Continuous Authentication Using Biometrics: Data, Models, and Metrics

User authentication is the process of verifying whether the identity of a user is genuine prior to granting him or her access to resources or services in a secured environment. Traditionally, user authentication is performed statically at the point of entry of the system; however, continuous authentication (CA) seeks to address the shortcomings of this method by providing increased session security and combating insider threat. Continuous Authentication Using Biometrics: Data, Models, and Metrics presents chapters on continuous authentication using biometrics that have been contributed by the leading experts in this recent, fast growing research area. These chapters collectively provide a thorough and concise introduction to the field of biometric-based continuous authentication. The book covers the conceptual framework underlying continuous authentication and presents detailed processing models for various types of practical continuous authentication applications.

Issa Traore obtained a PhD in Software Engineering in 1998 from Institute Nationale Polytechnique (INPT)-LAAS/CNRS, Toulouse, France. He has been with the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Victoria since 1999. He is currently an Associate Professor and the Coordinator of the Information Security and Object Technology (ISOT) Lab at the University of Victoria. His research interests include biometrics technologies, computer intrusion detection, network forensics, software security and software quality engineering. He has published over 90 technical papers in computer security and software engineering and supervised 23 Master and PhD graduate students in the last 10 years. He is currently serving as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems (IJCNDS). Dr. Traore is also a co-founder and CEO of Plurilock Security Solutions Inc., a network security company which provides innovative authentication technologies and is one of the pioneers in bringing continuous authentication products to the market.

Ahmed Awad E. Ahmed is a Senior Scientist at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Victoria. He is a member of the Security and Object Technology (ISOT) Research Laboratory at the University of Victoria and the principal investigator of Biotracker, a new intrusion detection system based on biometrics. Dr. Ahmed worked as a Software Design Engineer, Project Manager and Quality Assurance/Security Consultant in a number of leading firms. He is currently the CTO of Plurilock Security Solutions Inc. Dr. Ahmed received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada in 2008. His Ph.D. dissertation introduces new trends in security monitoring through human computer interaction devices. Dr. Ahmed completed his BSc and MSc degrees at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt in 1992 and 1997 respectively.