False Acceptance Ratio

What Does False Acceptance Ratio Mean?

The false acceptance ratio (FAR) is a unit used to measure the average number of false acceptances within a biometric security system. It measures and evaluates the efficiency and accuracy of a biometric system by determining the rate at which unauthorized or illegitimate users are verified on a particular system.

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FAR is also known as false acceptance rate or type II error rate/ratio.

Techopedia Explains False Acceptance Ratio

FAR primarily helps determine the accuracy level of a biometric security system. FAR is calculated by dividing the number of false acceptances by the number of identification attempts. So,

FAR = FA ÷ TA

Where:

FAR = False Acceptance Ratio
FA = Number of False Acceptances
TA = Total Number of Attempts

For example, if the number of false acceptances is 100 out of a total of 1,000 identification attempts, the FAR is 0.10. This means that the biometric system will allow 10 percent, or 1 out of each 10 false attempts, to access the system.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…