Biometric recognition technology is a trusted and reliable way to verify identities and is now widely used to protect personal electronic devices and sensitive accounts. Fingerprint scans or facial recognition technology are increasingly replacing passwords to make logging in or confirming payment effortless. But this convenience presents new threats that need to be acknowledged by law enforcement and the general public. A password can be updated, but biometrics cannot.

Although biometric recognition systems are generally robust, provided they are well-secured and implemented correctly, academic research shows that there are ways to trick these systems. Examples include the use of masks, artificial fingerprints or deepfakes to bypass biometric authentication mechanisms. As authentication increasingly relies on biometric identification, it is crucial for law enforcement to understand the associated vulnerabilities.

Download the report here: https://www.europol.europa.eu/publication-events/main-reports/biometric…