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Biometric Data Integrity and its Impact on Biometric Security Technologies

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Biometric Data Integrity and its Impact on Biometric Security Technologies

Introduction

Biometric data integrity is important because when data integrity is compromised it leads to false identification that leads to unauthorized access which poses data security breach threats. Cyberattacks have become more prominent in recent times as the number of cases has significantly risen. This has made it important that there is a development of measures for protection against the attacks. The paper's main focus is to examine the means of enhancing data integrity and security. To gain a better perspective of the problem, the global cost of cybercrime was north of $8 trillion in 2022. The cost of ransomware attacks only was approximately $4.5 million. More than 80% of global industries were affected by social engineering and phishing attacks in 2021, and the number of attacks keeps on growing (Megouache et al., 2020). The problem generally affects the entire world as virtually all countries are vulnerable to cyberattacks in one way or another. The significance of the research is established by the implications of the attacks. The impact on both the national and global economy has been immense. It is vital to study data integrity and security as the outcomes should go a long way in enhancing protective mechanisms against the various kinds of cybercrime that malicious persons perpetuate. With the continued reliance on cyber systems, integrating measures for improving data integrity and security is crucial for preventing adverse outcomes.

Background

The rise in cybercrime has been in correspondence with the growth in digitalization. In this age, everything to do with data or information has been predicated on the use of the internet. Functions such as storage of and access to data have relied on the internet. The digital world has been instrumental in enabling such functionalities, which have subsequently aided the operations of entities. However, the technological developments that have driven the usability of the internet have also provided individuals with the tools and capabilities to commit cybercrime. There have been more efforts towards ascertaining that organizations are prepared to curb the attacks, but the attackers have constantly managed to find creative ways to intrude into the systems of individuals and entities.

Figure 1: Amount of Monetary Damage caused by cybercrime (Megouache et al., 2020)

The graph depicts the increase in cybercrime with regard to the monetary costs associated with the actions. It indicates that the prevalence of the attacks has been mainly in the 2000s (Megouache et al., 2020).

There have been various reasons behind the cybercrimes that have impacted the world so far. Key among them has included having security systems that provide ease of access. Skilled hackers have been able to bypass biometric systems and firewalls following the compromise of the systems that are essentially easy to access. As human beings develop security programs, they are potentially subject to human errors, which can result in loopholes that provide malicious persons with opportunities to attack. Negligence is also a major factor. When individuals are not keen on security measures, this increases the possibility of cyberattacks on systems. The ability of hackers to attack systems and get rid of the evidence also makes the problem worse. Most of all, the evolution of cybercrime is a catalyst in the sustenance of problems as technology has factored in boosting their knowledge and opening new avenues for their agenda. While cybercrime has become commonplace in recent times, this issue dates back to the 1960s.

From the figure, it can be seen that numerous organizations have been affected by cyberattacks. It represents the percentage of entities that have experienced an attack. A huge majority of companies have been affected by malicious parties. The numbers have been fairly increasing over the last decade (Sudar et al., 2019).

Introduction to Literature Review

The extensive use of information communication systems (ICS) to better monitor and run communication has been made possible by advancements in communication technology, but this connectedness also leaves physical processes open to attack from malicious parties and sabotage instances (Ahmed et al., 2018). Data integrity is a crucial security need for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) since sensor data may be tampered with in the digital or physical realms. Some of the subheadings used to collect data and information include the attack on cyber-physical systems, opportunities for biometric systems, and modifying biometric systems.

The literature review strategy used includes finding only those sources that contain information relevant to the theme of the study, which is the impact of biometric data integrity on biometric security technologies, and how stakeholders can ensure the integrity of individual user data. ProQuest and EBSCO Host from the Monroe College Library were the databases used for the literature study. For the purposes of this study, the main search terms that were used to accomplish the study were cyber-physical systems (CPS), cyber-physical systems integrity, physical attacks, sensors, and information communication system (ICS) security.

Review of Literature

Attack on cyber-physical systems

Ahmed et al. (2018) are the researchers who wanted to reveal the kind of cyberattacks happening in various cyber systems. The six authors presented a fifteen-page work through a conference paper, Asian Conference on Computer and Communications Security (ASIACCS), with a global reputation. Ahmed et al. (2018) conducted the research in two areas comprising water treatment and distribution facilities, SWaT and WADI. The study shows that the noise fingerprint can uniquely identify many sensors with an accuracy greater than 90%. The vulnerability of the systems to cyberattacks depends on the system's understanding and the profile of noise it detects. Fingerprint sensors and noise detection are two technologies that help identify attacks on technological devices.

Ahmed et al. (2018) researched two sample testbeds that dealt with water. The SWaT testbed helped the authors to develop a model with the right components and physics, using concepts of first principles (Ahmed et al., 2018). The article established a model used in the second testbed. According to the findings, the suggested approach can identify zero-alarm assaults, whereas statistical reference methods cannot. Furthermore, scientists have demonstrated that sensors may be recognized uniquely with more than 90% accuracy. The authors need more accuracy, which is possible through the distinction between the sensor's noise and the process. Ahmed et al. (2018) discovered that biometrics improves online security and protects users from potential data breaches. These technological systems operate while producing data for fingerprints and noise. This study assesses NoisePrint using testbeds for water delivery and treatment. The authors performed not one but two tests of the NoisePrint system, each on a separate testbed. The often-used industrial sensors are analyzed, but the research is broadly relevant to other industrial applications. This research presents better and more secure ways of accessing user data in the face of current technological risks.

Opportunities for biometric systems

Ingale et al. (2020) sought to research developing new opportunities which answer some of the questions left unanswered by Ahmed et al. (2018) concerning biometrics. These authors performed their research on various topics that are relevant to the theme of biometrics. The researchers were from San Jose State University, and some were qualified members of the IEEE. Ingale et al. (2020) did not mention the timespan when they conducted the research or the location of the experiment. The study design was an experimental setup where the authors engaged several ECG databases. Ingale et al. (2020) used the model databases to analyze several metrics about the opportunities for biometric systems to validate the performance of the model. The authors further used fivefold cross-validation of performance to assess the effectiveness of the model. Ingale et al. (2020) revealed that manufacturers could achieve 100% accuracy on fixed window segmentation with FIR when they combine 1.86% FAR. Also, the study assesses 1,694 subjects and found an EER of 2.11%. The study shows that the ECG biometric authentication model surpasses the contemporary models currently in use but has insufficient abilities to filter, segment, match, and extract features. The authors of this article came up with several datasets that pertain to biometric safety. They do an exemplary job of presenting both the pros and cons of the field of biometric safety. The authors, through this work, present a new approach that improves the performance of biometric security measures.

Modifying biometric systems

Edge computing has been quite revolutionary in several areas of current computing and technology in that field, including elements like artificial intelligence (AI). Mahadevappa et al. (2021) researched various methods of identifying an attack and isolating data that has been infected without interfering with the other nodes nearby. Mahadevappa et al. (2021) separated various data so that the modern safety of computers becomes optimum for users and other stakeholders. The study focuses on the possible ways to separate infected data from the rest of the ones that have not suffered interference. The edge nodes for data acquisition detected the intruders and quarantined other devices suspected by dimensionality reduction. The quarantine stage of the concept creates reputation scores that identify and sanitize false alarms on devices. The preliminary investigation that the authors performed in the research was effective in reducing obstacles to improving the efficiency of biometric security. The LDA helps increase the accuracy of quarantine by 72.83% in 0.9 seconds of training time. The study above shows that biometric technology can be modified to help reduce the possible attacks on computer systems that companies use often. The safety of biometrics and computer systems depends on several factors, as the authors present in their study. The authors provide a solution for data quarantine in edge computing. The model uses lightweight dimensionality reduction to quarantine data that has encountered intrusion. These researchers propose a future model to validate the findings and improve estimation efficiency.

Analysis of Literature

Data integrity is a crucial security need for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) since sensor data may either be tampered with in the digital realm or in the physical domain. Researchers like Mahadevappa et al. (2021), Ingale et al. (2020), and Ahmed et al. (2018) conducted studies on the field of biometric systems and their impact on the security of such systems when it comes to malicious attacks or intrusions. The three articles by Ingale et al. (2020), Mahadevappa et al. (2021), and Ahmed et al. (2018), used an experimental model system. The literature review process identified three important themes for the study including the attacks on cyber-physical systems, opportunities for biometric systems, and how biometric systems can be modified to guarantee security. Foremost, Ahmed et al. (2018) contributed to the information on attacks on cyber-physical systems (CPS). The authors performed not one but two tests of the NoisePrint system, each on a separate testbed. The often-used industrial sensors are analyzed, but the research is broadly relevant to other industrial applications. This research presents better and more secure ways of accessing user data in the face of current technological risks. Another study added to the literature by presenting opportunities for biometric systems. Ingale et al. (2020) established that the ECG biometric authentication model surpasses the contemporary models currently in use but cannot filter, segment, match, and extract features. Ingale et al. (2020) developed several datasets pertaining to biometric safety. They did an exemplary job of presenting both the pros and cons of the field of biometric safety. The authors, through this work, present a new approach that improves the performance of biometric security measures. To modify biometric security systems, Mahadevappa et al. (2021) used/ a lightweight dimensionality reduction model to quarantine data that has encountered intrusion. The study shows that biometric technology can be modified to help reduce the possible attacks on the computer systems of stakeholders. The researchers suggest future research to help improve the ever-changing field of biometrics to secure user data from unwarranted access and manipulation by the wrong parties.

Discussion

Biometric systems have been utilized to increase the security of data across various organizations. Nonetheless, this has not stopped malicious persons from intruding into the systems. The systems are subject to numerous attacks, which different forms of threats have enabled. The attacks compromise data and cause major security concerns while degrading the performance of systems. The systems are vulnerable to issues such as spoof attacks, interclass variations, and noisy sensor data. These limitations are indicative of the problem that is existent in using biometric systems.

There are various ways that malicious individuals use to affect biometric data integrity. Hackers use modern technologies to provide fake biometric samples to sensors in order to get access to the systems (Sudar et al., 2019). Examples may include the use of face masks and false fingerprints made from silicon. There is a replay attack whereby the data stream in the biometric systems is placed between the processing system and the sensor (Sudar et al., 2019). The attacks intercept the transmission by the sensor and alter the information before replaying the data. Attackers also use spoofing of feature sets, which means that they replace the feature sets with fake features. These types of attacks are used on networks and can be utilized to spread malware and access confidential information (Sudar et al., 2019).

There are template tampering attacks that are common. Biometric data of individuals is usually summarized on templates. The attack entails modification of the templates to gain high verification score regardless of the image provided to the system. Attackers are able to replace the templates and steal or alter them according to their liking (Sudar et al., 2019). This brings the system down by lowering the score for legitimate users. Trojan horse attack is another intrusive form that helps compromise biometric data. It entails replacing the feature extractor to produce features that are added to the database. In a masquerade attack, a digital image is created from templates of fingerprints such that when they are submitted, the system produces a match (Sudar et al., 2019). In addition to the aforementioned threats to biometric systems, attackers can override yes and no responses.

The affected parties are generally organizations that rely on biometric systems. With technological growth, numerous organizations have these systems in place to aid with their security. The issue is global in that companies at any location across the world using biometric systems can be attacked through the threats that have been covered.

Figure 2: Cybercrime Trends (Sudar et al., 2019).

The figure is a depiction of the 10-year span that provides insight into the trend associated with cybercrime. The measure is based on the costs of cybercrime in US dollars. The last five years have seen a constant rise in the impact of cyberattacks. The future outlook depicts that the trend will continue at a steady rate (Sudar et al., 2019).

The key findings of the research are that there is significant reliance on biometric systems but the threat to these systems is ever-present. The sustained rate of cyberattacks makes it essential that feasible strategies are put in place to prevent the attacks or avoid the impact that comes with them. There are vulnerabilities that make it possible for malicious people to intrude into biometric systems. One vulnerability happens to be the complexity of coding which can result in human error. Companies can apply different strategies to enhance the security of biometric systems, including modifying the system and using the ECG biometric authentication model.

Recommendations

Ahmed et al. (2018) presented a discourse on the use of NoisePrint in detecting attacks. Their study showed that the program could successfully detect attacks, and this was tested on two different systems, which were SWaT and WADI. Therefore, this is a program that could work in other scenarios to detect any form of activity associated with malicious attacks. NoisePrint can be used to increase the integrity of biometric data and help avoid potential intrusions into biometric systems.

The strength of the study is in the holistic coverage of the subject. The details provided the basis of the problem, the contributing factors, the developments that have taken place across time, and ways to address the problem. The resources utilized in this study are credible, insightful, and evidence-based, which makes them reliable. The limitation is that the discussion on the improvement of biometric data integrity should be more exhaustive with the inclusion of some statistics. More improvement strategies would have made the study more informative. The study's reliability and validity were enhanced through articles that applied strong research design in utilizing an experimental model. The research data was also collected from peer-reviewed resources which were published within the last five years.

Conclusion

Biometric systems improve data integrity and security but can be grossly affected by cyber threats. Technology can provide the strategies through which the systems can be made more secure and, therefore, resistant to the efforts of hackers. From the observations made, cybercrime cases will likely continue increasing. The onus is on leveraging technology to make the systems better and more difficult for intruders to attack. This is where future research should focus. They should focus on strategies to prevent attacks on biometric systems. The areas that feature vulnerabilities should be emphasized as they are more likely to invite attackers. The research should also focus on the prevention of the impact of the attacks on the biometric systems.

References

Ahmed, C. M., Ochoa, M., Zhou, J., Mathur, A. P., Qadeer, R., Murguia, C., & Ruths, J. (2018, May). Noiseprint: Attack detection using sensor and process noise fingerprint in cyber physical systems. In  Proceedings of the 2018 on Asia Conference on Computer and Communications Security (pp. 483-497). https://doi.org/10.1145/3196494.3196532

Ingale, M., Cordeiro, R., Thentu, S., Park, Y., & Karimian, N. (2020). ECG biometric authentication: A comparative analysis. IEEE Access, 8, 117853-117866. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel7/6287639/8948470/09123339.pdf

Mahadevappa, P., & Murugesan, R. K. (2021). A data quarantine model to secure data in edge computing. International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE). https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2111.07672

Megouache, L., Zitouni, A., & Djoudi, M. (2020). Ensuring user authentication and data integrity in a multi-cloud environment. Human-centric Computing and Information sciences, 10, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13673-020-00224-y

Sudar, K. M., Deepalakshmi, P., Ponmohzi, K., & Nagaraj, P. (2019). Analysis of security threats and countermeasures for various biometric techniques. In 2019 IEEE International Conference on Clean Energy and Energy Efficient Electronics Circuit for Sustainable Development (INCCES) (pp. 1-6). IEEE. 10.1109/INCCES47820.2019.9167745