Abstract:
Insecure electronic voting systems can create serious problems for voters and stakeholders who
rely on accurate results. Unauthorized manipulation of e-voting data can drastically change the
outcome of an election or decision-making process. Current security measures are inadequate to
stop unauthorized access or data tampering. Traditional authentication methods like passwords and
two-factor authentication are increasingly susceptible to advanced cyberattacks in today's digital
landscape. A key challenge lies in reconciling strong security with ease of use, as adding
authentication layers improves protection but can hinder user experience. The goal is to create a
secure and streamlined four-factor authentication (4FA) mechanism.
To overcome this challenge, we created a modular authentication framework based on
independent, service-oriented components. This framework employed pre-trained facial
recognition and fingerprint matching models (accessed through secure SDKs) for real-time
biometric verification, standard cryptographic libraries for Time-based One-Time Password
(TOTP) generation and validation, secure token exchange with registered mobile devices for
device possession confirmation, and a combination of IP-based geofencing and GPS data cross
verification for geolocation verification. Each authentication factor was processed independently
and securely, with a weighted scoring mechanism aggregating the individual results to determine
access based on overall authentication confidence.
A two-week trial involving 100 users demonstrated the system's strong performance.
Authentication accuracy was significantly enhanced, with biometric verification achieving over
98% accuracy in controlled settings and 95% even in low-light conditions. False acceptance and
rejection rates consistently stayed below 1%. The average latency for complete authentication was
a user-friendly 1.1 min. Furthermore, simulated breach scenarios revealed a greater than 90%
reduction in unauthorized access attempts compared to traditional two-factor authentication. These
findings indicate that a well-integrated four-factor authentication system offers considerable gains
in both security and reliability while preserving positive user experience.