Presentation Attack (Biometric)
Definition
An attempt to deceive a biometric capture device using an artefact (silicone overlay, printed photograph, 3D mask) rather than a genuine biometric sample. Governed by ISO/IEC 30107.
- Governing standard
- ISO/IEC 30107
- Attack method
- Artefact presented to capture device
- Examples
- Silicone overlay, printed photo, 3D mask
- Countermeasure
- Presentation attack detection (liveness checks)
Common questions
How does a presentation attack differ from digitally spoofing a biometric database?+
A presentation attack targets the physical capture device itself with a fake artefact at the point of sensing, whereas a database or algorithm-level spoof manipulates the digital template or matching process after capture, so the two require different countermeasures, liveness detection versus system security controls.
Why does ISO/IEC 30107 matter for forensic and law enforcement biometric deployments?+
It defines standardized metrics and testing methodology for evaluating how well a biometric system resists presentation attacks, giving agencies a common, auditable basis for comparing vendor claims before deploying a fingerprint, iris, or face system in an operational or evidentiary context.
Related terms
- Aadhaar
- India's national biometric identity programme, administered by UIDAI. Links a 12-digit UID to 10 fingerprints, iris scans, and a facial photograph for...
- BIPA
- Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14, 2008). Requires informed written consent before collecting biometric identifiers and prohibits their sale. The...
- Clearview AI
- New York company that built a face-recognition database of approximately 30 billion images scraped from public websites without consent; subject to BIPA...
- GDPR Article 9
- The EU General Data Protection Regulation provision classifying biometric data used for unique identification as a special category requiring explicit consent or...
- GEDmatch
- A consumer genealogy database founded in 2010, used in the Golden State Killer investigation. Changed from opt-out to opt-in for law-enforcement access...
- Investigative Genealogy
- A technique that searches consumer ancestry DNA databases using crime-scene SNP profiles to identify candidate relatives of an unknown contributor, then uses...
- Liveness Detection
- A biometric system component that distinguishes a live biological sample from an artefact-based spoof. Methods include blood-flow detection, ridge flexibility measurement, and...
- NAFRS
- National Automated Facial Recognition System; India's NCRB-administered national facial recognition platform for law enforcement, progressively deployed from 2020 onward.
- NIST FRVT
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology Face Recognition Vendor Testing programme, the primary independent benchmark for facial recognition algorithms, publishing ongoing...