ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 defines structures and data elements for biometric information records (BIRs).

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 defines the concept of a domain of use to establish the applicability of a standard or specification that complies with CBEFF requirements.

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 defines the concept of a CBEFF patron format, which is a published BIR format specification that complies with CBEFF requirements, specified by a CBEFF patron.

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 defines the abstract values (and associated semantics) of a set of CBEFF data elements to be used in the definition of CBEFF patron formats.

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 specifies the use of CBEFF data elements by a CBEFF patron to define the content and encoding of a standard biometric header (SBH) to be included in a biometric information record (i.e. the definition of a CBEFF patron format).

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 provides the means for identification of the formats of the BDBs in a BIR but the standardization and interoperability of BDB formats are not in the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19785. It also provides a means (the security block) for BIRs to carry information about the encryption of a BDB in the BIR and about integrity mechanisms applied to the BIR as a whole; the structure and content of security blocks are not in the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19785. Further, the specification of encryption mechanisms for BDBs and of integrity mechanisms for BIRs is not in the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19785.

ISO/IEC 19785-1:2015 specifies transformations from one CBEFF patron format to a different CBEFF patron format.

The encoding of the abstract values of CBEFF data elements to be used in the specification of CBEFF patron formats is not in the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19785.

ISO/IEC 19785-3 specifies several patron format specifications for which ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 37 is the CBEFF patron.

ISO/IEC 19785-4 specifies several security block format specifications for which ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 37 is the CBEFF patron.

Protection of the privacy of individuals from inappropriate dissemination and use of biometric data is not in the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19785 but may be subject to national regulation.