In the realm of identity verification, detecting and preventing fraud is crucial for maintaining trust and security. Two key techniques employed for this purpose are face presentation attack detection (PAD) and face liveness detection. While both techniques contribute to the overall anti-fraud measures in face recognition, they can differ (or converge, spoiler alert!) in their focus and approach. In this blog post, we will explore the differences between these two techniques, their underlying principles, and how they work together to strengthen identity verification systems.
Identifying the presentation attacks on face recognition systems
Face Presentation Attack Detection (PAD), also known as anti-spoofing, is a technique that aims to Identify and detect the presentation attacks on face recognition systems. These attacks can include presenting printed photos, video recordings, masks, or other synthetic materials. The goal of PAD is to differentiate between genuine face presentations and attempted fraudulent or spoofed ones.
Verifying that the face captured in an image or video belongs to a live user
Face Liveness Detection focuses on verifying that the face captured in an image or video belongs to a live user. Its primary goal is to ensure that the detected face is from a real person actively present during the verification process. It can be viewed as a subset of the potential attacks that can be detected through PAD. Liveness detection systems were historically more closely linked to the capture sensors themselves, focusing their analysis on physiological signals like heartbeat or temperature to name a few, to discern whether the sample is from a live person in front of the camera and not an impersonation. In this context, there was a clear differentiation between the scope covered by PAD systems and proof-of-life systems, both being complementary.
However, in recent years, with the growing trend to apply these systems in mass-use devices without specific dedicated hardware, such as mobile devices or laptops, both systems have converged towards general-purpose systems based on intelligent video processing in the visible spectrum and without the need for special physiological sensors. For this reason, both terms tend to be used interchangeably nowadays in most systems and technical literature, with most process-oriented identity verification products being of equivalent use.
Various approaches are employed for PAD or liveness detection, such as:
- Texture Analysis: Assessing the surface properties and visual inconsistencies of the presented face to identify signs of spoofing materials or unnatural textures.
- Statistical Analysis: Analyzing statistical patterns and anomalies in the presented face, such as unnatural color distributions or pixel-level inconsistencies.
- Dynamic Analysis: Examining the dynamics of the face, such as detecting the presence of natural micro-expressions or eye movements, to differentiate live faces from spoofed ones.
- Motion Analysis: To differentiate live faces from static images or recordings, assessing facial movements, such as blinking or head rotation.
- 3D Depth Analysis: Utilizing depth-sensing technologies, such as structured light or time-of-flight cameras, to capture spatial information and detect depth variations associated with live faces.
All these approaches can be tackled with algorithms or with the most sophisticated AI-based methods, and in many cases, an ensemble of multiple approaches, but the nature of the beast is the same: detect the main presentation attack vectors.
Of course, we could go into much more detail and differentiate between active systems (which require collaboration or voluntary interaction by the user) and passive systems (which do not require such collaboration and are based on a completely transparent analysis for the user), but this is a topic that we will leave for later entries in this blog.
In conclusion, although historically the techniques of liveness detection and presentation attack detection have a different and complementary origin, nowadays, and in the reality of remote identity verification systems, they refer to the same systems. The advancements in face presentation attack detection and/or face liveness detection have revolutionized the field of identity verification and anti-fraud measures. Their applications span industries such as banking, fintech, mobility, healthcare, and more. By implementing robust identity verification systems that leverage these techniques, organizations can enhance security, mitigate fraud risks, comply with regulatory requirements, and provide seamless user experiences that won’t be possible with identity verification based on face recognition alone
See all posts 
