systems for homeland security. Before the discussion of the approaches that have been adapted by different nations and organizations, it is vital to understand the attributes and processes of the respective systems. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (2006) stated that the basis of an authentication process of any system resides on the following factors; Something that is known by the user, for example, PIN, password etc. Something that is owned by the user, for example, smart card, token ID etc. Something is inherently possessed by the individual, for example, fingerprints, face gestures, palm prints etc. The last factor is known to provide the highest level of security among all the other three factors since inherence based factors are unique in all individuals and cannot be stolen as easily as the other factors. The biometric recognition systems are used to perform two basic operations; identification and verification. The process of identification refers to the resolution of the identity of the individual, whereas verification refers to the process of confirming the identity of the individual. The most important phase in the recognition of the biometric is the enrollment phase where the fingerprint scans is saved in a central database. This serves as the registration of the individual in the database that can be used in the future for identification or verification purposes. The identification and verification process of fingerprint scanning are explained below in figure 2 and 3, respectively: Figure 1: Enrollment and Identification process (Danis, 2004) Figure 2: Enrollment and Verification process (Danis, 2004) Many projects have been launched around the world to incorporate the biometric authentication process for improving airport security. One of the projects that have been launched by the US government is US-VISIT program; it facilitates the process of entry and exit of the visitors in the country. When an individual applies for a US visa, his fingerprint scans, digital photographs are entered in a centralized system. When the user finally reaches the US land, his fingerprint scans are verified at the airport with the scans that were acquired at the time of the application of the visa. This is done to ensure that the person who applied for the visa and the person, who is issued the visa, are the same. National Science and Technology Council (2006) stated that this helps eradicate any instances of illegal immigrants in the country. Konrad (2001) presented a report on the 9/11 attacks in US and how they could have been made less probable in the presence of high tech authentication systems on the airports. The report discussed some of the organizations that have already adopted such systems, for example New York JFK Airport has deployed hand scanners in their boarding process but the respective systems are to facilitate a faster boarding process for the frequent flyers, rather than for security purposes. This report also stated some feedbacks from aviation experts who did not approve of the integration of fingerprint scanning in the security processes at the airport. They argued that such a process will result in significant time consumption for the passengers and the aviation staff; hence it will not be practical for overcrowded airports. Spain has deployed multi-biometric security systems at their airports. The main aim of these systems is to increase the pace of the passport control process for the European Citizens and to ensure greater security in their homeland. The process includes the automated reading of the electronic passport of the individual; the passport is verified and ensured if it is valid or not. Upon the successful verification of the passport, the individual is asked to present his biometric features that are matched with the electronic version of his documents. In case of a successful match, the traveler is issued an entry permit. The whole process is monitored by the National Police to handle the matter if any instances of mismatch are witnessed. Airport International (2010) reported that many countries opt for single biometric authentication systems; however Spain has decided to enhance the level of security with the presence of fingerprint and facial recognition. There is no enrollment process required in the identification of the international visitors since the biometric information on their passports is enough for verification purposes. However, the system enables the European citizens to utilize their national ID cards in place of the passports. Such citizens would have gone through the process of enrollment at the time of the issue of the national ID card. The process at the airport would include the identification of the individual by matching the fingerprint scans with the national central citizen database. South Korea has initiated efforts to deploy fingerprint recognition system on the airports in their region. They have installed it on 22 airports and have improved the security measures to a great extent. These systems aim to verify the identity of the international visitors in the country to ensure that no individual enters the country on the basis of fake documents and identities. Airport International (2010) explained that deportation has been decided as the course of action if any mismatch cases are observed. 3. Research Objectives The usage of biometric has been adapted at few airports around the world. The wide acceptance of this concept can serve to improve the airport security significantly. The main objective of the research is to analyze prospects for such a concept and the level of acceptability that can be expected for this type of software application. There are numerous biometrics used for authentication in the modern markets, for example, palm print, retinal image, face gestures, fingerprints etc. Fingerprint scans have been chosen as the mode of authentication for this research study. The accuracy, usability and accessibility of the fingerprint biometric shall be evaluated with respect to the other biometric authentication technologies. The advantages and disadvantages of the fingerprint authentication mechanism shall also be researched. The main objective of the research is to increase the level of security at airports. The verification of travelers’ identities shall facilitate the identification of the illegal immigrants and the individuals who are wanted by the police and other authorities. Significant degree of improvement in security is aimed to be achieved through the use of this approach. The level of improvement in the airport security shall be analyzed in the research study. The above mentioned aims can be summarized in the following manner: To investigate the level of acceptability and usability of fingerprint scanning mechanism at airports. To analyze the level of accuracy and suitability of fingerprint authentication mechanism for enhancing the security at airports. To assess the improvement in security that is expected to be witnessed after the deployment of such an authentication mechanism. 4. Research Methodology The main aspect of this research study is the acquisition of fingerprint scans of travelers at airports. It is common for individuals to feel threatened about giving their inherent features at public locations; their fears lie in the misuse of the data. It is also argued that these features are personal possessions of individuals that should not be asked at places where there are probable chances of misuse of the information. Therefore, a survey shall be conducted to evaluate the level of acceptance that can be expected for the authentication mechanism at airports. Opportunistic sampling shall be adapted i.e. an approach where participants are not chosen on the basis of a certain characteristic, rather chosen in a natural and random manner. The sample shall consist of random internet users. The main concerns and hesitations of the participants shall be inquired that make them resist the respective form of authentication. Quantitative analysis shall be conducted to analyze the data from the sample. Descriptive research approach shall also be adapted since extensive study needs to be done regarding the prospects of such an authentication mechanism, along with the study of similar existing systems around the world. Prior researches and case studies shall be consulted to evaluate the levels of accuracy and usability that have been experienced by the usage of fingerprint authentication systems in different organizations and government agencies. The advantages and disadvantages of the respective form of authentication shall be analyzed to evaluate the suitability of the mechanism in the setting of an airport. Case studies shall be studied that provide information about the implementation of this mechanism by different nations; their experiences shall be useful to assess the level of success that can be expected from such a system in a crowded and public place, like an airport. These case studies shall be relevant to assess the improvement in security that might be witnessed from the deployment at airports. Other aspects shall also be researched that are expected to be improved due to the adoption of this system, for example, reduced number of illegal immigrants in the country and travelers possessing fake documents. 5. Ethical Issues The research study shall include a literature survey of work by different researchers; however due credit shall be given to each one of them for their ideas and contributions. Upon the collection of data from individuals, the usage and purpose of the data shall be clearly communicated to them. The data shall be kept in a secure manner to avoid any instances of theft or malicious usage. The participants in the survey shall be convinced that the data shall not be used for any other purpose than the report and it shall be responsibly destroyed after the completion of the research. References Airport International 2010, Fingerprint Recognition for South Korean Airports, viewed 25 April 2011, Danis, B 2004, The Role of Technology in Homeland Security, University of Missouri-St. Loius, viewed 24 April 2011, Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council 2006, Authentication in an Internet Banking Environment Purpose, viewed 26 April 2011, Jain, A., Hong, L & Pankanti, S 2000, ‘Biometric Authentication’, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 43, No.2, pp 91-98. Konrad, R 2001, Airport security technology under scrutiny, ZDNet UK, viewed 24 April 2011, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) 2006, Fingerprint Recognition, viewed 27 April 2011, Read More