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Fingerprint Scanners Still Easy to Fool

Posted by michael on from the mission-possible dept.

Anlan writes "A Swedish student wrote her Master's thesis about current fingerprint technology. After a thorough literature study some live testing took place. Simple DIY fingerprint copies were used (detailed how-to in the thesis). Have current commercial products improved as much as proponents claim? Well, this qoute from the abstract says it all: 'The experiments focus on making artificial fingerprints in gelatin from a latent fingerprint. Nine different systems were tested at the CeBIT trade fair in Germany and all were deceived. Three other different systems were put up against more extensive tests with three different subjects. All systems were circumvented with all subjects' artificial fingerprints, but with varying results.' You can guess how happy the sales people at CeBIT were - most systems claim to be spoof proof..."

7 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. Airport Police by mirko · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So, will they remove these fingerprint scanners, in the US Internaitonal Airport ?

    --
    Trolling using another account since 2005.
    1. Re:Airport Police by dave420 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      No, because it appears like they're actually doing some good. Just like when they had the national guard monkeys running around with M16s. Absolutely no use whatsoever, but makes the American public go "Gee - we're so protected! I love our President(tm)!"

      The war on terror isn't about the terrorists, it's all PR.

    2. Re:Airport Police by XryanX · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm sure someone that was trained in stage makeup could easily make a fake finger that would slip over their real one, and yet still look realistic.

  2. Something you have and Something you know by VinceWuzHere · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I really don't think that ANY biometric system will be foolproof until the old basic of security is implemented. The scheme is called "Something you have and Something you know" (someone out there does know the right name even if I can't remember it at the moment).

    Think of the simple RSA keyfob some of us carry; it gives us a number and we use that PLUS a password to get into secure systems (have + know).

    Carry this one step further and have the system check your fingerprint/handprint/iris/whatever PLUS ask for a password.

    I personally think it's damn scary in this age of terrorism that someone could fake a biometric and get onto a plane; if the airlines for example issued me a unique password to go along with fingerprint (or whatever) recognition then I'd feel a whole bunch better about the entire process and the underlying technologies.

  3. Re:fix? by tomcio.s · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not at all actually, your extremedies (hands, feet) change temperature faster than the core of your body, and most people's extremedies are either colder (more common) or warmer (?) than the core of their body. So to make it heat sensitive would be to deny access to most users.

  4. Re:fix? by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The temperature of your fingertips is going to vary widely. If you've been holding a cup of coffee, it'll jack up to 110, 120 maybe, if you just came inside it could be down around 60 or so.

    98 degrees is an average core body temperature, extremedies generally run cooler. Thats why your testicles hang down - they dont work at 98 degrees, they need to be cooler. It's also why briefs and tight pants make you sterile.

    Besides, all you'd have to do is put the fake finger in a cup of warm (98 degree) water..

    I think the real solution is to realize that this kind of shit only works in movies or cartoons right now.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  5. Okay. by Red+Dane · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just wanted to interject... I suppose it depends on whether you have one that bounces small radio signals off of the inside of your finger or one that simply captures an image. Certain fingerprint readers bounce radio signals off of the inside of your finger and read the underlying tissue structure (no, I'm not going to plug the product here). This prevents people from doing what she did at the trade convention. Fingerprint technology is always improving, and I'm sure that the industry will take this to heart and make these things even more complex. When you get right down to it, the systems aren't as complex as you might think. Most fingerplate templates weigh in from anywhere to 300 - 600 bytes in size.. but that is more to ease hardware requirements. I think they will combine other methods in the fingerprint taking process and eliminate these problems. Just my take on it, tear it apart guys ;)