According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in order to properly evaluate biometric systems the elements that make up the system must be scrutinized. Criteria for biometric evaluation include shared characteristics among the population (fingerprints and irises). Each member of the population must have her own unique identifying characteristics, and the system must be resistant to countermeasures or attempts to bypass or thwart the system.
Identification and verification are the two types of biometric systems. Identification systems compare biometric characteristics. Verification systems check an individual to see if he has at least one characteristic that is stored within a particular biometric system. These systems are evaluated by two criteria: false alarm rates and false rejection rates.
Evaluation protocol determines how a biometric system will be tested. Selecting the data, measuring system performance and conducting tests with unused biometric signatures is necessary for measuring biometric system effectiveness. Details for testing should have verifiable facts that include information about performance results and how the tests were conducted. This information is necessary in order for a biometric evaluation to have credibility within the security community.
