NC West Virginia News

West Virginia University is tackling significant security vulnerabilities in biometric systems with research led by Nima Karimian, an assistant professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Supported by a $632,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Karimian's work will focus on hardware-based attacks on biometric systems and the issue of racial bias within these technologies.

Biometric systems, which include fingerprint and facial recognition used in mobile devices, face serious risks from spoofing, template theft, side-channel attacks, and fault-injection attacks. "This pushes the boundaries of biometric engineering," said Karimian. "We aim to develop the first hardware-based biometric template protection system that not only will deal with known forms of attack but unfamiliar new threats too."

The research aims to enhance security measures so that sectors like law enforcement and financial services can safely use biometric technology. Current concerns include user privacy and bias where certain demographics may be misclassified. "Right now, there are worries about user privacy," Karimian stated.

Karimian's study is reportedly the first practical investigation into fault-injection and side-channel attacks on biometric systems. He plans to develop countermeasures for these risks while addressing issues related to anti-spoofing techniques that are aware of discrimination.

One challenge identified is the tendency for facial recognition algorithms to err more frequently when identifying individuals from specific ethnic backgrounds. Karimian noted the absence of existing research specifically addressing bias in anti-spoofing biometrics: “To date, there is nonexistent research specifically addressing bias and fairness in anti-spoofing biometrics.”

High school students will participate through a Youth Cybersecurity Research program, with opportunities for summer research positions. "During the summers of 2019 through 2022, six students from three local high schools joined my lab," said Karimian.

Additionally, undergraduate courses at WVU will incorporate this research. New courses on biometric security and ethics are also planned to address AI decision-making impacts.