“When Apple introduced the new iPhone 5s with its Touch ID fingerprint scanner feature, Dan Riccio, Senior VP Hardware Engineering stated at the 2:19 mark of Apple’s introductory video that ‘All fingerprint information is encrypted and stored inside a secure enclave in our new A7 chip. Here it’s locked away from everything else, accessible only by the Touch ID sensor. It’s never available to other software, and it’s never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud,'” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“One of Apple’s latest patent applications published by the US Patent and Trademark Office reveals the mechanics and thinking behind this ‘secure enclave’ and more,” Purcher reports. “The electronic device may be a mobile telephone, a tablet computing device, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant, a desktop computer, a portable media player, and the like. Later on [Apple] notes that ‘In certain exemplary embodiments, the device can include a separate attachment, such as external scan accessory 240.'”
Much more, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple’s Touch ID is revolutionary, paradigm-altering technology; Steve Jobs would be quite proud – September 17, 2013
Apple reveals flagship iPhone 5s with Touch ID, the world’s first and only 64-bit smartphone – September 10, 2013
I just can’t see this being popular with the masses (at least those in the US) After all those scandals involving the NSA, the FBI, and, of course, Obama’s controversial spy program in Germany, it would seem that the public would find things like this to be very invasive. If Android phones had this, then there is no telling what Google will do with the information…
I don’t think you read the article or you don’t understand how the system works. Also your comment is immediately worthless once you mentioned Obama into your response about a tech patent.
Lol…you just punctured the relevance of 95% of MDN’s comment section.
+1B
The Secure Enclave is merely a new name for Superman’s old Fortress of Solitude. This was sold last year to Apple in a little publicized transaction between the company and the Man of Steel, who was looking to sock a bit away for his 401K. All fingerprint data is transferred there to a newly installed server farm via iCloud. Nothing to worry about.
Obama started the spy program that Bush started years before! How is that possible?
That’s right, blame Bush.
Bush certainly deserves his fair share, given what happened under his Administration and the legacy he left to the current Administration. But Obama has made plenty of mistakes, too, and has had a relatively disappointing presidency to date.
Anyway, Armando’s comment is typical politibait for this forum. But his comment about Google is interesting. Google would find a way to corrupt this technology. Apple has intentionally sought a way to make it work right. That is the difference. I ask the masses…do you really trust Google and Samsung with your data?! Really?!
To paraphrase an iconic quote: Samsung doesn’t copy Apple because it is easy, they copy Apple because Judge Lucy Koh is hard-headed! Expect this on the next edition of the SameSong Gag-Laxy!
I’d be very interested in a plug-in accessory for my iMac using Touch ID for authentication.
Here we go again, hyper partisan bickering. See how much can be accomplishes when two brainwashed factions shout, denigrate, name call, disrespect, smear, and talk past each other.
Any level headed adults in the room?
Sensibly, they left…to do something worthwhile. 😀