IT Security Stack Exchange
IT Security Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [biometrics]

Biometrics is a set of methods related to unique identification of people based on physiological or behavioural traits

136 questions
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Is face recognition a good security feature?

I found that this guy uploaded some face recognition code with a comment that he'd like to use it "as a security feature". This got me thinking; is face recognition a valid security feature, or is it "cool", but not very effective way to secure…
MatthewRock
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Should I be afraid of biometric IDs?

The Israeli Minister of the Interior is pushing legislation to introduce biometric IDs. On the one hand I hear his argument that it can help to prevent identity theft. On the other hand, something makes me very nervous about having my biometric…
Shaul Behr
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How Secure is a Fingerprint Sensor Versus a Standard Password?

According to Apple, Touch ID the probability of a fingerprint matching is 1:50000 while the probability of guessing a four digit passcode is 1:10000. Statistically speaking, this would make Touch ID five times more secure. But the answer isn't that…
Gavin Youker
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How can we eliminate passwords given the problems with biometric authentication?

I've read articles suggesting that passwords will eventually go the way of the dinosaur only to be replaced by biometrics, PINs, and other methods of authentication. This piece claims that Microsoft, Google, and Apple are decreasing password…
pancake-house
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7 answers

What is a good way to authenticate a user to a smart phone?

What would be a good way to authenticate a user to a smart phone? By good, I mean that it is both secure, and user-friendly. Passwords don't seem to be the best fit because a password needs to be long to be secure, but it is hard to type a long…
Jonathan
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14 answers

Why do we even use passwords / passphrases next to biometrics?

In the last couple of days there were a lot of talking about passwords and passphrases, not only here, but on several blogs and forums I follow (especially after XKCD #936 saw the light of this world). I heard quite a few pros and cos of both of…
StupidOne
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4 answers

How will biometrics be a safe way to authenticate users across the internet?

Let's say Alice created a new account on a service and this service saved her fingerprint as a way of logging in later. Then Alice creates a new account on a new service, but unfortunately this second service is not properly secured and the…
Mohamed Waleed
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How secure is Android's facial recognition?

Android supports using facial recognition for unlocking your phone. How secure is that mechanism? For instance, if someone has a good quality picture of your face, can they defeat the facial recognition scheme by holding up the picture to the…
D.W.
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4 answers

Biometric versus other Two Factor Authentication Mechanisms

Over the years biometrics is the go-to movie authentication mechanism, but in the real world I'm getting conflicting opinions about it. Everything I've learned shows that biometrics are flawed because of two main reasons: they are non-revokable…
Steve
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3 answers

Is iPhone's fingerprint signature a one-way hash?

I've been considering the security of the iPhone 5S fingerprint feature. My main concern is, not that someone could replicate my fingerprint in the physical world and bypass the phone, however that someone could reconstruct my fingerprint based on…
Seth
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4 answers

How is TouchID more secure than a simple password?

This likely stems from my complete lack of familiarity with encryption technology and IT security in general, however it isn't clear to me how biometric authentication (such as Apple's TouchID) makes the data it protects more secure than a simple…
10GeV
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4 answers

Voice Biometrics for financial authentication

From this article: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36762962 Apparently, it takes us 45 seconds on average just to confirm who we are. But by using computers to identify our voices, this authentication process can be cut to 15 seconds on…
lepe
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2 answers

Does biometric authentication in Android transfer any biometric data to the app?

On my Android phone I use several apps that propose biometric authentication. If I enable it, can these applications read my fingerprint data and transfer it to the third party servers?
Vitalii
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What are the risks of providing my fingerprint to a theme park?

I recently visited Epcot Center and was surprised that they asked to scan one of my fingerprints before I entered the park, even though I already had my ticket in hand. I don't believe they require a specific finger. This seems to be a two-factor…
Pedro
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5 answers

Is a biometric eye scan more secure than a multi-factor authentication

I have come across the following question in a Security+ exam guide You are tasked with creating a high-security authentication system for physical access control to a military installation. Which of the following authentication systems would be…
Ulkoma
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