Fingerprint Identification and Mobile Handheld Devices: An Overview and Implementation

Published

March 1, 2006

Author(s)

Wayne Jansen, Ronan Daniellou, Nicolas Cilleros

Abstract

The use of mobile handheld devices within the workplace is expanding rapidly. These devices are no longer viewed as coveted gadgets for early technology adopters, but have instead become indispensable tools that offer competitive business advantages for the mobile workforce. While these devices provide productivity benefits, they also pose new risks to an organizations's security by the information they contain or can access remotely. Enabling adequate user authentication is the first line of defense against unauthorized use of an unattended, lost, or stolen handheld device. This report describes using fingerprint identification on handheld devices. Two types of solutions are described: one that uses the computational capabilities of the handheld device to authenticate a user's fingerprints, the other that uses the computational capabilities of a specialized processor to offload processing by the handheld device. Details of the design and implementation of both solutions are provided.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 7290

Report Number

7290

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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DOI Link

Keywords

authentication, biometrics, fingerprint identification, mobile devices

Citation

Jansen, W. , Daniellou, R. and Cilleros, N. (2006), Fingerprint Identification and Mobile Handheld Devices: An Overview and Implementation, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7290 (Accessed October 13, 2025)