Fingerprint scanning system

At USC you get access by using your fingerprint scan, or by scanning the QR code in the My USC Amsterdam app (download the app: Android or iOS). A fingerprint scan is not mandatory, but the advantage of this system is that you don’t always have to carry your phone with you. The privacy of USC members is fully protected in this system, which works using codes generated based on fingerprint characteristics. Images of fingerprints are not saved. The codes are used for verification, and it is impossible to use the codes to obtain information regarding the fingerprint scan.

Difference between AFIS and commercial systems

When considering privacy and biometrics, it is important to identify the system in question. The systems used by authorities such as the police and customs use a system in which images are saved (AFIS systems). If the information in these systems falls into the wrong hands or is used inappropriately, individual privacy can come under threat. The commercial systems developed by EasySecure, such as the USC IdentySoft® system, use an algorithm and cannot be traced back to an actual fingerprint. These systems are used in the business world for e.g. time, access and attendance management systems. They are also used in the health care industry for patient recognition, at schools for examination registration, for verifying membership at tanning parlours, for granting access to server rooms etc.

From body characteristic to template

IdentySoft® scans your fingerprint and the scanner transforms this image into a template. Produced by an algorithm, this template consists of a number 364 digits in length. The algorithm is patented, and also protected by encryption (AES-256, the most secure form of encryption). Even if the code were to be cracked, the algorithm would still need to be cracked. And even if the algorithm were to be cracked, it would still be impossible to create an original print from the saved result. It is therefore impossible to use a saved IdentySoft® template to create an image of a fingerprint that could subsequently be compared to another database or image.