Biometric template security: an overview

Purpose - The security of the stored biometric template is itself a challenge. Feature transformation techniques and biometric cryptosystems are used to address the concerns and improve the general acceptance of biometrics. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of different techniques and processes for securing the biometric templates. Furthermore, the paper explores current research trends in this area. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, the authors provide an overview and survey of different features transformation techniques and biometric cryptosystems. Findings - Feature transformation techniques and biometric cryptosystems provide reliable biometric security at a high level. There are many techniques that provide provable security with practical viable recognition rates. However, there remain several issues and challenges that are being faced during the deployment of these technologies. Originality/value - This paper provides an overview of currently used techniques for securing biometric templates and also outlines the related issues and challenges.