Class III - Client Specified Testing

NBSP Class III Custom Testing utilizes Scenario, Technology and Operational testing methodologies as specified by the client. The NBSP offers manufacturers, integrators, and end users a broad range of testing capabilities to address their unique requirements. These include: development tests, comparative testing, standards conformance capability, interoperability, and vulnerability testing, to name a few. NBSP's mission ofassisting government and the private sector in deterring criminal and terrorist attacks on the civil infrastructure by accelerating the adoption of biometrics extends to the testing of the technology for specialized applications. Such tests include, but are not limited to:

Vulnerability and Countermeasure Testing: Evaluates the susceptibility of a biometric device/system to attack and then recommends or designfeatures or operating methods that reduce such vulnerability. Such tests can be performed for either the developer or the end-user. Some biometric devices have been subject to scrutiny because of the ability to spoof or trick the system into allowing access to users who are not allowed access. Biometric systems, like all electronic systems, are vulnerable to attack with varying degrees of effectiveness using a variety of weapons. NBSP begins the vulnerability assessment by researching ways to attack a biometric. After these are identified the NBSP then attempts these attacks in a laboratory environment to determine how susceptible a system is to attack using the most effective method(s).

After completion of the vulnerability assessment the team will generate a full report on the devices weaknesses and determine its level of resistance to identified attacks.

Interoperability Testing: Tests the ability to exchange and use information on a single system. When implementing multiple biometrics on a single system it would be detrimental for an end-user not to know if these devices are interoperable with each other. NBSP has the ability to qualify a product as being interoperable, therefore more appealing to the end-user and will consist of Basic Interoperability Testing and Performance Interoperability Testing. Basic Interoperability Testing will determine the ability of a biometric device to create biometric data blocks that can be processed by other biometric comparison subsystems, and the ability of a biometric comparison subsystem to process biometric data blocks generated by other biometric devices. In addition to the Basic Interoperability Testing, Performance Interoperability Testing will determine the ability of biometric devices from different manufactures to generate and compare according to a specified performance level.

If interoperability is found to be uneven during the first round of testing, a second test will be run to determine if changes can be made to the standardized biometric data blocks to improve the device's interoperability status. NBSP will notify the manufacturer of the device's status and give recommendations on improvement. The manufacturer and the Testing Division will then determine if another round of testing will be necessary.