INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
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Enhanced Social Network Security System: Integrating Biometric
Authentication for Improved User Verification and Privacy
Protection
Amaefule I. A., C. I. Ubochi., F.C. Anamelechi
Department of Computer Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2025.100900026
Received: 08 September 2025; Accepted: 14 September 2025; Published: 11 October 2025
ABSTRACT
Social networks are becoming a necessary component of contemporary life, yet security is still a major worry.
Conventional password-based authentication methods are susceptible to a number of threats that jeopardize
user privacy and data. In order to offer strong user verification and privacy protection, this study suggests an
enhanced social network security system that incorporates biometric authentication; through the use of
fingerprint scanning. The Enhanced Social Network Security System establishes a biometric authentication
system that restricts access to vital websites, networks, and web-based applications to those who are approved,
as used in this study which protect user biometric data integrity; when compared to conventional password-
based systems. The suggested solution exhibits better security and usability. According to experimental results,
erroneous acceptance and rejection rates have significantly decreased, guaranteeing precise user verification.
The System offers social networks a practical and safe authentication solution that safeguards user information
and privacy. The use of biometric authentication improves social networks' overall security posture and
increases their resistance to online attacks.
Keywords: Biometric authentication, social network security, user verification, privacy protection, machine
learning.
INTRODUCTION
Social network communication has grown in popularity over the last few years, because of its widespread use;
it is challenging to identify the shortcomings of the current system and create a fresh, enhanced framework that
can yield superior outcomes. Members expose a significant portion of their private life to security risks by
using social networking sites to publish posts, videos, photos, and many other types of content. The
dependability of current security methods in extensively networked social media is called into doubt due to
their shortcomings. In the current situation, password leaks and unauthorized authentication are leading to
cybercrimes [1].
Passwords are the foundation of most social network authentication techniques; however, they may be shared,
forgotten, phished, or compromised as is presently the case. Social networks that rely solely on user names and
passwords may be giving unauthorized people access to private communications, sensitive information, and
online activities.
Most websites are merely secured with user names and passwords. Websites for online banking or investing,
online auctions, credit-related websites, social networking sites, and more. Stronger security measures are
required, as evidenced by several papers and recent research.
By utilizing your distinct fingerprint and implementing a biometric layer of protection, important websites,
networks, and web-based apps can only be accessed by authorized users. Biometrics are taking the place of
less safe and practical authentication technologies among consumers and companies of all sizes. Biometrics
used to be too costly to be considered and too hard to implement. [2].
This study makes a compelling case for the use of biometrics as an authentication factor for social media
websites, guaranteeing that only authorized users can access vital information and enabling the tracking and
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
www.rsisinternational.org
Page 285
capture of criminal elements or malicious users who use social media's widespread use as a communication
tool to indulge in their vices.
The Beneficial Impacts of Social Network
Generally, collaborative media creation and sharing on a sizable scale are referred to as social media. Various
users' communication demands are met by social media. Computer interactions make communication easier by
enabling users to conveniently stay in contact with friends and family, hear about social events, and discover
what other users are up to [3].
Social networks facilitate content sharing, which is crucial for fostering a feeling of community and shared
identity, claims [4]. Sharing textual, video, or audio information on social media platforms that depicts or
reflects a person's lifestyle and community experiences enables others to get to know them. The key takeaway
from the aforementioned function is that social media fosters ongoing communication between people who
share similar interests and may use it for both solitary and group experiences.
[5], makes the case that social media use indicates that these websites have developed into crucial instruments
for managing connections with a vast and frequently diverse network of individuals who offer social support
and act as channels for helpful information and other resources, which he summarizes as social capital.
It is important to note that social media serves commercial purposes in addition to promote social relationships
and ongoing connectedness between people and peers.
[6] notes that in many economic transactions, the social environment is a main motivator of behaviors and
results rather than a secondary one. Social networks have a major role in helping people find employment, and
they also have an impact on decisions about what to buy, how much education to seek, and whether or not to
commit crimes. Because of the broad recognition of the value of integrating economic activity into social
networks, researchers, businesspeople, governments, and individuals have begun to use social networks to
quickly and widely approve and embrace policies, decisions, and concepts.
All things been considered, shows that social networks have revolutionized how we interact, communicate, and
obtain information, providing a wealth of advantages for people, groups, and society at large.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Depending on the individual, the social network might signify numerous things. Some people use social media
platforms to advertise their companies, while others utilize them for a variety of other objectives, such as
education and amusement. As a result, there are various perspectives on the idea of a social network. Social
networking sites are online groups of people who either share interests and activities or are curious about the
interests and activities of others, according to [7]. They usually give users a range of ways to communicate,
including file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, video, phone, email, chat, and messaging. [8] adds that
social networks are web-based platforms that enable people to engage in a variety of activities. In a bounded
system, it first enables users to create a public or semi-public profile; then, it helps them to list other users with
whom they are connected; and lastly, it enables them to view and navigate both their own and other users'
connections lists.
The degree of worry over security vulnerabilities on social networking sites has increased geometrically over
time. Others have lost their hard-earned money and other belongings, and many have been enticed to their
deaths. Some people experienced a decline in their job as a result of a campaign of defamation on social media.
Unfortunately, because of security flaws and ineffective methods of online user verification, the majority of
these offenses remain unpunished. This section’s goals are to outline various security problems and worries
related to social networking sites in an effort to provide a workable solution. The problem of social networking
sites in relation to user account access and privacy is examined in this paper. As stated by [9],[10], criminals
are outpacing the advancement of security-ensuring technologies. These criminals target both people (via
social engineering, Trojan horses, and phishing) and technology (through malware and denial of service
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
www.rsisinternational.org
Page 286
assaults on digital data, systems, and hardware). [10] recommended that in order to create suitable rules and
safety and confidentiality measures, it is necessary to fully comprehend the elements pertaining to social
networking security.
Phishing is one of the most prevalent and high-ranked security flaws and assaults on social networking
platforms. Phishing is defined in A Survey of Various Security Issues in Online Social Networks as an attack
technique whereby the attackers gain the victim's sensitive information [11]. Phishing is when a hacker creates
a phony website that mimics an authentic one. The victim will receive a notification from the attacker stating
that they must authenticate their profile or risk having it removed. When the victim visits the particular phony
website, it will request the individual to supply the sensitive data and login and password of the victim.
Majority of the time, the attacker succeeds because consumers are clueless; if successful, this attack enables
the attacker to get direct access to the user's account and important data, such as all posts and changes that are
limited to certain users, using the user's log-in credentials to accomplish some goal against the user's
personality, which leads to identity theft.
One of the biggest concerns on social networking platforms is identity theft. Social media users must exercise
caution and vigilance since identity theft is a very significant problem. The goal of identity theft is to post or
transmit communications on someone else's behalf without that person's knowledge or consent. Some
individuals are compelled to remove their profiles as a result of identity theft because of the subsequent shame,
according to [12]. Fake profiles are occasionally created, and the real user is unaware that the attacker is
updating and behaving in a shameful manner.
[13], listed malware, viruses, and frauds as problems affecting social network users. Individuals see a plethora
of posts, messages, and comments on their walls, web page, or profile as soon as they check in. The user may
get these communications as spam or as a targeted assault. Users become susceptible and fall prey to such
attacks when they are unable to detect or recognize such communications. Identity theft happens when
malware is introduced into the user account and accounts are compromised, resulting in the recovery of
personal data. As a result, assaults on social media platforms have made individuals less confident in the
system. The chat between the two individuals cannot be trusted since one of the accounts may have become
compromised or may be the target of future attacks, which would violate the conversation's privacy (by leaking
it).
The problem of each member's legitimacy on social networking sites might be linked to identity theft. There is
no way for the social network to confirm the personal information of people who have registered. Additionally,
it has been noted that a current user may create or possess additional accounts, resulting in many accounts
belonging to the same person with either the same or distinct identities.
Also, criminally inclined second party can access and control an account without the account owner's
knowledge by simply obtaining the username and password through any hacking methods; which necessitates
the need for additional verification or checks.
Because of these problems, a higher degree of authentication is now required in order to access social
networks. A more distinctive and uncompromising approach must be added to or substituted for the traditional
username and password way of accessing each account. a method that ensures the owner of the account is
present or has given permission before any online activity can begin. This method will also guarantee that
every action taken on social media can be linked to an actual, living person and that there is a means of
verifying the problem of multiple accounts. Because of this, this study examines the authentication method in
social networking platforms by combining biometrics data collection, paying particular focus to the fingerprint
verification and authentication method.
METHODOLOGY
Fingerprint-based biometric authentication is integrated into the Enhanced Social Network Security System to
offer strong user verification and privacy protection. The solution is intended to solve the security and
authentication problems that social network users face. By incorporating biometric data collection during
registration, the new system will be able to handle the security difficulties and password authentication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
www.rsisinternational.org
Page 287
concerns that social network users experience, while keeping in mind the description and problems of the
current system. This will guarantee that no current user may create a new account. This will stop problems
with a single user having several accounts and the criminal inclinations it encourages.
Three tiers of the system architecture will be used in its design: the Presentation tier, which will collect
fingerprint data; the Middle (Logic) tier, which will extract and match features; and the Data tier, which will
collect biometric authentication.
i. Presentation Tier: The user interface is another name for the Presentation tier. The Graphical User
Interface, which enables user interaction with the system, is displayed. The individual's fingerprints are
collected using a fingerprint sensor, processed to improve quality, eliminate noise, and extract
distinctive traits, after which a fingerprint pattern is made from the processed fingerprint picture.
ii. The Middle layer: This layer manages the program, makes rational choices, and carries out the duties
that the system's users have assigned it. Additionally, it serves as a client between the system's other
levels. Here, distinctive properties, such minute details, are taken from the fingerprint template in order
to do feature extraction and matching. The matching method compares the retrieved characteristics to a
database of fingerprint templates that have been saved.
iii. The Data Tier: This Layer is in charge of the system's database. It comes with a program and storage
that let users access, modify, and handle the data kept in the system. A fingerprint sensor is used to
scan the user's fingerprint when they seek permission to use the social site. The fingerprints are then
compared to a saved fingerprint template, and if they match, the user is given access to the social
network. To avoid unwanted access, data on fingerprints are encrypted. The two diagram in fig.1 and
fig. 2, illustrate fingerprint biometrics authentication for improved user verification and privacy
protection.
Fig. 1: Diagram of fingerprint identification system (basic components) [14].
The flowchart of fingerprint biometrics authentication for improved user verification and privacy protection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
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Page 288
Fig. 2: The flowchart of fingerprint biometrics authentication for improved user verification and privacy
protection.
CONCLUSION
By incorporating biometric authentication, the Enhanced Social Network Security System offers a reliable and
practical way of improving verification of users and guarantee confidentiality. This system uses fingerprint
recognition technology to provide a safe and convenient substitute for conventional password-based
authentication techniques. By lowering the possibility of password-related assaults and data breaches,
biometric identification improves security. Fingerprint recognition offers a quick and easy login procedure that
does away with the need for passwords. Sensitive user data is protected by the system's encryption and secure
storage features, which improves privacy protection. An important advancement in safeguarding user
information and maintaining the integrity of social networks is the Enhanced Social Network Security System.
Prioritizing security, simplicity, and consumer trust is crucial as technology develops further.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Sincere gratitude is extended to the TetFund for providing financing and enabling the successful completion of
the study, and also to the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Owerri for promoting teamwork in research
at the university.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
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Page 289
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