Image recognition
(also computer vision, image analysis)
Image recognition definition
Image recognition enables computers to understand pictures and videos by using algorithms to process, analyze, and classify visual data. More precisely, they detect patterns and object characteristics to comprehend the content of an image or video. Typical image recognition applications include facial recognition, object detection, optical character recognition (OCR), and scene understanding. Furthermore, image recognition is a powerful AI technology that can be both a potential security risk and a valuable tool in cybersecurity.
See also: intelligent character recognition, emotion recognition
Image recognition application
Security risk. Hackers can exploit image recognition technologies, such as facial recognition, to breach privacy or access sensitive data or systems without authorization. For example, an attacker could use deep fake technology to create compelling but false images or videos to impersonate an individual or spread disinformation. Moreover, image recognition systems are susceptible to adversarial attacks that manipulate input images to deceive the system.
Security-enhancing tool. Organizations can use image recognition technologies to strengthen security measures and reduce the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and other cyber threats. For instance, companies can integrate facial recognition or OCR into their multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems to verify users’ identities more effectively. Additionally, image recognition can enable real-time threat detection in surveillance systems, filter malicious content, automate digital forensics, and identify anomalies in network traffic.