“On Tuesday Apple was granted a patent for a two-step unlock screen feature that has yet to be implemented,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“Apple introduces us to an all-new unlock screen feature that utilizes higher integrated security features via biometrics that could also be used in e-Commerce transactions,” Purcher reports. “In late September we reported on Intel’s big push into building biometrics into future Wintel devices – and so it comes as no surprise that we now find that Apple has been refining next wave e-Commerce security features using highly sophisticated biometrics.”
Purcher reports, “To accelerate their biometric projects Apple recently acquired AuthenTec in July. The race is definitely on to get consumers ready for the next wave of e-Commerce transactions and to ensure that they’re processed securely. ”
Much more in the full article, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, here.
I’d prefer this over numeric passwords. The secondary idea for buying stuff could simply matters as well. Knowing Apple, they’ll make it really easy to use.
BTW- AuthenTec patched the Windows security hole back in September.
http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/10/apple-subsidiary-authentec-patched-windows-software/
As I stated earlier: Passwords are not going away unless we move to reliable multi-factor authentication. Simply tossing passwords out and replacing it with something as meagre as fingerprint recognition is actually as step BACKWARDS. It’s far to easy to grab someone’s fingerprints and use them for security access. And you CAN’T change your fingerprint if yours get hacked. Fingerprints are ONLY useful as an ADDED layer of security, period.
As Agent Provocateur points out above, there was a big whopping security hole in the Windows implementation of Apple owned AuthenTec fingerprint recognition. No one has reported testing of the implementation on Mac that I know of. Meaning that as far as we know, the Mac version has its own problems.
But I must continue to applaud Apple for not taking NFC chips and RFC technology at hype value. They are insecure technologies at this point in their evolution and are not yet worthy of any Apple device. AKA: Not ready for prime time.