Glossary

6 min read Updated Sep 23, 2026

A

Active Anti-Spoofing

An anti-spoofing mode that requires user interaction (such as blinking or turning head) to verify that a live person is present, not a photo or video.

Anti-Spoofing

Security technology that prevents unauthorized access using photos, videos, masks, or other reproductions of an authorized user's face.

Auto-Lock

A feature that automatically locks the computer after a specified period of inactivity, regardless of face detection.

B

Biometric Authentication

A security method that uses unique biological characteristics, such as facial features, fingerprints, or iris patterns, to verify identity.

Biometric Embedding

A mathematical representation of facial features stored as a numerical vector. Used for face matching without storing actual images.

Biometric Sync

The feature that allows face profiles to be synchronized across multiple devices through secure cloud storage.

Block Screen

The full-screen overlay that GuacamoleID displays when an authorized user is not detected, preventing access to the desktop and applications.

Blocking Speed

The setting that controls how quickly the block screen activates after losing recognition of an authorized user.

C

Camera Preview

A small window showing the live camera feed, which can be displayed on the block screen or in the app settings.

Cloud Sync

See Biometric Sync.

Continuous Authentication

A security approach where user identity is verified continuously throughout a session, not just at login.

D

DC Power

Direct Current power, typically referring to battery power on laptops. GuacamoleID can have different settings for AC (plugged in) and DC (battery) power.

Depth Camera

A camera that can measure distance to objects, creating a 3D depth map. Used for Depth Vision anti-spoofing. Also called an IR depth camera or 3D camera.

Depth Vision

The most secure anti-spoofing mode that uses an infrared depth camera to verify the 3D structure of a face, defeating photos, videos, and most masks.

Device Group

A collection of computers organized for management purposes, allowing policies and settings to be applied uniformly.

E

Eco Mode

A power saver preset that aggressively reduces resource usage to maximize battery life on laptops.

Embedding

See Biometric Embedding.

Enrollment

The process of registering a device with the GuacamoleID system and linking it to a user account.

Enterprise Tier

The subscription level designed for organizations, offering central management, unlimited devices, and advanced features.

F

Face Matching

The process of comparing a detected face against stored profiles to determine identity.

Face Profile

A stored representation of a user's facial features, including biometric embeddings and associated metadata.

Face Registration

The process of creating a new face profile by capturing and processing facial data from the camera.

False Positive

When the system incorrectly identifies something as a face or incorrectly matches a face to the wrong profile.

False Negative

When the system fails to recognize a legitimate authorized user.

G

Grayscale Profile

A face profile optimized for low-light conditions by using grayscale image processing.

GuacamoleID

The desktop application that provides continuous face recognition and computer protection.

I

Inactivity Timeout

The period of time without user activity before the power saver or auto-lock features activate.

IR Camera

Infrared camera that captures images using infrared light. Used for face recognition in low light and for depth sensing.

IR Profile

A face profile captured using an infrared camera, providing more reliable recognition regardless of visible lighting conditions.

L

License

An authorization to use GuacamoleID, tied to an account and determining available features and device limits.

License Group

A collection of licenses organized for management purposes in enterprise deployments.

Liveness Detection

The process of verifying that a face belongs to a live person rather than a photo, video, or mask. Part of anti-spoofing.

Low-Light Mode

A recognition mode optimized for dark environments, which can use grayscale processing or IR cameras.

Low-Light Profile

A face profile specifically created for recognition in dimly lit conditions.

M

Mass Deployment

The process of installing and configuring GuacamoleID on many computers simultaneously, typically using enterprise deployment tools.

Matching Threshold

The similarity score required for a face to be considered a match. Higher thresholds mean stricter matching.

O

Offline Mode

Operating GuacamoleID without an internet connection. Core features work offline, but cloud sync and account features are unavailable.

P

Passive Anti-Spoofing

An anti-spoofing mode that analyzes facial characteristics in the background without requiring user interaction.

Power Saver

A feature that reduces GuacamoleID's resource usage during periods of inactivity to conserve battery power on laptops.

Primary Profile

The face profile designated as the main profile for a user. Used as the default for matching when multiple profiles exist.

Profile

See Face Profile.

R

Recognition

The process of detecting a face in the camera feed and identifying which registered user it belongs to.

Registration

See Face Registration or Enrollment, depending on context.

RGB Camera

A standard color webcam that captures images in visible light, as opposed to an IR camera.

RGB Profile

A face profile captured using a standard color webcam.

S

Shoulder Surfing

The act of looking at someone's screen without authorization, typically from behind or beside them.

Shoulder Surfing Protection

A feature that detects when unauthorized individuals are viewing the screen and can alert the user or block the screen.

Similarity Score

A numerical measure of how closely a detected face matches a stored profile, typically expressed as a percentage.

Spoofing Attack

An attempt to bypass face recognition using a photo, video, mask, or other reproduction of an authorized user's face.

Subscription Tier

The level of GuacamoleID service (Free, Basic, Pro, Enterprise) that determines available features and limits.

Sync

See Biometric Sync.

T

Tenant

In enterprise deployments, an organization's isolated instance within the GuacamoleID system, with separate users, devices, and policies.

Threshold

See Matching Threshold.

Token

A digital credential used for authentication or authorization, such as enrollment tokens for device registration.

U

Unlocking

The process of removing the block screen and restoring access to the computer after successful face recognition.

User Profile

See Face Profile.

V

Virtual Camera

A software feature that makes GuacamoleID appear as a webcam to other applications, with optional face-based features.

Vector

See Biometric Embedding. Face features are represented as numerical vectors for comparison.

W

Web Portal

The online dashboard (portal.guacamole.ai) where users manage their account, devices, and profiles.

Whitelist

A list of authorized individuals. In shoulder surfing protection, whitelisted people can view the screen without triggering alerts.

Windows Hello

Microsoft's biometric authentication system for Windows. GuacamoleID can use Windows Hello cameras and complements its functionality.

WiFi Sensing

Intel technology that detects human presence using WiFi signals. GuacamoleID can use this for presence detection without the camera.