PlexNet: An Ensemble of Deep Neural Networks for Biometric Template Protection

Abstract

The security of biometric systems, especially pro-tecting the templates stored in the gallery database, is a primary concern for researchers. This paper presents a novel framework using an ensemble of deep neural networks to protect biometric features stored as a template. The proposed ensemble chooses two state-of-the-art CNN architectures i.e., ResNet and DenseNet as base models for training. While training, the pre-trained weights enable the learning algorithm to converge faster. The weights obtained through the base model is further used to train other compatible models, generating a fine-tuned model. Thus, four fine-tuned models are prepared, and their learning are fused to form an ensemble named as PlexNet. To analyze biometric templates’ security, the rigorous learning of ensemble is collected using a smart box i.e., application programming interface (API). The API is robust and correctly identifies the query image without referring to a template database. Thus, the proposed framework excludes the templates from database and performed predictions based on learning that is irrevocable.