Subverting Biometric Security Using 3D Printed Biometrics Characteristics

3D printing technology is making major strides into various manufacturing domains, allowing for rapid prototyping and even manufacturing of novel and task specific hardware. Various 3D printing technologies are available for an exceedingly affordable price, allowing any user to purchase 3D printers and create any object that the imagination allows. This paper asks the question if the 3D printing technology can be utilized to create objects which can facilitate in subverting biometric authentication systems? The fist aim of the research presented in this paper is to test in what way commonly available 3D printing technology can be used to create fake biometric characteristics. Secondly, tests are presented which evaluate if these fake 3D printed characteristics can successfully be used to subvert various biometric systems. It was found that it is indeed possible to use various 3D printing approaches to generate fake biometric characteristics that successfully subvert biometric authentication systems. Though commercially available 3D printing technology was used, the paper concludes with proposing future research investigating 3D Bioprinting, allowing for actual organs to be 3D printed.