Biometrics: the art of recognition. Perspectives of biometric systems on the example of the Id-Me platform from the company RecFaces

Many Habr readers are probably already familiar with biometric technologies. They are now common everywhere. In general, biometrics is a system for recognizing people based on one or several physical (or behavioral) characteristics. In the field of information technology, biometric data is used as a form of access identifier management and access control. Usually the mode of operation of biometric systems is reduced to two main types.

The first is called verification, comparing the test result with a biometric template. This option helps to check if this is the person for whom he claims to be. Verification can be performed in various ways, including a smart card, a user name, or the user's number. The second mode is identification. After receiving a specific sample, the system is checked with the biometric database to determine the identity. Here there is one important point - for this mode of operation, the biometric sample should be in the database, and the comparison should be carried out according to the “one with many” principle. In general, biometric technology has a huge potential that has not yet been fully realized. What is the state of biometric technologies in Russia and in the world today?

In some cases, their development can not yet be considered satisfactory. So far, this area is actively developing, although there are already some results (about this - below). In some cases, biometrics is considered not a very reliable method of identification or verification. For example, in the US, the Tampa City Police Department even uninstalled face recognition software, considering it not very reliable. But there it was about the introduction of outdated methods of biometrics, which do not always show their best.
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However, modern biometrics technologies are becoming more accurate and reliable. Many companies and scientific organizations are engaged in research and development in this area. Moreover, the priority over time shifted to contactless methods of biometric recognition. Biometrics is used in many areas, including banking, security and access control systems, visa control systems, criminal identification systems for criminals, collection of visitor statistics, and much more. So far, about half of the biometric market is occupied by fingerprint recognition systems. But the situation is gradually changing, the developers understand that dactyloscopy is not the most reliable way to identify a person (in the “Destroyers of Legends” they somehow even showed a way to open a fingerprint lock using printed fingerprints), therefore new technologies of biometrics are becoming increasingly popular. .

Biometrics: scales

In general, we can say that biometrics has become an integral part of people's lives. In some countries, for example, without a biometric data can not get a passport and visa. Government organizations in various countries believe that biometrics is one of the most effective ways to identify refugees and those who cross the border illegally.

Now there are a lot of projects based on biometric technology. Perhaps one of the most ambitious is the AADHAAR project being implemented in India. It is a biometric identification system that contains data from more than a billion people. The database contains about 10 billion fingerprint templates, two billion iris patterns, and a billion photos. Something similar was shown in the fantasy film “I am the beginning” (I origins). However, identification by the iris is a very real technology, which is becoming more and more popular.



Entry in AADHAAR have the opportunity to get all the residents of India, this is an identification number that is tied to the biometric data of users. It is used in financial transactions, when working with various public and private services. A cloud service is also attached to AADHAAR for storing scanned documents.

Of course, not only India introduces biometric identification. Other states are doing it too. And not only the state, but also private companies. According to the analytical agency J'son & Partners Consulting, the global market for biometric systems will reach $ 40 billion by 2022. The analysts 'conclusions are based on key players' revenues, depending on the segments, taking into account hardware, software and integration.



Another analytic agency, Acuity Research, estimates the growth in the number of biometric electronic documents e-ID to 749 million by 2018. In total, according to agency experts, in 2018 there will be about 3.5 billion electronic documents in the world. Already, more than half of the UN member countries issue biometric passports. An example of the implementation of programs for the transition to biometric electronic documents include government and private contracts of Canada, the United States, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Hungary, Bangladesh, Senegal, and other countries.

And what about Russia?

In Russia, biometric technologies are developing quite quickly, more actively than in many countries. For example, the largest banks of the Russian Federation have begun testing of biometric customer identification systems this year. It creates its biometric database of the Central Bank, the Ministry of Communications and Rosfinmonitoring, this system will reach the testing stage this year.

According to Deputy Head of the Central Bank Olga Skorobogatova, the pilot project will allow you to become a client of any bank remotely. To do this, it will be sufficient to go through the procedure of biometric registration once in any credit institution participating in the project.

“Biometrics is associated with a very exciting topic. This is identification, remote identification, creation of a unified database of individuals, I’m talking more about individuals, which would enable any bank and any organization not to force customers to come up with their feet to fill out a large list of documents, ”RIA quotes Skorobogatov.

From this experiment to the creation of a national biometric database there will literally be one step.



In the banking sector, they are trying to introduce customer identification systems by voice, photos, and fingerprints. For example, VTB24 has already tested biometric identification in the framework of Internet banking. In the process of entering the online bank application, customers were offered to provide their photo and voice sample. With the help of these data and planned identification. After confirming the user's identity, all transactions are performed without additional confirmation. Sberbank also shows great interest in biometrics, which has already accredited RecFaces (Comlogic application) as one of its partners in this area.

Similar technologies are used in Promsvyazbank and Home Credit, Tinkoff Bank and several other organizations. As for the single biometric database, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Communications and Rosfinmonitoring are simultaneously working on its creation. The implementation of this project may take several years. According to experts, the general biometric database will be useful for the financial and legal sectors, public services, public security, medicine, and more.

RecFaces Digital Biometric Profile

Speaking of biometrics in Russia, one cannot help mentioning our development, the information platform of multimodal identification, called Id-Me.

Typically, companies that implement biometrics must select several suppliers and invest considerable funds in the creation of a central computing infrastructure, its maintenance, various licenses and equipment.

But the matter is not only in the invested funds and laboriousness of the process. Each algorithm that is currently offered on the market has a number of its features and advantages. At RecFaces, we focused on creating a full-fledged integrated platform that uses the world's best achievements in the field of biometrics. Having the opportunity to study algorithms and compare them, we select those solutions that show maximum efficiency.

So, for example, biometric identification technology using a mathematical model of a person is licensed from the Japanese company Toshiba. 3D identification is done using Artec ID and Intel solutions. There is no doubt that RecFaces will select the most modern and promising technical solutions for the identification modules that are being prepared for introduction into the Id-Me platform by identifying the iris, fingerprints, and the pattern of the veins of the palms. Clients will have to use the “magic” of Id-Me to solve their applied tasks.

For an external observer, Id-Me works quite simply. One of the main components of the system is the Id-Box (capture module). It is a small “smart” identification device based on a PC platform in a compact package. This element is responsible for face recognition and, in perspective, other types of biometric data. It connects to a surveillance camera and other sensors. The system receives from them an array of data, which is here converted into a specialized index, a mathematical model, which is sent to the cloud for comparison with the standard stored there. Due to the work with indexes, the system is not demanding on the “width” of the Internet channel.



This is a universal system that effectively works with various types of images, and is able to use information from a surveillance camera. Id-Box, if necessary, can collect statistics on the number of visitors, including age, gender and emotional state. If a failure happens, you don’t need to worry, inside the box there is a large, own hard disk where all important data is stored. In case of a sudden disconnection of the network, all information will be saved, and the system will continue to work.

The data collected by the Id-box is sent to the cloud, where the system compares the current index with all previous versions. If there is a match, that is, the system has recognized the registered person, the client receives an alert. The service is compatible with the main base platforms, including web-interface, mobile clients iOS, Android, Windows.

The entire system is securely protected due to the presence of an encrypted connection. In addition, the Firewall works, a crypto gateway with cryptographic routers is provided. Electronic digital signature, anti-virus software and intrusion detection tools certified by FSTEC are used.

Scope of Id-Me

RecFaces Id-Me biometric platform is designed to be as useful as possible to banks, airports, retail, hotel business, sports organizations, and government agencies.

Banks can use biometrics to increase security. Here you can cite as an example the possible case of an attempt by a fraudster to withdraw money from someone else’s card. An ATM camera connected to Id-Me identifies the face of the person trying to do this. If this information does not coincide with that contained in the database, withdrawals are almost instantly blocked. To use this method of protection, it is not even necessary to equip an ATM with additional equipment.

Similarly, a bank can protect its credit department. A fraudster who is trying to carry out a financial transaction under a false name will not be able to do this if he is watched by a camera connected to the Id-Me service.

Plus, bank employees can also log in, which is necessary when performing any critical tasks. Such a function can be useful in many areas. Id-Me, for example, allows you to automate staff time tracking.

Since Id-Me is able to analyze the video stream from surveillance cameras and individual images, the system can be used to collect statistics on visits, trajectories of movement and behavior of visitors.



Using proprietary recognition technologies from Toshiba and other partners, Id-Me allows you to use biometric identification in order to determine the gender, the age of the buyer, to reveal his personal preferences, linking all this with CRM. Such a system also fits perfectly in order to recognize an important client, immediately receiving information about him, the date he last visited a store or other site. All this will help to find a common language with a person, instantly having defined his preferences.

Already implemented with RecFaces partners, examples of such a pairing of biometric identification with CRM have shown their high marketing effectiveness. We will write about this later in detail.



The hotel business is very important to know its customers. If a person sees that he is remembered, and not only his first and last name, but also his preferences, then, most likely, such a client will return to the "attentive" hotel again and again. And for unwanted guests, you can create a "black list" with the relevant data.

Surveillance cameras of the hotel will record everything that happens, notifying the administration if an unknown person has entered the room or office space. Employees of the hotel will be aware that the smart system always knows who, where and why went, so there will be less abuse.

Organizers of sporting events, concerts and other public events can promptly receive information about undesirable elements (for example, hooligan fans) trying to get to the event. Lost a child? The system will help to quickly determine how and when it happened, and also determine where the child is, if it is visible. Something went wrong? Security will be immediately warned.

It will be easier for law enforcement officials to maintain security in schools or public places, at transport infrastructure facilities if they receive notifications about suspicious people and events occurring in the surveillance zone. Auto-theft, hooligan tricks - all this can be prevented if you learn about the problem in time.

In general, the use of biometric systems - a huge amount. Behind them, however pretentious it may sound, the future. Biometrics is already in use and will be used in a large number of spheres. And Id-Me can now be used in most of them. You can learn more about what solutions the company is already offering and is preparing to enter, to get acquainted with its integrated solutions, by visiting the 23rd International Exhibition of Security Equipment and Equipment for Security and Fire Protection MIPS 2017 .

With this material we are glad to open the official RecFaces company blog on Habrahabr. Follow our activities in order to stay abreast of the latest achievements in the field of biometric identification, to get acquainted with examples of its implementation in various sectors of business and public life. In the near future, we will tell you about the possibilities of using biometric systems to improve the safety of transport infrastructure facilities, as well as analyze the case with the results of the actual implementation of Id-Me.