An alignment-free secure fingerprint authentication integrated with elliptic curve signcryption scheme

Abstract

Fingerprint authentication is a widely used method to verify someone’s identity by analysing unique fingerprint features, such as ridges and specific points called minutiae. However, there are concerns about its vulnerability to fake fingerprints and privacy issues. Cancellable biometrics is a promising solution to tackle these concerns. It transforms fingerprint features into secure forms that cannot be reversed back to the original, even if someone gets hold of them. This paper proposes an alignment-free secure fingerprint authentication method that integrates minutiae point descriptors and Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) keypoint descriptors, enhanced with Elliptic Curve signcryption, aiming to fortify security without compromising authentication accuracy. Experimental evaluations were conducted using the Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC) 2002 dataset, showcasing the efficacy of the proposed approach. Experimental results demonstrate a significant reduction in security risks while upholding authentication accuracy, thus affirming the effectiveness of our methodology in enhancing fingerprint authentication security.