presentation attack

The definition, in our words

An attempt to deceive a biometric capture process by presenting something other than the live person it is meant to measure.

Why the distinction matters

A photograph, a video replay, a mask or a synthetic face are common instruments. The framework points to the ISO/IEC 30107 series for the vocabulary and the detection framework.

How to use it in a comparison

Separate the functional test of the detection mechanism from the vulnerability test that tries to defeat it. The working draft on benchmarking makes the same distinction.

Where it changes the evidence

A definition is not decoration. It decides which test is meaningful and which result can be compared. Where a supplier's material uses the term differently, the comparison should quote the supplier's use and place it beside this one. A difference in definition is a finding about comparability, and it belongs in the report rather than in a footnote.

The analysis units on this site use the term as the framework defines it. Where a unit turns the term into a question, the question is written on the unit page and the evidence artefact is named. The kit repeats both, so a row in the register and a paragraph in the report use the same meaning.