Beware of fingerprint reader

In Germany there is some excitement about cracking fingerprint readers. There is a super market chain which introduced a money less payment method via fingerprint authentication. The famous hacker group "CCC" worked together with a german public broadcast station to scan the fingerprint of a glass and transfer it with some enhancement via a graphic software to foil which was attached on a other persons finger. And the system was cracked the person was able to pay with this finger. If I think how much fingerprints are elsewhere on my laptop, you should consider how you trust your fingerprint reader. I like the fingerprint reader as well, but don't trust them too much.

Thomas

 

It is a well known fact, at least to most that fingerprint scanners are not a good way to safeguard your information.

HOWEVER, using a password in addition to a fingerprint scanner adds an extra layer of security that is worth it in my opinion. I personally have three passwords from boot up to OS access.

 

Fingerprint reader = types in your passwords for you.

They are for convenience, NOT safety. Can't stress that enough.

 

I just wished it worked better! With the default settings (midway between "more convenient" and "more secure"), I get a successful logon on the first try maybe 3 out of 5 times. About 1 out of 10 attempts, I have to try several times, or revert to simply typing the password in. With the few seconds it takes to process, succeed/fail, and reset, I found it easier just to disable it and stick with passwords. Perhaps set to "most convenient" it is much better, but I wonder how secure that is. I would agree that password + fingerprint to login is a bit more secure, though I don't think it protects you from remote attacks via the network. I would assume that people requiring that level of security are using hard disk encryption as well.

 

In the USA, there is a supermarket chain called Jewel-Osco, which also uses FP readers as a way to pay

 

I seen the finger print reader cracked with a laser printer and house hold glue.....

I wish they introduce a Retina eye Scanner that be sooo sosooosos cool.

 

I pretty sure the fingerprint readers on the Thinkpad are premium readers.
That means, the tissues under your fingers have to be alive !!!. You can cut off the finger of someone or whatever you want. But if there is no electric charges under the skin, no way can pass the fingerprints reader.

 

that is correct...not only does it sense the fingerprint, but it senses the heat in your fingers.....try using the FP reader on a cold day when your fingers are numb

 

Of course I hope too that IBM made some investment to make their reader quite good in comparison to others, anyone has some more background information?
But what I wanted to focus was that there are a lot of fingerprints on a victims laptop which you can extract and apply it to your finger even with electrical/thermal equivalence.
But I don't want to make too much noise, the fingerprint is somewhat insecure and only a good password can protect your data.
Side note: the combination of both is not more or less secure than the strongest element in the secure chain alone.

 

I've never heard or read any claim that the ThinkPad scanner can detect a live finger from a dead one. I've only seen it advertized as a capacitance scanner that measures the variation in capacity between the valleys and the ridges in the fingerprint.

It doesn't matter anyway, just chop off someone's finger and slice a thin layer of skin off the tip and place it over your own. There are plenty of ways around the fingerprint reader and it doesn't seem to take a lot of skill or resources. It's more a convenience then security.

 

So, you want to put in danger your fingers and eyes? What about cutting your finger or removing your eye?

I think this kind of security system is so ridiculous and dangerous. Ambitious and bad people will try anything for money.

And, what you have in the computer worth a finger or an eye?

Sorry for these comments.

 

no need to cut the finger .. just get the person drunk, lol

 

Personally I'd rather have a laptop that doesnt work and has a dent in it from someones skull than they have my working laptop, but if its true that it senses body heat or electrical conditions than that is just awesome, i need to try this out (grabs knife)

 

i would be almost willing to bet that thinkpads have a more advanced scanner than other manufacters...this is due to the fact, that most of the notebooks are marketed towads business users...where corporate espionage is of a primary concern.....

otherwise, this could result in a big lawsuit for lenovo

 

Some member here actually posted a video review of the Thinkpads in which the reviewer clearly pointed out the fact that the fingerprint readers were the ones that checked for electric pulse beneath the skin. This was posted a couple of months ago.

 

I'd take your bet against mine that says all scanners are the same, and come from couple of places in China that make them in one and the same manner .. The difference comes from the software that supports them, that's all.

 

I'm pretty sure there's more than one type of fingerprint reader, but in the computer world, nothing is secure.

Unless you drill holes in your HDD, but even then, if I had enough time, I'd be able to still pull some of the data off.

 

You could buy a Retina (Eye) scanner if you were desperate about protecting your PC!!!

Another idea would be to purchase a laptop WITHOUT a fingerprint reader and buy a separate one. Then when you shutdown you computer and left it somewhere (locked up of course). TAKE the fingerprint reader with you!! That makes it just more difficult for a thief to steal your computer!!

Or that another good idea someone else mentioned have BOTH a Fingerprint reader and a authorization code!!!

But Retina (eye) scanners have yet to be hacked... There much more difficult to hack also as they physically scan your eye!!!

Just an idea!!!

 

Watch Mythbusters on Discovery, theres an episode where they crack commercial fingerprint locks with just basic household tools...

 

If I really wanted your data!!! I would pull your HDD!!! If worse comes to worse!!! I'll pull the data from the platters using a clean room!!! Guess what!!! Retinal eye scanners nor fingerprint readers, nor passwords are going to stop that!!! Instead, you know what keeps most people safe!!! The fact that most people are not important, and I couldn't care less about the porn collection on their computer!!! It's not worth my time to steal it!!! Exclamation point!!!!!!!

 

Yep, I agree with the above poster. If someone wants to take the time to lift fingerprints off glass and make some mold or copy of it to log into my computer, go ahead. It's not like someone couldn't put a keylogger on your computer when you walk away for a couple minutes, it'd be a lot easier too.