Fingerpint reader secure/convenient

I opened up the biometric settings and switched it to secure from convenient. What exactly does that do?

Should I move my finger slower using this?

 

I think that just makes it so you have to swipe every time a password is called for, rather than just the first time a password is called for after you start the computer.

 

I figured out how to make out do that in internet explorer or else when I close the browser someone else could open it and post under my user info.

 

They can't use your browser if they can't boot your computer. Use a power-on password.

 

secure mode is more stringent in how much percentage of your fingerprint swipe's image has to match the one stored in the database. Usually in normal your fingerprint would be only checked for a few matching locations, with secure mode i think the number of matching locations must increase (by how much i wouldn't know).

However, fingerprint technology used in thinkpads and most other laptop is not entirely secure. You should think of it as a convenient security technology, but not as a absolute security technology.

 

Yeah I have a windows password and such as well. The fingerprint reader is sure convenient though

 

Yup. It results in increased false negatives (incorrect attempts), but more importantly, decreases false positives. Last I read according to UPEK, it's 1 in 1.4 million for their newest OEM chips (in some of the newest Thinkpads). Using the strip readers, I debate the ability to fake a fingerprint scan using a "forged finger". Though, I also wouldn't rely on it as a sole means of authentication and overall security. A better approach would be to use it in conjunction with a TPM. That would actually be way more secure than a TPM+PIN.

I discovered in high security mode, the reader is quite sensitive to even small changes to your fingertips. Avoid using dominant fingers (thumb, index finger, and to some extent middle). Also if you do something that involves dexterity in your hands, like say playing guitar, avoid all the fingers on your left hand, and any fingers you use with your right. Apply similarly to other activities. Also your pinky may be a bad choice, as in adult-sized hands, smaller fingers don't seem to work as well.

 

The forged fingerprint works for optical type fingerprint scanner, but not the capacitative one. I think Lenovo Thinkpads use the latter.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/pdf/tpw00734-wwen-01_fr_0709.pdf <--- discussion of fingerprint scanner security by Lenovo.

http://www.vidarg.net/projects/Challenging_fingerprint_scanners.pdf <-- one of the experiment used for the fingerprint scanner security test.