4 ms·

> I don't consider it authentication. Maybe you don't, but a lot of others do. Like, Apple.

emodendroket 10y ago
Is the point of fingerprint scanners really to defeat advanced, targeted hacking efforts where someone has multiple high-resolution photos of you? Or is it (IMO more plausibly) just to keep somebody who picks your pocket or whatever from also getting access to your bank accounts and so on? For the latter scenario the fingerprint works fine.
- Avshalom 10y ago
  well except that your phone is covered in your fingerprints...
  - emodendroket 10y ago
    Yeah but, again, the point isn't to offer bullet-proof security; it's to inconvenience people who mostly want to unload your phone.
  - phlo 10y ago
    Touch ID is a fun case in security where bad is better. Fingerprint authentication on a fingerprint magnet seems like a foolish idea until you realize the alternative (for the majority of users) is 4-digit PINs[1], not strong passwords. [1] http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/ http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/
    - emodendroket 10y ago
      The Android password pattern thing apparently offers close to 400k possibilities so it's considerably better than PINs.
      - wcoenen 10y ago
        I used patterns for a while, until I noticed that I could simply see the unlock pattern on the greasy screen if the sunlight hit it just right.
        emodendroket 10y ago
        And PINs don't have the same problem?
        alblue 10y ago
        Not really - with a pattern you drag from one loaction to another. With a PIN you tend not to drag your finger along but lift and press. In addition with PINs you can have diagonally opposite numbers (e.g. 1-9 or 3-7) but with patterns you don't have that unless you use 5 on the way (e.g. 1-5-9 or 3-5-7). In fact most people will have the central dot in their pattern recognition somewhere in the middle just through human nature.
        koolba 10y ago
        > In fact most people will have the central dot in their pattern recognition somewhere in the middle just through human nature. Yep. Either that or just the classic double circle.
        emodendroket 10y ago
        Yeah, of course, but you have prints showing what numbers are involved. Not so different from the patterns.
deleted 10y ago
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treebeard901 10y ago
Apple uses fingerprints in addition to the PIN. To do anything security wise in iOS, you have to enter your PIN. You can use your fingerprint to unlock the phone but only if the phone has been unlocked by the PIN previously. I'm sure numerous improvements can be made for this system but it's more of a form of second factor authentication than a primary form of authentication in iOS.

Is the point of fingerprint scanners really to defeat advanced, targeted hacking efforts where someone has multiple high-resolution photos of you? Or is it (IMO more plausibly) just to keep somebody who picks your pocket or whatever from also getting access to your bank accounts and so on? For the latter scenario the fingerprint works fine.

Avshalom 10y ago
well except that your phone is covered in your fingerprints...
- emodendroket 10y ago
  Yeah but, again, the point isn't to offer bullet-proof security; it's to inconvenience people who mostly want to unload your phone.
- phlo 10y ago
  Touch ID is a fun case in security where bad is better. Fingerprint authentication on a fingerprint magnet seems like a foolish idea until you realize the alternative (for the majority of users) is 4-digit PINs[1], not strong passwords. [1] http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/ http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/
  - emodendroket 10y ago
    The Android password pattern thing apparently offers close to 400k possibilities so it's considerably better than PINs.
    - wcoenen 10y ago
      I used patterns for a while, until I noticed that I could simply see the unlock pattern on the greasy screen if the sunlight hit it just right.
      - emodendroket 10y ago
        And PINs don't have the same problem?
        alblue 10y ago
        Not really - with a pattern you drag from one loaction to another. With a PIN you tend not to drag your finger along but lift and press. In addition with PINs you can have diagonally opposite numbers (e.g. 1-9 or 3-7) but with patterns you don't have that unless you use 5 on the way (e.g. 1-5-9 or 3-5-7). In fact most people will have the central dot in their pattern recognition somewhere in the middle just through human nature.
        koolba 10y ago
        > In fact most people will have the central dot in their pattern recognition somewhere in the middle just through human nature. Yep. Either that or just the classic double circle.
        emodendroket 10y ago
        Yeah, of course, but you have prints showing what numbers are involved. Not so different from the patterns.

deleted 10y ago

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treebeard901 10y ago

Apple uses fingerprints in addition to the PIN. To do anything security wise in iOS, you have to enter your PIN. You can use your fingerprint to unlock the phone but only if the phone has been unlocked by the PIN previously. I'm sure numerous improvements can be made for this system but it's more of a form of second factor authentication than a primary form of authentication in iOS.