“When Apple bought AuthenTec for its biometrics technology — reported as one of its most expensive purchases — there was a lot of speculation about how the company would incorporate biometrics in its product line,” Bruce Schneier writes for Wired. “Many speculate that the new Apple iPhone to be announced tomorrow will come with a fingerprint authentication system, and there are several ways it could work, such as swiping your finger over a slit-sized reader to have the phone recognize you.”
“Apple would be smart to add biometric technology to the iPhone. Fingerprint authentication is a good balance between convenience and security for a mobile device,” Schneier writes. “Biometric systems are seductive, but the reality isn’t that simple. They have complicated security properties. For example, they are not keys. Your fingerprint isn’t a secret; you leave it everywhere you touch.”
Schneier writes, “I’m sure that someone with a good enough copy of your fingerprint and some rudimentary materials engineering capability — or maybe just a good enough printer — can authenticate his way into your iPhone. But, honestly, if some bad guy has your iPhone and your fingerprint, you’ve probably got bigger problems to worry about.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple patent filing reveals fingerprint scanner with advanced NFC application built into the Home Button – September 7, 2013
Leaked iPhone 5S home button images strongly suggest fingerprint scanner – September 5, 2013
Photos claim to show iPhone 5S packaging featuring Home Button fingerprint sensor – September 6, 2013
Apple ‘iPhone 5S’ to feature sapphire crystal capacitive touch Home button with fingerprint sensor, says source – May 14, 2013
Analyst: Apple’s next-gen iPhone’s Home button fingerprint sensor would be difficult for rivals to copy – January 16, 2013
asshat
what a waste of type
Speculation starts for unannounced products. Glad he didn’t mention fingerprints on scotch tape like they used on Jason Bourne in Berlin.
If you hack a finger off and use it then I suppose yes it can…
Do people actually make a living writing this crap?
And so it starts…
The idiot doesn’t know that the AuthenTec solution does not read surface fingerprints but sub-surface characteristics including thermal sensing. IOW they need your live body to get verification.
Here’s a diagram of how the AuthenTec solution works.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/24/authentec_to_reportedly_ditch_non_apple_customers_in_2013
A better description of the AuthenTec solution.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/08/16/authentec_smart_sensor_appears_key_to_apples_urgent_acquisition.html
Thanks for posting this. The concept of having different fingers immediately activating specific applications or functions could be stellar.
Implementing user profiles will suddenly be simplified. No more kids reading my email or changing my calendar.
I’m sure we’ll hear more details tomorrow, but from what I’ve read of AuthenTec’s technology, it scans the subdermal patterns of your fingerprint which may or may not match the surface whorls and patterns of your skin. Thus, it does NOT save a physical image of your fingerprint. So, a scotch tape dusted copy of your fingerprint won’t work. It the sensors also detect temperature, even your detached finger wouldn’t work. I look forward to the presentation to see exactly how it does work.
Doesn’t matter. If you lose your iPhone, just remotely erase the data. Then it doesn’t matter if some bad guy, your boss or the NSA has your fingerprint.
Something about live tissue, and radio waves, and 3 dimensional imaging of the underlying fingerprint cell structure, etc.
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Hey Schneier, what don’t you get about “It Just Works.”? 😛
Interregator: Every minute you don’t tell us why you are here, I cut off a finger.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Mine or yours?
Interregator: Yours.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Damn!
If there is no option to ignore finger print scanning, it’ll take longer for adoption.
Allowing multiple fingerprints for multiple users is not always a good choice.
The fingerprint could be on an app by app basis. That’s be cool.
an app by app basis… what the heck does that mean?
every app requires my print to confirm its mine to use?
or every app needs a user assigned to it?
Let’s face it. No matter what Apple does there’s going to be some negative slant about it. I don’t think there’s ever been any mention to the downsides of having a 4.7″ display on a smartphone although I’m sure there must be quite a few. I suppose all technology has pluses and minuses but with Apple products the pundits are always trying to stress the minuses over the pluses.
until Apple answers or shows us why its so insanely great
i would rather a 7.9 inch screen from the iPad mini as my phone – yet – talk through a bluetooth ear plug – why – because of many reasons… mostly the iPad is far too big to travel daily with, the iPhone is too small to use great apps like Pages, Keynotes, iMovie on. Now that Apple has these apps on iCloud, a screen bigger then 4″ is required… people want to do some work, play games, and carry one device not a watch – a phone – and a tablet… one device !!!!!
Of course it can be hacked. Just ask the NSA!
Long answer:
Yes
Funny: if some bad guy has your iPhone and your fingerprint, you’ve probably got bigger problems to worry about.
The bigger and more serious problem is having some terroristic government getting your fingerprint by hacking into your iPhone. NSA anyone?
Anyone who asks a question like “can it be hacked” is just trolling their customers to spend a minute reading their ads.
Apple is smart enough to be fully aware & put their top designers on making sure of things on the security side as they know the top cyber criminals will try to tear it apart.
One would think Apple will offer this technology as a simple yet elegant solution to access your phone and keep it private. Including the option to turn it off and chose the regular password if desired. So, no big deal.
The first implication of this technology on a commercial device maybe more of a gimmick. But like other gimmicks that samsung has shown us in the past year, Apples idea has beauty.
If someone lifted a copy of your fingerprint from a glass and using it to access your phone; this is not called hacking, though it still is theft. As hacking is more computer programming method and copying a print is old school.