The Suitable Applications for Iris Based Key Generation Method - Assignment Example

Applications of Iris Cryptographic Key Generation Suitable Applications of Iris Based Cryptographic Key Generation Question 2: List two suitable applications for such a key generation method and describe how the generated keys from iris are used in these systems The iris of an individual is one of biometrics currently being used to generate cryptographic keys for purposes of authentication and improved security of encrypted information. According to Daugmanm (2002), this is has been particularly achieved through the development and use of iris recognition algorithms that recognizes individuals based on their iris patterns. The two potential applications for this iris based key generation method for cryptography include: i. User Authentication Systems ii. Information Security Systems 1. User Authentication Systems One of the suitable applications for iris based key generation method for cryptography is the biometric user authentication system whereby the system is able to undertake automated authentication of users based on the biometric traits of their iris. The system particularly combines with use of cryptographic keys with the distinctive biometric traits of iris to develop authentication algorithms that can be used to provide individuals with access permission to an information system or data. As opposed to the use of the traditional passwords and PINs, crypto-biometric systems such as the iris based cryptographic keys are significantly more stable and less susceptible to attacks. For example, the public key infrastructure (PKI) method of generation may use the iris biometric features to enhance the security of Private Key and protect the user authentication systems against potential intruders (Bowyer, Hollingsworth, and Flynn, 2006). This is a significant improvement on the traditional cryptosystems where user authentication primarily relies on the possession of secrete keys which may easily be forgotten, stolen or lost, and thus do not often provide nonrepudiation. Generally, the use of iris may provide a number of advantages and solutions to some of these challenges facing the traditional cryptosystems. For example, iris based key generation method for cryptography together with generation algorithms can be used to effectively bind cryptographic keys with the biometric template of a user in such a way that makes it significantly impossible to reveal the key without a successful biometric authentication. The process of using iris based key generation method for cryptography to develop a user authentication system usually involves a number of steps. Firstly, the biometric data of the iris of an individual is acquired using sensors and then the distinctive features are extracted before enrolling the user for biometric authentication. Next, the data is then used to generate cryptographic keys which can be released whenever an authorized user key presents biometric features into the system. During the authentication process, the system usually uses the iris based cryptographic keys to perform comparisons between the references stored during the user enrollment and the presented biometrics before allowing individuals to access the system. Rather than using passwords and PINs as cryptographic keys, it can be created depending on the user-specific biometric information. Since passwords and PINs are either simple to forget or susceptible to attacks. The privacy of bio-cryptosystems can significantly be enhanced by the use of an encryption structure formulated by Yao-Jen Chang, et al. (2004) to produce stable cryptographic keys from biometric data that is unbalanced in nature. The algorithm structure is almost entirely dissimilar to other prior works in which user-dependent transformations were often exploited in order to produce a more compressed and even distinguishable features and characteristics (Balakumar and Venkatesan, 2012, p.81). By this method, a longer and even more constant bit-stream can be created as the key for cryptography in this case. In the asymmetric encryption approach, there is a storage space which is needed in order to store secret private key. Accumulated keys are generally defended by ineffectively chosen user passwords that can either be estimated or obtained through brute force attacks. This is a very weak link in the whole of encryption system and can then be possibly negotiate the reliability of sensitive data. The process of integrating biometrics with cryptography is currently being viewed as a potential solution but any biometric cryptosystem must be in a position of overcoming tiny changes which are present amongst different acquirement of the similar biometric with the aim of generating reliable keys. There is a new technique developed which exploits an entropy dependent feature extraction process integrated with ReedSolomon error correcting codes that can produce deterministic bit-sequences from the output of an iterative one-way transform. 2. Information Security Systems Securing information systems is another potentially suitable application of iris based key generation method for cryptography. The method particularly provides a better security system for information as compared to the conventional security systems that are largely based on the use of security keys or passwords which can easily be compromised through theft. Biometric encryption can either be symmetric where only one secret key is used for encryption and decryption or asymmetric encryption where two keys such as public key and private key are used for encryption and decryption (Bakhtiari, Shirazi and Zahmati, 2007). The use of biometric in information security systems normally involve encrypting the plain text using the biometric features to come up with the cipher text. The biometric key can be generated from genuine iris codes. The original message which is being encrypted is called the plaintext while the encrypted message is called the cipher text. On the other hand, a decryption algorithm may be used in getting back the original plain text from cipher text. The secret key is then used for ciphering the plain text and then sent through a very secure channel. Figure 1: The process of Iris Biometric encryption and Decryption of data in Information Security Systems When the receiver gets the cipher text, the same key is used to decrypt the cipher text in order to get the plain text. This is because of the uniqueness of the iris even for the identical twins. This means that when the features are extracted and used in the encryption of data, the resulting cipher text becomes very difficult to decrypt. This improves the level of security in the systems. Additionally, segmentation process can be used for extracting iris feature. This is where canny edge detection method is used for the extraction of the features. According to many experts, biometric encryption is usually preferred for information security because it provides keys that are safe and fast compared to cryptography alone. Generally, iris based cryptography key information security systems are increasingly being used in many various cryptosystems that need to have high level of security such as the online banking transactions. Biometric encryption algorithms are normally used as the primary mechanism of linking the digital cryptographic keys with the iris biometrics. There are several benefits of biometric based cryptography such as in bank transactions and approving documents. In order to provide better security, a combination of multiple biometric modalities is required rather than just using one. An efficient way of generating cryptographic key based on multiple biometric features such as iris and fingerprint when used can ensure that a more secure cryptosystem is developed. These kinds of cryptosystems can be used in very secure systems such as banking systems which will require a lot of authentication in order to ensure that confidentiality of the data is not compromised with. Although the size of iris is small and a time gives problems to image, it has a great mathematical advantage that its pattern changeability amongst different persons is enormous. In addition, as an internal (though it is externally visible) organ of the eye, the iris is well protected from the environment and hence stable over time. As a planar object its image is relatively unresponsive to the angle of illumination, and changes that may occur in viewing angle can cause only affine transformations. Even the nonaffine pattern distortion caused by pupillary dilation can be reversed easily. On the other hand, the level of ease for localizing eyes in the faces, and the distinguishing annular shape of the iris, helps in facilitating a reliable and precise segregation of this feature and creation of a size-invariant representation. The iris then begins to form in the third month of gestation and the structures which create its pattern are majorly complete by end of the eighth month, even though pigment accretion can even continue into the first postnatal years. The complex pattern of the iris can even contain various distinctive features such as arching ligaments, crypts, rings, corona, furrows, ridges, freckles, and a zigzag collarette. Iris color is majorly dependenton the density of melanin pigment which is in the stroma and anterior layer.Blue irisresults from an absence of pigment. Light of long-wavelength is able topenetrate while shorter wavelengths lights are scattered by stroma. The trabecular meshwork of the elastic pectinate ligament is involved in creating the predominant texture under a visible light, whereas in a near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths which is used for modest imaging at some distances of up to 1 meter deeper and somehow more slowly moderated stromal features dominate the iris pattern. In summary, iris based key generation method for cryptography can potentially be used in a number of applications such as biometric user authentication systems and information security systems. This is particularly because the iris based cryptographic keys are significantly more stable and less susceptible to attacks, thus significantly impossible to reveal the key without a successful biometric authentication. References Bakhtiari, A.S., Shirazi, A., Zahmati, A.S. (2007). An Efficient Segmentation Method based on Local Entropy Characteristics of Iris Biometrics, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 4,64 – 68. Balakumar, P., Venkatesan, R. (2012). A Survey on Biometrics based Cryptographic Key Generation Schemes. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology & Security 2, 1, 80-85. Retrieved on April 30, 2015 from http://ijcsits.org/papers/Vol2no12012/14vol2no1.pdf Bowyer, K. Hollingsworth, K and Flynn, P. (2008). Image understanding for iris biometrics: a survey,” Computer Vision and Image Understanding, no. 110, pp. 281–307. Daugman, J. (2002). How iris recognition works. In Image Processing. 2002. Proceedings. International Conference on, volume 1, pages I–33–I–36 vol.1. Read More