Monitoring behavioral biometrics helps ProctorU curb academic fraud

Online proctoring firm ProctorU is offering an online course video monitoring system, designed to help colleges and universities cut down on financial aid fraud and ensure students are attending online courses, according to a report by CR80 News.

The Ucard system works by connecting students with live proctors, either in person or through webcams.

In a three-step process, students are verified to take tests while the proctor monitors their computer activity using customer-support software to prevent academic dishonesty.

The system employs some of the same techniques already being used to verify students before they take online tests, as well as introducing new authentication methods like keystroke analysis to make it more difficult for students to cheat on their online tests.

ProctorU uses a layered verification process, which resembles multi-factor authentication, to verify a student’s identity online.

The process works by the proctor viewing the student via a webcam, checking their ID and capturing their photo to store on file.

The student is then asked to answer a set of challenges, or knowledge-based questions to further validate their identity.

Finally, the system’s keystroke analysis software adds a behavioral biometrics element to round out the student’s profile for any subsequent logins.

So far, 11 universities have contracted ProctorU as part of its Ucard pilot program. Missouri’s Columbia College has seen successful results, having avoided disbursing nearly $6 million in financial aid funds to suspected fraudulent recipients.

Article Topics

fraud prevention  |  keystroke dynamics  |  multi-factor authentication  |  online authentication  |  students