Authors:
R. Ricci
1
;
G. Chollet
2
;
M. V. Crispino
3
;
S. Jassim
4
;
J. Koreman
5
;
A. Morris
5
;
M. Olivar-Dimas
6
and
P. Soria-Rodríguez
7
Affiliations:
1
Informa s.r.l., Italy
;
2
GET-ENST, France
;
3
Nergal s.r.l., Italy
;
4
Buckingham University, United Kingdom
;
5
Saarland University, Germany
;
6
GET-INT, France
;
7
Atos Origin, Spain
Keyword(s):
Mobile communications, multimodal biometrics, biometric authentication, electronic signature, security, encryption,
m-business.
Abstract:
This article presents an overview of the SecurePhone project, with an account of the first results obtained.
SecurePhone’s primary aim is to realise a mobile phone prototype - the “SecurePhone” - in which biometrical authentication enables users to deal secure, dependable transactions over a mobile network. The SecurePhone is based on a commercial PDA-phone, supplemented with specific software modules and a customised SIM card. It integrates in a single environment a number of advanced features: access to cryptographic keys through strong multimodal biometric authentication; appending and verification of digital signatures; real-time exchange and interactive modification of (e-signed) documents and voice recordings. SecurePhone’s “biometric recogniser” is based on original research. A fused combination of three different biometric methods - speaker, face and handwritten signature verification - is exploited, with no need for dedicated hardware components. The adoption of non-intrusi
ve, psychologically neutral biometric techniques is expected to mitigate rejection problems that often inhibit the social use of biometrics, and speed up the spread of e-signature technology. Successful biometric authentication grants access to SecurePhone’s built-in e-signature services through a user-friendly interface. Special emphasis is accorded to the definition of a trustworthy security chain model covering all aspects of system operation.
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