Using Biometric Characteristics to Increase ITS Security

Miroslav Bača

Mirko Čubrilo

Kornelije Rabuzin

Abstract

Terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, Districtof Columbia on the morning of September 11, 2001 havechanged our lives. The secwity problem became very importantregarding all spheres of human activities. Tracking persons(employees, customers etc.) in ITS (Intelligent Transport System)is a huge problem. Biometrics offers a very good solutionfor this problem and is today maybe one of the most promisingtechniques for person's secure verification and authentication;biometric system also features some advantages when comparedto other security systems. When using a biometric systemone has to be careful because the functionality of a biometricapplication can be dramatically aggravated if inappropriatebiometric features are selected. Classification of biometric featureson contact and contactless, or distinction between'strong' and 'soft' biometric features gives a framework for usingbiometric features, but it does not ensure that biometric featŁtres are implemented at a satisfactory level. The usage ofmultimodal or unimodal biometric system can significantly increasethe system security but it also opens plenty of questionslike privacy etc. This paper describes the implementation ofbiometric features which can be used in ITS, and delineates anew model of usage.