Physical and digital biometric security systems, safe, robust and explainable.

Biometric research at the sAIfer Lab is carried on at Pra Lab and is dedicated to enhance the security and integrity of identity verification systems through advanced technological solutions. Initiated in the early 2000s, this field of research addresses the growing demand for reliable authentication methods amid growing concerns about security breaches and identity fraud.

Sub-research topics within the biometric research area are specifically designed to tackle emerging threats, focusing on:

• Identity Trust Solutions: based on establishing and maintaining the trustworthiness of identities in digital transactions and in real world, this research area develops frameworks and protocols to ensure that identities are accurately verified and maintained throughout their lifecycle. This subtopic includes all the methodologies for making an authentication system reliable, secure and robust to acquisition variations such as distance, lighting and other changes to the biometric trait.

• Spoofing, Deepfake, and Morphing Detection: recognizing the growing advancement of identity modification and fraud techniques, Pra Lab focuses on developing detection methods for artificial manipulations of biometric traits. This topic addresses the real-world problem of preventing unauthorized access, misinformation and loss of trust in multimedia communications, offering practical solutions through advanced classification algorithms. The group has provided significant contributions to the state of the art on the subject.
  This activity has been accompanied by the organization of the International Fingerprint Liveness Detection Competition (LivDet) since 2009.

• Behavioral Analytics: behavioral analytics within the domain of biometrics leverages the unique patterns inherent in individual human behaviors and biomedical signals to authenticate identities, monitor activities, and detect anomalies.

The BullyBuster and BullyBuster2 projects exemplify the integration of behavioral biometrics with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision technologies to create impactful solutions to improve individual lives. This initiative sought to combine psychological insights with technological advances to create tools capable of identifying bullying in both physical and virtual contexts: for this reason, it has been included in the Global Top 100 list of AI projects addressing the 17 United Nations Strategic Development Goals by the International Research Center for Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO.