Title: Multi-purpose biometric performance grading scheme

Authors: Richard T. Lazarick

Addresses: Computer Sciences Corporation – Identity Labs, 8 Blackwood Drive, W. Trenton, NJ, 08628-2601, USA

Abstract: The set of ISO standards that address biometric performance testing expanded in February 2011 with the publication of ISO/IEC 19795-5:2011, Information technology - biometric performance testing and reporting - Part 5: Access control scenario and grading scheme, a standard for evaluating and assigning grade levels to the performance metrics of the biometric portion of an access control system. Armed with this new 'Part 5' standardised testing and grading scheme, the trio of access control system owners, biometric product manufacturers and independent testing organisations can forge ahead with increased confidence toward widespread utilisation and deployment of biometrically enabled access control systems. The motivation for, and primary benefit of, establishing a grading scheme for biometric performance is fundamentally the cost efficiency of the testing process. By standardising the test protocol and the quantification of performance into simple grade levels, the results of one product test can be leveraged by multiple users in different applications.

Keywords: biometrics; biometric performance; access control; graded testing; false accept rate; FAR; false reject rate; FRR; failure to enrol rate; FTE; transaction time; ISO standards; SC37; ISO/IEC 19795; performance grading.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBM.2013.050735

International Journal of Biometrics, 2013 Vol.5 No.1, pp.99 - 111

Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article