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| NSF ITR Award |
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NSF with the Department of Homeland Security has
funded a major research
project in the area of biometrics. This research is a joint initiative
between Clarkson University, West Virginia University, St. Lawrence
University, Michigan State University, and University of Pittsburgh,
entitled “ITR: Biometrics - Performance, Security, and Societal
Impact”. Biometric systems automatically measure a physiological
or behavioral "signature" of an individual, from which a
decision can be rendered to either authenticate or determine the identity
of that individual. In this way, biometric systems provide the means
to bind the physical presence of an individual user with her cyber
action. Despite the increasing use of these systems, neither an analytic
framework for modeling and predicting their performance, nor a set
of standard multibiometric data available to researchers for testing
purposes is available. This research addresses these deficiencies
by determining an analytic framework in which the performance of biometric
systems can be modeled and predicted, removing key barriers to biometric
system performance through research in multibiometrics and effective
vulnerability countermeasures, and understanding the relationships
among biometric applications, privacy, security, and user acceptance
that are essential for both informed public policy and system design.
Addressing this interrelated set of key technical barriers and societal
issues will advance the understanding of biometric system acceptance,
performance, and design, and will enable trustworthy authentication
and identification functions essential to pervasive computing and
supporting homeland security needs. The data sets generated by the
coordinated tasks of this research are also being made available as
a resource to the biometrics research, developer, and user communities. |
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