Background

Benefits

Scope

CBEFF Data Elements

Patron Biometric File Formats

Format Owner and Format Type Registration

Adding New CBEFF Patron Formats

Future Plans

Technical Development Team

Contacts

Related Events/Activities

The Common Biometric Exchange File Format (CBEFF) development 
has reached an important milestone!

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published: 
“Common Biometric Exchange File Format (CBEFF)”, January 3, 2001, as NISTIR 6529. 

NISTIR 6529 has been developed by the CBEFF Technical Development Team (F. L. Podio, NIST, J. S. Dunn, NSA, L. Reinert, NSA, C. J. Tilton, SAFLINK, L. O'Gorman, Veridicom, M. P. Collier, Biometrics Foundation, M. Jerde, ANADAC, and B. Wirtz, Infineon).

For a copy of NISTIR 6529, please click here (233KB - pdf file)

CBEFF describes a set of data elements necessary to support biometric technologies in a common way. 

CBEFF features:

(1) Facilitates biometric data interchange between different system components or between systems
(2) Promotes interoperability of biometric-based application programs and systems
(3) Provides forward compatibility for technology improvements
(4) Simplifies the software and hardware integration process

The data described by CBEFF includes:

(1) Security (Digital Signatures and Data Encryption)
(2) Processing information (identification of Biometric Type and information about the Biometric Sample)
(3) Biometric data

These data can be placed in a single file used to exchange biometric information between different system components or between systems. The result promotes interoperability of biometric-based application programs and systems developed by different vendors by allowing biometric data interchange. CBEFF provides forward compatibility accommodating for technology improvements and allows for new formats to be created. CBEFF implementations simplify integration of software and hardware provided by different vendors. 

NISTIR 6529 was developed after a series of three Workshops (sponsored by the Information Technology Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Biometric Consortium) and harmonization efforts between the CBEFF Technical Development Team (formed as a result of these Workshops) and other industrial consortiums and groups developing biometric standards. (CBEFF was developed in coordination with industrial organizations including the BioAPI Consortium, the X9.F4 Working Group (a Working Group of the Accredited Standards Committee X9, Financial Services), the International Biometric Industry Association, the Interfaces Group of TeleTrusT and end users.)

Further development (e.g., a CBEFF smart card format) is proposed under the umbrella of the recently formed Biometrics Interoperability, Performance, and Assurance Working Group co-sponsored by NIST and the Biometric Consortium. A CBEFF smart card format (proposed by BioTrusT, Interfaces Group of TeleTrusT) will be reviewed in the upcoming WG February meeting.)

Acknowledgements

The Technical Development Team  would like to express gratitude to the participants at the CBEFF Workshops that contributed to the CBEFF’s initial conceptual definition and helped the Technical Development Team to define CBEFF’s scope of work.  Thanks are extended to the BioAPI Consortium members and the members of the X9.F4 Working Group. Their willingness to work with the CBEFF Team contributed greatly to the biometric data format harmonization. Special thanks are due to the Interfaces Group of TeletrusT for their valuable editorial comments and to the International Biometric Industry Association for their support to CBEFF and by acting as the Registration Authority for CBEFF Format Owners and Format Types.

Fernando L. Podio

NIST

Co-Chair, Biometric Consortium

Jeffrey S. Dunn
NSA
Co-Chair, Biometric Consortium