1. Van Tassel 1
Jeff Van Tassel
CAP480
Mrs. McCarthy
3/6/13
Biometric Devices in Network Security
2. Van Tassel 2
For my project I am going to discuss the flaws that exist in biometric devices. This paper is
intended to make people aware of the flaws that exist with using biometric devices. As a result of
reading this paper I would like for people to be able to realize the security risk associated with
the using of these devices and to consider the possible risk they will pose to the network that they
are used in. This will help administrators be able to use them in a way that will not provide and
security flaws to their network.
The problem with biometrics is that they are not always accurate. “Sources of potential error
create two measuring levels that biometrics build in to their calculations: false acceptance and
false rejection. As these figures imply, the measurement system is set up to allow for errors.
Therefore you have to understand that the operation of the system can be „tuned‟ to be more or
less precise.” ("Biometrics – problem," ). Biometrics can give you access when you should have
and deny you access when you should be able to get in. There are also many instances of people
fooling various biometric devices. My proposed solution is to use biometric devices along with
other forms of identifications.
The tasks or actions needed to solve the problem are to implement multiple forms of
identification to offset the chance of an unwanted person logging into the system. The use of
multiple forms of identification will make it more challenging for someone to get into the
system. This is because if they obtain a person‟s identification card they will also have to know
or guess their password and fool the biometric device. Multi layer access such as this will
provide a more secure network for companies.
3. Van Tassel 3
The intended audience for my paper is my classmates and my teacher, network professionals,
and anybody else that is interested in biometrics and/or security flaws. It is intended for them
because it is projects for class and my teacher will have to grade and my classmates will have to
peer review it. It is also for professionals that would like to know about some of the security
flaws that biometric devices have and can cause a network that they are implemented in. Some
background on the audience‟s place in this argument is that the professionals are the ones that
have to use the equipment in their networks and the teacher and the classmates are the ones that
have to review my work.
I am not sure what position that my audience is in. The audience can be in many different
positions. They could already know that the biometric devices have some flaws in their design
and want to know more about the flaws. The audience could be skeptic that the biometric devices
can be flawed and defeated.
The proposed research that I plan to do is find out the vulnerabilities in the devices and how
they can be fooled and the ways to solve the weakness that they bring to a computer network.
This paper will help companies decide whether or not they should be used and how best to
implement them in their networks.
The research that I have already used shows some of the flaws of biometric devices. The
other sources that I have found show more problems in biometrics along with problems more
information on how biometric devices work. Future research is implementing biometrics with
other identification ways and ways biometrics can be fooled. Some of the other references that I
have found are: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/Problems-with-authentication and
http://www.strassmann.com/pubs/searchsecurity/2002-4.php this reference will give me different
4. Van Tassel 4
ways that biometrics can be compromised. It also gives me different problems with other factors
of identification, I know it is not what would be considered current but it does have a lot of good
information.; https://www.eff.org/wp/biometrics-whos-watching-you. This article gives me more
information on different types of biometrics and how they are used and fooled. Again, I know
that it is a bit dated but it does have good information.
http://www.articsoft.com/whitepapers/biometrics.pdf. This site also gives me information on
how biometrics work and some faults with them.; and http://www.biometrics.dod.mil/. This site
gives me a lot of information on how biometrics work and how they can be compromised.
5. Van Tassel 5
References
Biometrics – problem or solution ?. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.articsoft.com/whitepapers/biometrics.pdf
