Biometric Authentication Sharding for Privacy-Preserving Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biometric authentication systems face security and privacy issues due to the storage of biometric templates, which can be breached, and existing multiparty computation techniques are inefficient and non-privacy-preserving, requiring excessive computation and communication, and often involve storing templates in plaintext.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate and distribute biometric data shards across an array of servers, performing multiparty computation without revealing intermediate values, and enable revocable authentication without requiring the same client device, using encoding and multiparty computation to authenticate individuals while preserving privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biometric templates are stored in centralized databases, then authentication functionality is provided, but security vulnerability increases and privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The biometric template is divided into multiple shards using secret sharing schemes. Each shard is stored on a different server, and no single server possesses the complete template. This segmentation eliminates the security vulnerability of centralized storage while maintaining authentication functionality, as the shards collectively reconstruct the original template only when needed for authentication.
2Loss of information
If multiparty computation techniques are used for biometric authentication, then privacy is preserved, but computation time and communication overhead increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preprocessing of biometric data into shards and pre-establishes secure communication channels before authentication. The shards are prepared in advance and stored ready for use, eliminating the need for complex real-time computations during authentication. This preliminary action significantly reduces computation time and communication overhead while maintaining privacy preservation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If biometric templates are stored locally on user devices, then security is improved, but loss of device results in loss of authentication capability
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing the complete biometric template locally or centrally, the system segments the template into multiple shards distributed across different servers. The user's device stores only minimal identifying information, not the full template. This segmentation provides security by eliminating the honeypot target while maintaining authentication availability through distributed storage, resolving the contradiction between security improvement and authentication availability.
4Loss of information
If existing multiparty computation approaches are implemented, then privacy is preserved, but system complexity and communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the most complex components from traditional multiparty computation systems. By using pre-computed shards and simplified verification protocols, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time multiparty interactions. This extraction of unnecessary complexity reduces system complexity and communication requirements while maintaining the essential privacy preservation functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for using biometric data to authenticate a subject as an individual whose biometric data has been previously obtained. A second transducer has a digital electronic signal output characterizing a biometric of the subject; a second computing facility to receive the digital electronic signal; an array of servers; and a third computing facility. These components implement processes including generating shards from the digital electronic signal and distributing of the generated shards to the array of servers; receiving and storing by the array of servers the generated shards; performing a data exchange process using a subset of the generated shards to develop information relating to authentication of the subject; and transmitting to a third computing facility, the information developed, to cause the third computing facility to generate an output value indicating whether the subject is authenticated as the individual. A related enrollment system is also provided.