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Biometric data is not a username. Biometric data is also not a password. Biometrics is biometrics. I like to think of it sitting between a continuum between

Biometric data is not a username. Biometric data is also not a password. Biometrics is biometrics. I like to think of it sitting between a continuum between "username" and "password". I might like a setting to require both a Touch ID (or Face ID) and a passphrase to unlock my iPhone. However, Touch ID has flaked out enough times for me (not accepting my fingerprints) that I probably wouldn't like to risk it in practice.

sperling75 9y ago
Biometrics is closer to a username.
- lolsal 9y ago
  Why? I am not terribly upset if someone has my username, but I would be very concerned if they had reproducible biometrics of mine (fingerprints, facial, etc).
  - lugg 9y ago
    Because biometrics are usually relatively publicly accessible information. Passwords aren't. You're arguing reproducibility. Well, your face can be replicated by a picture you put on Facebook, fingerprints are left everywhere you go.
  - SAI_Peregrinus 9y ago
    Usernames are fixed values and are generally public. Biometrics are also fixed values and are generally only slightly less public. They're both identifiers. Passwords can be changed and are secrets. They're authenticators. The difference between them is exactly the difference between identifiers and authenticators. Misunderstanding this difference causes tons of issues, in a wide variety of situations. The most notable one recently is probably Social Security Numbers being used as both, which leads to identity theft.
- skygazer 9y ago
  Where would Genital ID fall on your continuum?
  - skygazer 9y ago
    Perhaps I was too flippant. Point being, the “public availability/replicability” of the biometric would seem correlated to the point on the username->password continuum. This will probably matter less once our future devices can interact with our sci-fi personal nanites, or rfid implants in the meantime.

sperling75 9y ago

Biometrics is closer to a username.

lolsal 9y ago
Why? I am not terribly upset if someone has my username, but I would be very concerned if they had reproducible biometrics of mine (fingerprints, facial, etc).
- lugg 9y ago
  Because biometrics are usually relatively publicly accessible information. Passwords aren't. You're arguing reproducibility. Well, your face can be replicated by a picture you put on Facebook, fingerprints are left everywhere you go.
- SAI_Peregrinus 9y ago
  Usernames are fixed values and are generally public. Biometrics are also fixed values and are generally only slightly less public. They're both identifiers. Passwords can be changed and are secrets. They're authenticators. The difference between them is exactly the difference between identifiers and authenticators. Misunderstanding this difference causes tons of issues, in a wide variety of situations. The most notable one recently is probably Social Security Numbers being used as both, which leads to identity theft.
skygazer 9y ago
Where would Genital ID fall on your continuum?
- skygazer 9y ago
  Perhaps I was too flippant. Point being, the “public availability/replicability” of the biometric would seem correlated to the point on the username->password continuum. This will probably matter less once our future devices can interact with our sci-fi personal nanites, or rfid implants in the meantime.