- ACL (Access Control List)
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A table of access rights for a user to a particular file or other networked resource. -
- Active biometric
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A biometric to which the user must actively submit a physical trait for measurement. -
- AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System)
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AFIS is a system to automatically match and classify fingerprints . Originally developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, it is now used by many law enforcement groups. -
- Algorithm
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A step-by-step method of problem-solving that is predictable and reproducible. -
- ANN (Artificial Neural Network)
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The Artificial Neural Network is a series of algorithms, assumptions, and probabilities used to solve a problem by simulating the operation of the human brain. -
- ArcNet
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A LAN technology that uses virtual token-passing as a means of communicating on a shared network. -
- Authentication
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The process of determining if a person is who he/she claims to be. -
- Binning
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The process of presorting biometric data to make matching more accurate and quicker. -
- Biometric
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A physical trait that can be measured and used for authentication. -
- Bleeding edge
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The part of the life cycle of a product or market segment that is at the earliest stage of use and testing. This stage is found before the leading edge of a technology that is beginning to mature. -
- Brute force
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The energy exerted in testing all possible outcomes in order to find a solution to a problem. -
- BSC (Binary Synchronous Communications)
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A character-oriented synchronous link communications protocol evolved from the old asynchronous (start-stop) protocol. Originated by IBM in 1964. -
- Capacitance
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The measure of capacitance is equal to the ratio of the charge on either surface (in a capacitor) to the potential difference between the surfaces (of a capacitor ). -
- Capture
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To gather the biometric trait to be measured. -
- CCD (Charge Coupled Device)
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Is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that stores and displays the data for an image in such a way that each pixel (picture element) in the image is converted into an electrical charge the intensity of which is related to a color in the color spectrum. A CCD is a highly specialized integrated circuit that consumes more power then a CMOS device, but offers higher quality images. -
- certis paribus
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Latin for "all other things being equal." -
- CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
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Is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that stores and displays the data for an image in such a way that each pixel (picture element) in the image is converted into an electrical charge the intensity of which is related to a color in the color spectrum. Unlike a CCD, it is produced using standard chip manufacturing techniques and consumes lower power then a CCD. -
- CRL (Certificate Revocation List)
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A list of certificates published by a certificate authority that have been revoked . -
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
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A protocol to dynamically configure the TCP/IP settings of a workstation or networked device. -
- Economies of scale
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Getting a larger return on money spent by having a larger number of similar items in use. -
- EEPROM (Electronic Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)
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A programmable read-only memory module that can be reprogrammed by applying a sufficiently large enough current to the memory. -
- EER (Equal Error Rate)
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A measure of where the FAR and FRR curves intersect. It is used to measure the strength of a biometric algorithm. -
- Eigenface
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A method of representing a human face as a linear deviation from a mean or average face. -
- EMF (Electromagnetic Frequency)
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The generalized term for light and radio waves transmitted through space. -
- ENA (Extended Network Addressing)
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A feature of SNA that enables the construction of extremely large (up to 8 million Logical Units (LUs) and 255 subnets) networks. -
- Enrollment
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The act of capturing and indoctrinating a user into a biometric system. -
- FAR (False Acceptance Rate)
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The probability that a biometric system will incorrectly identify an individual or will fail to reject an imposter. -
- Floppy
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A portable magnetic disk medium used to store and transfer computer data from one machine to another. Originally called a floppy because the disk casing itself was flexible. -
- FMR (False Match Rate)
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Equivalent to FAR. -
- FNMR (False Non-Match Rate)
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Equivalent to FRR. -
- FRR (False Rejection Rate)
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The probability that a biometric system will fail to identify an enrollee, or verify the legitimate claimed identity of an enrollee. -
- FTE (Failure to Enroll)
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Failure of the biometric system to form a proper enrolment template for an end-user. -
- FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt)
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A term used to describe an environment of confusion or indecisiveness caused by providing future-based statements, or information that is provided only to further confuse a situation. -
- GINA (Graphical Identification and Authentication)
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A Microsoft technology used to authenticate a user. -
- Identification
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Finding out who someone is without that person's making a claim about his/her identity. Normally done using a one-to-many match of biometric templates. -
- IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange)
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A networking protocol from Novell that interconnects networks that use Novell's NetWare clients and servers. IPX is a datagram or packet protocol. -
- Jack in
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To connect to a network. -
- Killer application
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The application that makes a new technology worthwhile. For the personal computer, the killer application was a spreadsheet program called Lotus 123. -
- LAN (Local Area Network)
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A group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line. -
- Latent print
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A fingerprint that has been left behind after touching an object. -
- LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
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Is a software protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and other resources such as files and devices in a network, whether on the public Internet or on a corporate intranet. -
- Leading edge
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A point in a product's market maturity that has the early adopters trying out the technology for features and applicability. -
- LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
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A semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it. -
- Live template
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A biometric template created for matching to a previously enrolled biometric trait. -
- Minutia
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Small details found in finger images such as ridge endings or bifurcations. -
- MOC (Match on Card)
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Using a smart card to run a biometric matching algorithm on its own processor. -
- Multi-factor authentication
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Using more than one factor of authentication at a time. For example, a biometric and token used together are considered multi-factor authentication. -
- NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface)
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Is a new, extended version of NetBIOS, the program that lets computers communicate within a local area network. NetBEUI (pronounced net-BOO-ee) formalizes the frame format (or arrangement of information in a data transmission) that was not specified as part of NetBIOS. NetBEUI was developed by IBM for its LAN Manager product and has been adopted by Microsoft. -
- Non- repudiation
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Being unable to deny executing a transaction. -
- One-to-one
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A type of matching normally done for verification where a statement of identity is confirmed using only one of the biometric templates of the identity being claimed. -
- One-to-many
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A type of matching normally done for identification where a statement of identity is not made. The live template is compared against all the stored templates in the biometric system. -
- One-way hash
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An algorithm that turns messages or text into a fixed string of digits, usually for security or data management purposes. The "one-way" means that it's nearly impossible to derive the original text from the string. -
- Passive biometric
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A type of biometric device or system that can capture biometric traits without the subject's submitting to the measurement. -
- Password
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A secret string of characters that is used to prove one's identity to a computer system. -
- PCB (Printed Circuit Board)
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A computer component board that has etched or printed pathways for interconnecting the components to be placed on the board. -
- PIN (Personal Identification Number)
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Normally a secret code composed mainly of numbers . -
- PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)
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Enables users of an otherwise insecure public network such as the Internet to securely and privately exchange data through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair. Public keys may be obtained and shared through a trusted authority. -
- Proxy
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To execute a transaction or provide data on behalf of another. -
- ROC (Receiver Operator Curve)
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A graph showing how the FRR and FAR vary according to the threshold. -
- ROI (Return on Investment)
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The amount of money saved or earned based on the outlay of initial funds. -
- Smart card
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A small computing processor affixed to a sheet of plastic the size of a credit or bank card. It is used either to store value or for the storage and retrieval of user data. -
- SNA (Systems Network Architecture)
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IBM's data communications architecture defining levels of protocols for communications between terminals and applications, and between programs. -
- Snake oil
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A euphemism for a product or service that is sold for more than what it is. Normally associated with exaggerated claims for performance. -
- Sneaker-net
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A method of sharing data among un-networked computers by carrying a portable storage medium to the next computer. -
- SPX (Sequenced Packet Exchange)
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A transport-layer protocol built on top of IPX. SPX is used in Novell NetWare systems for communications in client/server application programs. -
- SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
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A commonly used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. -
- SSO (Single Sign-On)
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A user authentication process that permits a user to enter one name and password to access multiple applications or resources. -
- Stored template
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A previously enrolled template that is used for comparison against a live template. -
- TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
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A combination of two protocols that describes how data is delivered and networked resources are addressed. -
- Template
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A mathematical representation of a physical biometric trait. It is not the raw stored data of the original biometric trait. -
- Type I error
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In statistics, the rejection of the null hypothesis (default assumption) when it is true. In a biometric system, the usual default assumption is that the claimant is genuine , in which case, this error corresponds to a "False Rejection". -
- Type II error
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In statistics, the acceptance of the null hypothesis (default assumption) when it is false. In a biometric system, the usual default assumption is that the claimant is genuine, in which case, this error corresponds to a "False Acceptance". -
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
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A plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices. -
- Verification
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The process of comparing a submitted biometric sample against the biometric reference template of a single enrollee whose identity is being claimed, to determine whether it matches the enrollee's template. -
- x.500
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A standard way to develop an electronic directory of people in an organization so that it can be part of a global directory available to anyone in the world with Internet access. -
- XOR (eXclusive OR)
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Is a mathematical function with two inputs. If the two inputs are the same, the output is a 0, or if the inputs are different, the output is a 1. -
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