Biometric Software Secures Credit Card Purchases

Aug 21, 2007 4:06 PM

Trying to remember dozens of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), passwords and credit card numbers could soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a unique face recognition software developed by a University of Houston (UG) research team, reports the Hindustan Times.

The software uses a 3-D dimensional snapshot of a person's face to create a unique identifier or biometric.

The software development team, led by Eckhard Pfeiffer Professor Ioannis Kakadiaris at the Computational Biomedicine Lab (CBL), says URxD could be used for everything from gaining access to secure facilities to authorizing credit card purchases.

The identification procedure is as effortless as taking a photograph, according to its developers. They say the URxD leads the pack for 3D face recognition solutions based on the face's shape.

The Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT 2006) conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) also confirms the findings.

"Accuracy is the name of the game in 3-D face recognition. What makes our system so accurate is the strength of the variables that we use to describe a person's face," Kakadiaris says.

"Remembering dozens of personal identification numbers and passwords is not the solution to identity theft. PINs and passwords are not only inconvenient to memorize, but are also impractical to safeguard. In essence, they merely tie two pieces of information together; once the secret is compromised, the rest follows. The solution is to be able to tie your private information to your person in a way that cannot be compromised," Kakadiaris says.

Researchers say the software and technology can also play a role in national security.

"With the growing concern for security at the personal, national and international level, the University of Houston is pleased that Dr. Kakadiaris and his team have demonstrated a very promising technology for personal identification," John Warren, UH associate general counsel for research and intellectual property management told the Hindustan times.

"We look forward to its adoption by government and industry," he says.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

This month in Access Control

• Targeting The Customer
• Electronic Pedigrees
• One Hero Among Many
• Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• More from September's issue