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Essay Subject: Considers the issue of computer security the use of biometrics in general and iris ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: Considers the issue of computer security, the use of biometrics in general, and iris technology in particular; includes illustrations. Paper Introduction: Iris Technology Introduction Today organizations around the world depend on computers and otherelectronic devices to keep their operations running hours a day sevendays a week Businesses provide employees with computers the size ofnotebooks that have more processing power than the room-sized computersthat controlled the Apollo moon program and cellular phones ensure that noone ever needs to be truly unreachable Unfortunately the same devicesthat enable this world also make businesses governments and otherinstitutions more vulnerable to sabotage and outright theft than at anytime Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Another consideration is determining which users and what levels ofsecurity will be allocated through the iris technology. Apicture of a person's face will not be at exactly the same angle each timethe picture is taken; for example, the lighting may be slightly differentor the person may not have shaved for two days. The iris is the colored ring that surrounds the pupil. Although theauthentication process itself-comparing the enrollment scan with the real-time scan-is nearly instantaneous (depending on the size of the databasebeing searched), users will need to adjust to the delay associated with theprocess itself. Unless individuals keep sensitive material on their home desktopcomputers, for example, the cost and inconvenience of using iris technologymay outweigh the perceived benefits. In addition, tokens can be difficultto set up for use with personal computers or laptops, and are often usedfor physical access to facilities rather than individual access toequipment (Baker 56). Security authentication can be accomplished with: Tokens(something the person has); Knowledge (something the person knows);Biometrics (something the person is) ("A Biometric" 1). Passwords and PINs can be stolen using trial anderror. Business, government, and other institutions have longrecognized the need to secure electronic devices both to protect againstexternal theft and sabotage, and to prevent internal breaches of security.But always security effectiveness must be measured against its cost, easeof use, and the likelihood that it will be used. Token systems have a high level of acceptance by users,they are generally easy to use, and they are often an inexpensive way toprovide security. This is in contrast to iris technology where the actual scan isstored in the database. Although the difference is slight, iris technologygenerally has a higher accuracy rate. Implementation Considerations Implementing a biometric-based security system, while not necessarilycomplicated, is not an ideal solution for all organizations or individuals. Chief among these disadvantages is thatauthorized users will not have the smart card with them when they try toaccess the system. That employee is to haveaccess to the engineering and marketing logical drives, but not to thefinancial or human resources logical drives. Knowledge-based systems use something the individual knows toestablish identity. The featureextraction reduces the amount of data storage and simplifies the matchingprocess by reducing the characteristic to its essential and uniqueproperties. This type of system works in the following manner: a company with acomputer network and personal computer workstations connected to thatnetwork as well as laptops hires a new employee. Iris Technology Introduction Today, organizations around the world depend on computers and otherelectronic devices to keep their operations running 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Becausebiometric systems are based on physical characteristics of an individual,it is nearly impossible for an imposter to gain access to a system easily.In addition, biometric systems can be easy to use, and users do not have toremember to carry a token with them. In addition, since users typicallycontrol the knowledge required to access the facility or equipment, thereis a high level of user compliance. Iris scans offer an attractive alternative in this situation, and smartcards that are capable of performing the authentication process on the carditself offer additional benefits in that no unnecessary tactile interfaceoccurs (Fenner 56). Conclusion Computer security is one of the most important issues thatorganizations and individuals face as they use computers more frequently intheir daily activities. The loss of informationfrom the theft of a notebook computer from an airport waiting lounge canprove devastating. However, Tokens can be lost or stolen, and copies can bemade which provide access. Examples of such knowledge include: PIN, password,mother's maiden name, or birthplace. The two templates are compared and the user isauthenticated if the templates match. Security authentication seeks to ensure that the person using aparticular piece of equipment, or accessing a particular piece of data, hasthe authority to do so. Retrieved from the Internet 11 Feb 2 5: <>. Retrieved 29 Jan 2 5 from: <>."What is the Iris?" Iridian Technologies. "Identity Politics." San Francisco Chronicle (Mar 3, 2 2): n.p. It is thestored features extracted from the original biometric. When the smart card is removed, access is denied until a newsmart card is entered. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but irisscans are likely to be found in many different applications in the future.Indeed, it may well be that in the future, individuals have smart cardscontaining information about their iris scan that allow them access totheir bank accounts, toll roads, credit cards as well as their computers atwork and at home. Security breaches can go well beyond the theft of an entire laptopcomputer at an airport containing a company's strategic business plans forthe next five years. This includesthe enrollment process, and ensuring that a good scan is obtained for thefuture comparisons. Token-based systems use a physical item to establish identity.Examples of tokens include: keys, ID cards, credit cards, passport, anddriver's license. Users must also be taught how to use the camera inorder to obtain valid authentication scans. Today, the American government is requiringthat passports use smart technology and biometrics to protect againstterrorism while China is using biometric identification cards in a trialprogram (Rhea 1). While this is still relatively expensive when desktopsystems sell for less than $1 , it is a small investment for a company tomake to keep their data secure. Matching is the process of comparingthe feature sets extracted from the raw data. Biometric identification has long beenpopular in science fiction and in films because it is both sophisticatedand also highly effective-biometric data cannot be lost or forgotten sinceit is always with a person. Duringauthentication, the user provides another sample from which an accesstemplate is extracted. Although theprocess is often faster than typing a password with its inherenttypographical error potential, it can require a period of adjustment thatorganizations need to take into account when considering implementing iristechnology. Companies whichuse modified bicycle chains to lash computers to workstations may requireonly a single password to gain access to the company network, andindividuals may not be restricted as to which machines they have access. This, of course, offers theremote possibility that someone could obtain information about the scanfrom the computer-particularly when wireless networks are in place-and usethat information to gain access in the future ("A Biometric" 1). The new employee then has an iris scan whose informationis embedded on the smart card, as well. "FAA Using Biometrics to Enhance Travel Safety." Military & Aerospace Electronics 13(Jun 2 3): 1.Salkever, Alex. Fingerprint and iris scans are two biometric technologies that havegained rapid market acceptance. Instead, it stores metadata about theenrollment scan and uses that to compare to the real-time authenticationscan. Unlike a PCMCIA card, the camera is not as easy to mount onlaptop computers, but cameras have become smaller in recent years and arenow commonly used for Webcasts and videoconferencing. The same cameras canbe used for iris recognition, as well. Fundamentals of Biometric Security All biometric systems use a similar two-step process: enrollmentfollowed by authentication (Shimbun n.p.). In addition, organizations must guardagainst corporate espionage, curious employees, employees intent oncommitting criminal acts (including embezzling), and the simple theft ofequipment for resale. "Protecting Payments." Supermarket News (Dec 16, 2 2): 41.Rhea, John. Security authentication is critical both toprevent external individuals from gaining access to internal information aswell as preventing internal individuals from gaining unauthorized access toinformation. Knowledge systems are easy to use andrelatively inexpensive to implement. Users who currently swipe a card through a card reader orwho have no limits at all to their desktop computers must now adjust tohaving to go through the iris scan whenever they log in. In addition, even though this type of system is inexpensive toimplement it is expensive to maintain. Security authentication systems that use biometrics typically focuson one of the following characteristics: iris pattern, retina pattern,facial features, face thermogram, hand geometry or fingerprint. However, iris scans are considered to be lesssusceptible to these variations than the other most commonly used technique-fingerprint scans (Baker 56). One important characteristicof all biometrics is that there is no such thing as a perfect match. The first biometric sample is called an enroll template. When we speakof someone as having blue or brown eyes, for example, we are actuallyreferring to the color of the iris, as illustrated below ("What is" 1): [pic] When iris scans are used to gain access to computers, the user looksinto a camera from a distance of approximately 18 inches. It is up to the system to decide,based on the security level required, whether the probability is acceptable(Salkever n.p.). Retrieved from the Internet 11 Feb 2 5: <>.Mulholland, Sarah and Michael Garry. In the event that the card is lost or stolen, theorganization has considerably more to worry about than just possibleunauthorized access from that single card. The disadvantages of biometric systems depend largely onthe type of system being considered. Iris andretinal scans both require that the user carefully position their head andlook at the scanning device while a fingerprint scan requires only that asingle digit be placed on the scan device. During enrollment the physicalcharacteristic (e.g., iris scan) is first captured, sampled, and measured.A set of unique features is then extracted from the raw data using digitalsignal or image processing and feature extraction techniques. Once a biometricsystem is installed, users must be trained on its operation. Such brazen theft is only one type of securityproblem facing organizations today. There are other applications where security is an issue but whereother factors also influence what type of technology is used in conjunctionwith biometric measures. A similar problem is that unauthorized users will gainaccess to the smart card and the data required to take advantage of thesmart card in order to gain unauthorized access (Salkever n.p.). For example, high-technology and medicalinstitutions both have an interest in maintaining so-called "clean rooms;"this can be made more difficult if fingerprint equipment is in place whereusers must place their hands on the same piece of equipment as other users. If, on the other hand, the individualuses a laptop that goes between the home and the office, iris technologymight well be appropriate to limit access in the event that the laptop isstolen or misplaced. However, in order to be secure,knowledge systems rely on the willingness and ability of users to keep theknowledge confidential. Hackers might be able to usethe card to create their own template for accessing equipment at the user'ssite; this often requires that smart cards for an entire organization, orat least those using a particular system, be reprogrammed whensophisticated smart cards are lost or stolen. Organizations must thusdetermine whether they are willing to risk the misuse of smart cards, orthe possible security breach that can result from storing and performingbiometric analysis from a central database. Thieves no longer have to be physically located within abuilding to gain access to sensitive information. Theinformation from the scan is compared to the information on the smart card,and the employee is automatically logged into the appropriate area of thenetwork. If smart cards are implemented for otherapplications, such as toll roads, passports and credit cards, then usinginformation stored on those cards, such as iris data, also makes sense.Moving to the more intelligent smart cards, that are capable of comparingthe real-time iris scan to the scan stored on the card, means that a singlecard could be used for a variety of different applications, as well, ifstandards are developed that will permit this (Davis and Balaban 44). Similarly, biometrics aresubject to slight variations that must be taken into account during thematching process. Some systems require a high level ofuser participation, sophisticated input equipment, or highly controlledenvironments (Salkever n.p.). Since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Americangovernment has mandated that smart-card technology be deployed for a numberof different applications, including many passports. An exact copy of the iris, forexample, is not stored, but rather the information that describes the iris("Creating" 1): [pic] From a practical standpoint, this means that when a biometric match ismade to authenticate a person, the match provides a probability that thisperson is the same person who enrolled. "Locking Down Health Information Networks." Health Data Management 12(Jul 2 4): 56."Iris Recognition?" Iridian Technologies. Thesoftware resides on the personal computer and the image from the smart cardis compared to the image from the real-time scan that is temporarily stored-often in cache-in the personal computer. Some security advocates as well as privacy advocates maintain that thedatabase storage represents a point of vulnerability in the system thatwould be easy to exploit by someone intent on gaining unauthorized accessto the computer. Smart Cards Rather than only allowing access to individuals whose biometricinformation is stored in a central database, smart card technology makes itpossible to allow access to anyone whose smart card both providesauthorization to the computer they are seeking to access, and can serve toverify that their biometric information matches their real-time scan. "SIMs Lead Smart Cards to New Heights." Card Technology 9(Dec 2 4): 44.Fenner, Michael. When the employee reaches his orher assigned workstation, the smart card is inserted into the computer-perhaps through a USB port-and the employee's iris is scanned. A user who does not possess a smart card is essentially locked out ofthe system, although not having the smart card is not necessarilyindicative that the user is not authorized. There is nothing to remember,passwords cannot be forgotten, and users cannot inadvertently "let slip" abiometric code. In addition, fingerprint scanscan be completed with devices that fit into the PCMCIA slots of laptops,making them especially attractive for laptop security (Shimbun n.p.). Many users are careless enough to write PIN codes on ATM cards orplace post-its with passwords inside their laptops. The following illustration shows how the meta data associated with aperson's iris, for example, is coded into a mathematical sequencecontaining information about meta data. The primary drawback to using smart cards is that they introduce thetoken concept to the biometric approach to security with all of thedisadvantages that go with tokens. "Smart and Secure." New Zealand Management 5 (Jul 2 3): 56-61.Constantinou, Marianne. "Biometric Technology Proliferating." Asia Africa Intelligence Wire (Sep 27, 2 3): n.p.Speir, Michelle. Works Cited"A Biometric is Always With You." Fujitsu, Inc. This research examinesthe importance of security authorization for electronic devices, evaluatescommon ways in which security is provided, introduces biometric securityauthentication, and provides an in-depth examination of iris technology asused with personal computers. "Why Biometrics is No Magic Bullet." Business Week Online (Jul 23, 2 3): n.p.Shimbun, Toshihisa. Both can be accomplished for relativelylittle cost, and both are highly reliable, although iris scans are slightlymore accurate. Retrieved 29 Jan 2 5 from <>"Creating an Iris Code." Iridian Technologies. There are, however, drawbacks to fingerprint scans. Outlook Biometrics offer a level of security that was not available whencomputers first became popular. Passwords and PINs must be changedon a regular basis in order to maintain a level of security; anadministrator is required to devote time to maintenance to the knowledgebase. Unfortunately, the same devicesthat enable this 24/7 world also make businesses, governments and otherinstitutions more vulnerable to sabotage and outright theft than at anytime in the past. Importance and Types of Computer Security Loss of proprietary information is potentially far more damaging toorganizations than loss of physical equipment, yet many organizations failto take even rudimentary precautions against this threat. Iris Technology Fingerprint scans are the most widely used biometric security accesstechnology in large part because they require less intense personalinteraction from the use than most other forms of biometrics. To begin with,although fingerprint scans are highly accurate, the technology does notactually store the scan itself. Cost generallyprohibits all but the most sensitive organizations from implementing iristechnology on all computers; this means that those systems that areisolated from other networks and that contain sensitive data will besubject to the iris technology. Once limited to only the largest companies andgovernment organizations, computers now are part of our everyday lives, andthe data that is stored on those computers ranges from personal economicinformation to highly sensitive military secrets. In this way, a user with greater or lesser accesscan use any workstation with the smart card determining the level of accessgranted to the employee, as illustrated below ("Iris Recognition" 1): [pic] Currently, the actual comparison of the biometric information on thecard with the real-time biometric information presented by the user throughthe iris scan is performed on the personal computer or workstation. The ability to link these technologies already exists;the economic impetus to do so is likely to be close at hand, as well. Today's laptops anddesktop computers are capable of storing and processing far moreinformation than the room-sized computers that ran the space program in itsearly days, and are vulnerable to far more threats than early computerusers could imagine. The demand for biometric technology is increasing at a rapid pace, andiris technology offers a highly secure and relatively easily implementedoption that can make logging onto personal computers a simple process whileensuring security, as well. Businesses provide employees with computers the size ofnotebooks that have more processing power than the room-sized computersthat controlled the Apollo moon program, and cellular phones ensure that noone ever needs to be truly unreachable. "Biometrics: More Than a Helping Hand." Federal Computer Week (Jun 5, 2 ). Technology that would have beenexcessively expensive in the late 199 s is now available for severalhundred dollars. Users can bewearing a mask or gloves-as is likely in medical environments-and still usethe devices successfully. In some cases,knowledge-based authentication codes can be stolen through simpleobservation (Speir 1). This technology continues to be moreexpensive than the approach where the personal computer is used, but offersgreater security for environments where the perceived risk is considered tobe significant. This may mean holding theirheads at a particular angle for a given period of time in order to give thesystem the best opportunity to obtain a good scan. The user could have lost thecard, misplaced it temporarily, forgotten it at home, or the card couldhave been stolen. Implementation of iris technology requires a camera and software.Indian Technologies, based in New Jersey, holds the patent on irisrecognition. Determining this ahead of time, and basing the decision onjob title and level of responsibility rather than on individual employees,will help ensure that companies have the most secure and practicalimplementation of technology (Baker 58). Retrieved from the Internet 11 Feb 2 5: <>.Davis, Donald and Dan Balaban. In addition, iris technology has thesignificant advantage of being hands-free, making it ideal for business andinstitutional environments where users are likely to have difficulty infree their hands for a fingerprint scan (Fenner 56). Retrieved 29 Jan 2 5 from <>.Baker, Glenn. This, in turn, has led to new technology that places the comparisonsoftware itself on the smart card so that no information is transmitted tothe personal computer at all other than an "allow/don't allow" messageregarding the actual access. As with fingerprint scans, the informationretrieved in real-time is compared to information stored in a database(Constantinou n.p.). Copying can be particularly problematic sincethe authorized user may not realize that someone has gained unauthorizedaccess to the equipment in question until after information has beentransferred or damage has been done. Aside from cost, there is the issue of training. The information that makes a person's iris unique is muchsmaller than the raw data (Mulholland and Garry 41). This smart-cardtechnology stores biometric information on the document itself-such as thepassport or credit card-and the individual's real-time scan is thencompared to the smart-card information (Rhea 1). This makes thetechnology ideal for office and technical environments where workers may behoused in cubicles or other relatively confined areas. In addition, various users may be assignedvarious access levels, depending on their needs and the needs of theorganization. A smart card is encoded withthis information. In such an environment, security authentication is not organizationalparanoia; it is a factor critical to the long-term success of theorganization. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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