One of the most effective ways to authenticate someone in this digital age is using biometric data. This data has been used for different purposes, such as authenticating someone for access control, account logins, medical records, and even border security. Biometrics have been proven effective since they are unique to each person, enforcing robust security measures.
While traditional biometric data such as fingerprints, Face IDs, and retinal scans have become widely used for 2FA, MFA, and many other purposes, another type of biometric data has emerged as a new player on the field. Like other forms of biometric data, behavioral biometrics has shown efficiency in enhancing cybersecurity. In this article, we’ll discuss behavioral biometrics and how they impact information security.
What is behavioral biometric?
Behavioral biometrics is a type of biometric data that pertains to information derived from a person’s behaviors. It’s a powerful tool for continuous evaluation of user identity for its evolving nature that can adapt over time as habits and tendencies change.
What are the types of behavioral biometrics?
There are many behavioral biometrics that are utilized for different purposes. We’re listing the most common ones used to aid digital security. Here are some of those:
1. Input dynamics
-
Keystroke dynamics
Keystroke dynamics refers to the analysis of typing patterns, speed, and pressure. These data are used to authenticate users based on how they type using a keyboard.
-
Mouse dynamics
Similar to keystroke dynamics, mouse dynamics utilize device input, which comes from a mouse, to analyze cursor movements, mouse clicks, and scroll patterns. Data gathered from mouse dynamics can distinguish users based on their interaction with a computer mouse.
-
Touchscreen dynamics
Touchscreen dynamics monitor a user’s interaction with touchscreen devices. These input dynamics gather data such as swipe patterns, touch pressure, and everything related to a user’s touch behavior on touchscreen devices.
-
Signature analysis
Signatures can be distinguished by how a person signs their name. This analytical method considers speed, pressure, and stroke in order to authenticate individuals based on their signature dynamics.
2. Physical and voice
-
Gait analysis
Gait analysis is a type of kinesthetic biometric that focuses on a person’s movements. This includes how a person walks, their speed, rhythm, stride length, and everything involving someone’s walking patterns.
-
Voice recognition
Voice recognition analyzes a person’s speech patterns. This encompasses speech rate, pitch, tonal identity, and other characteristics that identify someone by the way they speak.
3. Device and software interaction
-
Mobile usage patterns
Users can also be identified through their mobile device habits, including app usage, screen time, device handling, and anything that involves a person’s interaction with their mobile device.
-
Behavioral profiling
Behavioral profiling refers to tracking and analyzing someone’s interaction with the digital world. This may include browsing habits, login times, and transaction patterns to detect anomalies and verify user identity based on their typical behavior patterns.
What are the applications of behavioral biometric?
Behavioral biometrics is mainly used for enforcing security on the following:
-
E-commerce security
The e-commerce industry has been leveraging behavioral biometrics to protect users. Behavioral biometrics monitor users’ activities during online transactions. The data they gather from these transaction habits can be used to flag suspicious deviations from their typical behavior that might indicate fraud.
-
Financial security
Like behavioral biometrics’ protection for the e-commerce industry, it also serves security for financial institutions and their clients. Banks and financial institutions can leverage behavioral biometrics to verify a client’s identity when logging in to their online banking, withdrawing from an ATM, funds transfers, and many more.
-
Access control systems
Beyond passwords, workplaces can utilize behavioral biometrics for access control systems like keycard readers. Analyzing gait patterns or typing rhythms can strengthen physical security.
-
Insider threat detection
Behavioral biometrics can also be used to detect any malicious intent by someone who is an authorized user within a company network. The habits gathered from the user can be used to flag any unusual patterns, such as accessing unauthorized files, data exfiltration attempts, or logging in from unexpected locations and times.
What are the benefits of behavioral biometrics?
Behavioral biometrics provide many advantages that benefit individuals or organizations prioritizing security and a seamless user experience. Here are some of those:
-
Continuous authentication
Unlike passwords, which are only verified at the beginning of a session, behavioral biometrics offer continuous authentication. This means it enables systems to monitor a user continuously throughout a session. Analyses that use behavioral biometrics can adapt to potential changes in behavior that might indicate a takeover attempt.
-
Unobtrusive Security
Behavioral biometrics can be gathered in the background without disrupting a user session. They can also be collected without workflow disruption, providing a seamless user experience for everyone involved in the process.
-
Mitigates Risk of Social Engineering
Behavioral biometrics can be a strong defense against social engineering attacks, where hackers trick users into revealing passwords or other sensitive information. Since behavioral biometrics focus on inherent patterns, they are less susceptible to social manipulation.
What are some limitations of behavioral biometrics?
While behavioral biometrics offer many benefits for users, they may also pose some challenges:
-
Privacy Concerns
Some users may find it uncomfortable knowing that their behavioral data are being collected and stored to be used as a security reference. It can also raise concerns for some who worry about their behavioral data getting leaked through a data breach or sold by people who obtain them illegally.
-
Potential Bias
Behavioral biometric systems can be biased based on the data used to train them. To mitigate potential bias in user identification, it’s crucial to ensure diverse datasets are used during development.
-
Accuracy and Environmental Factors
Several factors may affect the gathering and analysis of behavioral data. These may include external factors such as stress, fatigue, changing habits, and anything that can be variable and evolving. This is why behavioral biometric systems should consider these variations to maintain accuracy.
Conclusion
Behavioral biometrics are an essential tool in evaluating someone’s identity using unique behavioral patterns they possess. They can be used for various purposes, including e-commerce security, financial transactions, workplace safety, etc. Behavioral biometrics provide an added layer of protection for industries and individuals by continuously monitoring and adapting to user behavior, making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to impersonate legitimate users.
