Definition
Facial recognition is an image recognition technology that combines machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify individuals based on facial features.
It analyzes videos and pictures of a person’s face, checking specific details such as the jawline shape, distance between the eyes, the shape of the nose, etc. Then, the technology compares these features to a database of known faces to identify a match.
While facial recognition technology is beneficial in many applications, it can also cause security risks.
Application of Facial Recognition
- Security-enhancing tool: Organizations can employ facial recognition to improve their security in many ways. For example, they can add the technology to multi-factor authentication systems to prevent unauthorized access. They can also use facial recognition to replace or supplement traditional methods, like PINs and keycards, to access secure facilities.
- Security risks: Unfortunately, facial recognition presents various risks. For example, an attacker can exploit the technology with several techniques, like stolen biometric data, deep fake technology, or manipulated images, to profile, track, or conduct unauthorized surveillance. Also, training data limitations and biases can cause biased facial recognition systems, leading to discriminatory or unfair results.
How Facial Recognition Works
- Facial recognition software analyzes a photo or video of an individual’s face.
- It scans images and videos to map a person’s facial characteristics, also known as facial signature. It includes data like scars, the eye’s precise location, and other facial differences.
- The software compares a person’s facial signature to an extensive database of images.
- The system determines whether the facial signature matches any record in its database. Some systems even calculate accuracy scores or show alternatives.