false acceptance (type II error)
False acceptance, also called a type II error, is a mistake occasionally made by biometric
security systems. In an instance of false acceptance, an unauthorized person is identified as an
authorized person.
Obviously, false acceptance is an undesirable event. One of the most important specifications in
any biometric system is the false acceptance rate (FAR). The FAR is defined as the percentage of
identification instances in which false acceptance occurs. This can be expressed as a probability.
For example, if the FAR is 0.1 percent, it means that on the average, one out of every 1000
impostors attempting to breach the system will be successful. Stated another way, it means that the
probability of an unauthorized person being identified an an authorized person is 0.1 percent.
Compare false
rejection.
This was last updated in September 2005
Email Alerts
Register now to receive SearchSecurity.com-related news, tips and more, delivered to your inbox.
By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States.
Privacy
More News and Tutorials
-
Adobe Reader X uses Microsoft's sandboxing technology to block potentially dangerous processes from executing beyond the confines of the software.
-
Microsoft repaired four vulnerabilities in its Forefront Unified Access Gateway and a critical flaw in Microsoft Office.
-
Download the entire October 2010 issue of Information Security magazine here in PDF format.
-
Articles
-
Resources from around the Web