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- The promise made by biometrics is that if your body is the password, the password cannot be "compromised". Which obviously definitely rules out fingerprints, unless your are "securing" your children access to their toys. (And maybe, not even so.)curiousguy– curiousguy2011-10-19 02:10:00 +00:00Commented Oct 19, 2011 at 2:10
- 2Perhaps true if you actually present yourself to a secure scanner, but the result of the scanner is a stream of bits, which is effectively your body's password. An insecure scanner can keep a copy of that stream of bits and reuse it without your presence.ddyer– ddyer2011-11-30 19:35:55 +00:00Commented Nov 30, 2011 at 19:35
- Again, I think you misunderstand biometrics. You are using your body to authenticate to the scanner. The scanner is authenticating you. The scanner is trusted by definition. "An insecure scanner can keep a copy of that stream of bits and reuse it without your presence." There is no "stream of byte" that can be reused. The scanner output is just "this is ddyer's body." (possibly encrypted with the scanner's key). Your body is not a password. The traditional version of a "scanner" is a guard who can recognise you (and cannot output a "stream of bits" that is your password).curiousguy– curiousguy2011-12-01 07:29:43 +00:00Commented Dec 1, 2011 at 7:29
- (...) "An insecure scanner can keep a copy of that stream of bits and reuse it without your presence." Yes, but he would have to build a replica of you matching this "stream of bits". For fingerprints, this is not very difficult.curiousguy– curiousguy2011-12-01 07:37:54 +00:00Commented Dec 1, 2011 at 7:37
- 1I think that's the crux of the distinction. If you are the building and you're deciding if you should let some guy in, and you trust your scanners, biometrics are fine. On the other hand, if you can't trust your scanners (remember "Ocean's eleven"?) you are likely to be deceived.ddyer– ddyer2011-12-01 18:40:33 +00:00Commented Dec 1, 2011 at 18:40
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