The Biometric Imperative: Low-Cost Facial Recognition to Counter Critical Access Vulnerabilities in High-Insecurity Contexts
Journal
Lecture Notes in Computer Science
HCI for Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust
Date Issued
2026
Author(s)
Vargas-Bustamante, Miguel
Cevallos-Sornoza, Angie
Álvarez-Tello, Jorge
Type
Book chapter
Abstract
Rising insecurity in Ecuador, especially on urban areas of Guayaquil, has exposed the high vulnerability of public and educational institutions to unauthorized access. Conventional security control measurements base on physical credentials, or passwords have proved to be insufficient, driving the need for technological solutions for secure access control. In this context, facial recognition has emerged as a feasible biometric solution, even though its implementation gets limited when applied to resource-constrained environments. This study presents and validates an access control system developed with accessible and budget-friendly hardware, open-source tools, aimed at strengthening security in vulnerable spaces. The research adopted a quantitative, experimental, and applied approach, evaluating prototype performance through indicators of operational reliability, correct authentication rate, and rejection of unauthorized attempts under diverse environmental conditions. Results show that the system achieved an identification success rate of 97% of legitimate users and blocked 95% of non-authorized attempts, with an average response time of under two seconds and high resistance to basic spoofing attempts. These findings confirm that low-cost biometric solutions can achieve satisfactory levels of security and usability, contributing to the democratization of technology and offering a replicable and ethical alternative for educational institutions in high-insecurity contexts