Acer Laptop W/Fingerprint Recognition System

Dekaner writes "Acer has announced the TravelMate 740 with a built-in fingerprint recognition security system. The fingerprint sensor is part of the notebook? s palm rest. Users must train the recognition system, which is then used to boot the machine or to decrypt files stored on the hard disk. The TravelMate has a 1.2 GHz Pentium III processor, a 15-inch screen with a resolution of 1400 by 1050 pixels, built in 56K modem and Ethernet connection, and it can be supplied with either 128 or 256 MB of memory. It can be configured with a second hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD, or a DVD-CD-RW drive. It will go on sale in October."

Comments

Not for use with *really* valuable data

[Bonker]

If there is one thing I learned from 'Demoliton Man' with Rocky^H^H^H^H^HSylvester Stallone is that Wesley Snipes will come and cut parts of your body off if he needs them badly enough.

Don't keep data on this thing that's worth dismemberment, because scary terrorist-types will cut your fingers off.

New Crypto Rules

[FatRatBastard]

Yeah, but according to the new crypto laws you'll have to cut off your pinkies and give 'em to the FBI to keep in "finger escrow."

This is neat, but not really useful

[The Ultimate Badass]

This sort of biometric authentication is not really all that vital for most of us, and the effort required to keep it functional, in this case at least, outweighs any advantage gained.

Don't get me wrong -- I can see this being very useful for corporations and governments who have valuable information to keep encrypted. For those applications, this is a good idea.

The problem I see is that fingerprint sensors require maintenance. The human fingertip exudes oil, used to increase the traction of the fingertip. This is not good for a sensing surface, and will necessitate regular cleaning. Anyone who has owned a trackball can tell you that anything the finger touches regularly, builds up gunk quickly.

Another problem is susceptibility to damage -- scratches in particular. I wouldn't want to be locked out of my files due to clumsiness. Also, damage to the recognition system through any form of clumsiness will keep you out of your encrypted files. Using an ordinary encryption method, you'd just hook the HD up to a different machine and be back in business.

I'll assume that the device is good enough to detect your print accurately. I wouldn't think the company would willingly release a half-engineered product in such an important area as authentication.

False security is worse than no security

[pesc]

The article fails to give a technical explanation on exactly how the fingerprints enhance security. Does anyone here really believe that this laptop can protect its data when it is stolen? In order to do that it must encrypt the data on the disk.

Using what encryption key? Your fingerprint? Does anyone believe that your fingerprints are secret? You are putting thousands of copies of your prints on various objects every day. You probably have several fingerprints on your laptop! And once your secret encryption key becomes known, how do you change your key? :-)

The key (sorry) to good encryption security is to change your keys often.

Until a good technical description on the security is provided I will regard this laptop as techno-babble trying to impress PHB types.

Re:False security is worse than no security

[hacker]

Having worked at $LASTJOB{PHARMA} where the FDA was looking over our potential implementatation of biometrics in wireless handheld webpads in 1998, I can tell you how this is done:

CFR 21:11 , the Code of Federal Regulations, goes through this fully. In order to be "validated" as the real person, you must hold at least two of three key pieces of information:

1. Something you have: A keycard, a physcal key, an iButton
2. Something you know: A password, passphrase, memorized key
3. Something you are: Iris scan, fingerprint, voice, some other biometric.

. If you have two of those things, any two in combination, you are said to be one of two things:

1. Truly that person to which the biometric belongs, or
2. A conspirator, working with that person, since you cannot have obtained the second piece of information without consent from the holder

This is how our Federal Government looks at it anyway.

Biometrics have come a long way, and contrary to popular belief, this fingerprint-style technology does not compare a "picture" of your finger. It measures datapoints (the FingerChip for example, measures many more datapoints than most biometric scanners, and is a fraction of the size).

The "retraining" you have to do is so that your "personality" is measured as one of the datapoints. If this was a signature capture biometric, it would measure whether or not you dot your "i" before your words are finished, or after. That "personality" is set in the equation as part of the measurement. This is why even if you have someone's signature on paper, and can replicate it perfectly freehand, a good biometric will rule it out, since the "personality" (speed to write, dot i's first/last, etc.) will certainly not match.

Demolition Man? No...Red Dwarf !

[oneiros27]

I doubt Red Dwarf was the first show to use it, but they were much funnier about it....

They come upon a door.

KRYTEN: Uh-oh, a door. We'd better use an air vent.
LISTER: No need.
KRYTEN: Sir?
LISTER: Look, I'm gonna do something now, Kryten, that's totally, totally
gross. I don't want you to look. Turn around.
KRYTEN: What?
LISTER: Trust me, you don't wanna know!

KRYTEN reluctantly turns around. LISTER pulls the object he picked up
earlier out of his jacket: it's a hand. He presses the severed hand to
the palm-print device, and the door opens. He puts the hand back in his
jacket and turns around. KRYTEN has a sick look of realization on his
face.

KRYTEN: Logically, sir, there is only one way you could have possibly
have opened that door. I feel quite nauseous. Where is it?
LISTER: Where's what?
KRYTEN: Oh, sir!! You've got it in your jacket!!
LISTER: I got us out of the hold, didn't I?
KRYTEN: Sir, you are sick! You are a sick, sick person! How can you
possibly even conceive of such an idea?
LISTER: Cheer up! Or I'll beat you to death with the wet end!
KRYTEN: Sir, if mechanoids could barf, I'd be onto my fifth bag by now.
You're a sick person! Sick! Sick!