Every day, more and more devices and accounts are becoming protected by biometric authentication rather than passwords and pin numbers. That means instead of remembering a complex password, people are just whipping out their thumbs or scanning their faces.
But are biometrics really the safer solution to privacy measures like strong passwords and two-factor authentication?
Biometric security relies on static information; aspects that do not change and are captured while still. Because of their stillness, static information is relatively easy to forge. A fingerprint is relatively easy to capture from any sort of item a person touched. A hacker group was even able to replicate a major German politician’s thumbprint from a photograph. While it is not necessarily easy to replicate static biometric data at this time, it is very much possible and may become increasingly accessible.
Another downside to biometric authentication is that if your biometrics are captured by crooks, you can’t simply change them to protect your account as you would change your password.
Does this mean biometrics are a no-go? Not necessarily. They work well as a component of two-factor authentication. Companies are currently working on biometric authentication based on non-static and complex information, such as iris movement and the patterns over veins beneath one’s finger.
If you opt for biometric security, it is important to understand the risk. You cut that risk by using facial recognition software or your fingerprint as one part of a two-factor authentication strategy. That way, even if your pin or passwords is stolen or cracked, you’ve got a backup plan, and if your biometrics are replicated you can always change your pin or password.
