The Application of Programmable DSPs in Mobile Communications

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Biometric Systems Applied To Mobile Communications

Dale R. Setlak and Lorin Netsch

13.1 Introduction

Many modern electronic services and systems require a reliable knowledge of the identity of the current user, as an integral part of their security protection [1]. Examples include secure access to automated banking services, access to media services, access to confidential or classified information in the workplace, and security of information within handheld devices. The results of a breach of security can be costly both to the customer and the providers of services or systems. For wireless devices to take on significant roles in these security-conscious applications, the devices must provide the mechanisms needed for reliable user identification. Among the applications of reliable user identification, wireless or handheld devices present a unique challenge due to limited size, power and memory constraints. Furthermore, the nature of the challenge grows when we consider the scope of mobile device penetration into the worldwide marketplace, where the user identification system must function reliably for a huge number of people with a wide range of user demographics and in widely diverse operational environments.

At its core, security in information and communication systems encompasses those processes that: (1) determine what commands the current user may issue to the system and (2) guarantee the integrity of both the commands and the subsequent system responses as they propagate ...