5 ms·

Yeah? What kind of a secret can replace a password/passphrase? Not biometrics, those are username replacements, not password replacements.

by voidz 10y ago

WillAbides 10y ago
Chip implants
- ascagnel_ 10y ago
  How would that differ as a means of verification? It's not a known secret, just a different way of identification.
  - milesokeefe 10y ago
    Not if the implant is writable. The xNT 13.56mhz NTAG216 RFID implant has 888 bytes of writable memory that could be used in this way.
malka 10y ago
smartcards would be good for this.
marcosdumay 10y ago
Keys. That are approximately equivalent to long passwords, but have a standard length, and do not need sending through the network. They are also something you have, that can be protected by a password for 2FA. But that just won't happen. So many sites can not even accept big passwords, they won't all migrating to any sane schema.
794CD01 10y ago
They are password replacements in most contexts. The point of a password is usually just to verify your identity. Biometrics can do that just fine.
- charonn0 10y ago
  Biometrics are good replacements for usernames, but not for passwords. Biometrics can't be changed in the event of a breach, and can be taken from you surreptitiously or by force.
  - 794CD01 10y ago
    Yes, and those features are not necessary in most scenarios passwords are currently used.
- infogulch 10y ago
  Biometrics can be fooled, and even if they couldn't they can only verify your identity. They can't verify your volition.
  - 794CD01 10y ago
    They can be fooled now, but that is an implementation flaw, not a problem with the concept. I wouldn't cite the weakness of unsalted MD5 hashes as a problem with the concept of passwords. I agree with your assessment of what biometrics can and cannot do. That is why I specifically said that in most situations, passwords are only used to verify someone's identity, and thus can be replaced with biometrics.

Yeah? What kind of a secret can replace a password/passphrase? Not biometrics, those are username replacements, not password replacements.

by voidz 10y ago

Yeah? What kind of a secret can replace a password/passphrase? Not biometrics, those are username replacements, not password replacements.

WillAbides 10y ago

Chip implants

ascagnel_ 10y ago
How would that differ as a means of verification? It's not a known secret, just a different way of identification.
- milesokeefe 10y ago
  Not if the implant is writable. The xNT 13.56mhz NTAG216 RFID implant has 888 bytes of writable memory that could be used in this way.

malka 10y ago

smartcards would be good for this.

marcosdumay 10y ago

Keys. That are approximately equivalent to long passwords, but have a standard length, and do not need sending through the network. They are also something you have, that can be protected by a password for 2FA. But that just won't happen. So many sites can not even accept big passwords, they won't all migrating to any sane schema.

794CD01 10y ago

They are password replacements in most contexts. The point of a password is usually just to verify your identity. Biometrics can do that just fine.

charonn0 10y ago
Biometrics are good replacements for usernames, but not for passwords. Biometrics can't be changed in the event of a breach, and can be taken from you surreptitiously or by force.
- 794CD01 10y ago
  Yes, and those features are not necessary in most scenarios passwords are currently used.
infogulch 10y ago
Biometrics can be fooled, and even if they couldn't they can only verify your identity. They can't verify your volition.
- 794CD01 10y ago
  They can be fooled now, but that is an implementation flaw, not a problem with the concept. I wouldn't cite the weakness of unsalted MD5 hashes as a problem with the concept of passwords. I agree with your assessment of what biometrics can and cannot do. That is why I specifically said that in most situations, passwords are only used to verify someone's identity, and thus can be replaced with biometrics.