Slashdot Mirror
Would You Submit Biometric Data to Join a Gym?
An anonymous reader asks: "I went to my gym (Rocky River, OH branch) yesterday and there was a huge line of people at the counter. When I went to the scanner to swipe my membership card, I noticed they were training people in the use of their new security system that requires the input of your thumb print. There currently a story on boingboing that mentions a tanning salon in Arkansas that is enacting a similar policy. I'm going to call the gym later today and see what type of security they have on their network. I guess we can look forward to a future where these sorts of personal services clubs require the submission of biometric data. I was wondering how the members here at Slashdot feel about the security risks involved in submitting biometric data to small private companies?"
But there is usually little motivation to steal one person's information. They could also go down the street on trash day and pick up used tissues from every house and compile the data that way. But that is not very efficient.
Now, if they stole the info from the Gym, they'd have biometric data for 1000 people, and probably end up with a ton of Credit Cards as well.
94% of Repubs and 21% of Dems voted to renew the Patriot Act
Yep, but it cost them more effort to yet your fingerprints/DNA.
if it is in some database, it just takes one exploit before a truckload of them are stolen.
To the average thief, it's more advantageous to exploit insecure software than to go around a few thousands people houses and collect their prints/DNA.
And if someone has it in for you, you're done for regardless of what you do.