Biometrics Evaluation Centre (BEZ)

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BEZ (ISF)

About the BEZ

The Biometrics Evaluation Center (BEZ) is a joint institution of the Institute for Security Research (ISF) at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Since its founding in 2018, ISF and BSI have been working closely together to address current challenges and issues in the field of biometrics in a practical and scientifically sound manner.
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Mission and Objectives

The BEZ's central task is the evaluation, assessment, and further development of biometric systems. Its work focuses on three main areas:

1. Performance (efficiency and reliability of biometric systems)

2. Security (Presentation Attack Detection, PAD) 

3. Usability 

The BEZ conducts both long-term studies and large-scale mass tests with real participants to examine biometric systems and to develop standardized evaluation methodologies and tools. Additionally, new security technologies in biometrics are researched and the insights are shared with partners and stakeholders through practical training courses and workshops.

Research Focus

The BEZ engages in a variety of innovative research fields, including:

  • Presentation Attack Detection (PAD)
  • Generation of synthetic biometric data as a privacy-friendly alternative to real reference data
  • Near-infrared (NIR) sensor technology
  • Spectral measurement technology
  • 3D sensor technology
  • Micro-optics for the miniaturization of biometric systems

Unique Test Environment

A unique selling point of the BEZ is its specially developed testing facility which enables both planned long-term studies and short-term ad hoc investigations. This involves testing a wide range of biometric systems and innovative solutions for use in government environments, purely virtual cloud solutions, and the consumer sector— such as fingerprint and facial recognition on smartphones.

Data Protection and Security

As part of the collaboration, the BSI bears responsibility for the secure capture, storage, and processing of biometric data and ensures compliance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, the BSI conducts security assessments and vulnerability analyses at the BEZ, taking into account highly confidential evaluation requirements, particularly regarding the security of biometric systems (Presentation Attacks Detection).
Federal Office for Information Security