Biometrics as a Cryptographic Method for Network Security

Background: Cryptography is considered as an effective method for secure transmission of data but falls prey to network attacks. The proposed biometrics-based Encryption/Decryption Scheme uses fingerprints to generate a unique key. Methods: The presented technique combines portions of fingerprint of the sender and the receiver to generate a random sequence, which is used as a public-key for Encryption as well as Decryption. The key thus generated is distinct as it is watermarked with sender's biometric signature. The encrypted message is then sent to the receiver along with the key. The receiver uses this key to decrypt the message to plain text. Findings: This system has a significant advantage as there is no requirement for the asymmetric key to be stored in a protected place, thus reducing the security threats to the minimum. The fingerprint is an inherent trait of every individual and is distinct. Hence billons of unique keys can be created, making it very hard for an attacker to guess the key. Applications: The biometric based system significantly increases the power of traditional crypto-systems.