Security and Cryptographic Challenges for Authentication Based on Biometrics Data

Authentication systems based on biometrics characteristics and data represents one of the most important trend in the evolution of the society, e.g., Smart City, Internet-of-Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Big Data. In the near future, biometrics systems will be everywhere in the society, such as government, education, smart cities, banks etc. Due to its uniqueness, characteristic, biometrics systems will become more and more vulnerable, privacy being one of the most important challenges. The classic cryptographic primitives are not sufficient to assure a strong level of secureness for privacy. The current paper has several objectives. The main objective consists in creating a framework based on cryptographic modules which can be applied in systems with biometric authentication methods. The technologies used in creating the framework are: C#, Java, C++, Python, and Haskell. The wide range of technologies for developing the algorithms give the readers the possibility and not only, to choose the proper modules for their own research or business direction. The cryptographic modules contain algorithms based on machine learning and modern cryptographic algorithms: AES (Advanced Encryption System), SHA-256, RC4, RC5, RC6, MARS, BLOWFISH, TWOFISH, THREEFISH, RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), Elliptic Curve, and Diffie Hellman. As methods for implementing with success the cryptographic modules, we will propose a methodology which can be used as a how-to guide. The article will focus only on the first category, machine learning, and data clustering, algorithms with applicability in the cloud computing environment. For tests we have used a virtual machine (Virtual Box) with Apache Hadoop and a Biometric Analysis Tool. The weakness of the algorithms and methods implemented within the framework will be evaluated and presented in order for the reader to acknowledge the latest status of the security analysis and the vulnerabilities founded in the mentioned algorithms. Another important result of the authors consists in creating a scheme for biometric enrollment (in Results). The purpose of the scheme is to give a big overview on how to use it, step by step, in real life, and how to use the algorithms. In the end, as a conclusion, the current work paper gives a comprehensive background on the most important and challenging aspects on how to design and implement an authentication system based on biometrics characteristics.