Slashdot Mirror


Biometrics Win Support From the Lazy

judgecorp writes "We're used to discussions about privacy and security, but amongst users, the real issue is ease of use, according to a survey by Unisys. It's not a huge sample, but ten percent of the users in Asia were happy to be chipped and have done with it." From the article: "Frost & Sullivan security analyst James Turner said while speed of identity verification may be driving people's acceptance of biometrics, the key issue is that biometrics can be a security block, rather than an enabler. Turner added that what is more important in the smartcard debate is ratifying exactly where the identification data is stored. "

124 comments

  1. Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wish there was someway for me to use a fingerprint scanner or embedded RFID - that way I could get first post! ;-)

    --
    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
    1. Re:Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by Znork · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just do with your password like you do with your fingerprints:

      Attach it written on a postit note to every cup of coffee you touch.

      I'll bet that you (or some random stranger being 'you') will get that first post soon enough.

    2. Re:Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by jamshid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yup, it really worries me that we're fighting a losing privacy battle, at least in the US. Let's face it, most people would implant an RFID chip that broadcasts their social security number for a 10%-off coupon at Wal-Mart.

      We have to educate people about what it means to provide information to a corporation that can be used as a key into other databases.

    3. Re:Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by maotx · · Score: 1

      I wish there was someway for me to use a fingerprint scanner or embedded RFID - that way I could get first post! ;-)

      While I've never used it, I have heard a few interesting things about it.
      Try FingerFox: an extension for Firefox that supports Microsoft's fingerprint reader. (Google translated from French)

      --
      I'm a virgo and on Slashdot. Coincidence? Yes.
    4. Re:Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Yup....the old Stepford Wives Syndrome.

      "Honey, it's ago to put that chippy thing in the back of my head, just be sure to take the trash out tonight."

      I've believe we've already witnessed where that can lead to.....

      ["Ah...ah.ah.ah....ahh.umm.." Geo. W. Bush's secret morse code]

    5. Re:Man I hate having to type in my /. password. by Kellay · · Score: 1

      Haha, that'd be awesome, until you log on with a public terminal...

      --
      Chookas,
  2. Where the chip is best stored... by parasonic · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...is in the body area most likely to be guarded.

    1. Re:Where the chip is best stored... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your palms?

    2. Re:Where the chip is best stored... by Tackhead · · Score: 1
      > ...is in the body area most likely to be guarded.

      1) Bluetooth-enabled RFID-implant-based bioauthentication system.
      2) ???
      3) PROFIT!

      Are you suggesting that the missing link is "Chair"?

    3. Re:Where the chip is best stored... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, it does start with a P and end with an S.

      You usually cup this body part with your palms, using your palms as a shield for its defense. Hint: It's not your palms!!

  3. The problem being... by Churla · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't want an RFID which simply spews out "yes this is Churla" to any device requesting my identity because that it far too easy to spoof. Anything transmitted is just a transmission and on the most basic level can be recorded and rebroadcast by someone else.

    This brings around the point that you would still need a second means of authentication anyways. meaning either a password/code to enter that you knew, or possibly some biometrics like fingerprints/retina scans. I don't trust facial geometry scanning because it also is dupable easier than stealing a retina.

    --
    I'm a fiscal conservative, it's a pity we don't have a political party anymore
    1. Re:The problem being... by mikesd81 · · Score: 1

      That's a good point. If RFID tags are to happen, God forbid, protocols have to be in established world wide, and the tag has to be active not just passive. By that I mean that when you go to unlock your office door at work, it needs to send a "Hi, who are you?" signtal to your tag, then YOUR tag has to send "Hello I'm the man that works here". But it has to somehow be encrypted.

      It seems that this all more and more a headache in the securtiy department.

      --
      That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
    2. Re:The problem being... by jimicus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm still not convinced that the will exists. With strong keypair-based encryption, unless the RFID has enough intelligence to generate its own keypair, something else is going to have to do that and copy the keys onto the RFID chip.

      And you just know someone will keep a copy of all the generated keypairs, and a whole bunch of them will be stolen.

      All these are resolveable, technical issues. But they're the kind of thing that gets resolved by academics dedicated to perfecting the theory, not the kind of thing that gets resolved by a company dedicated to getting the per-chip cost down to a fraction of a penny.

    3. Re:The problem being... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      normal encryption would be useless as then all the person has to do to copy the encrupted message and send that just like they would a normal transmission. if there was to be a encryption, it would have to be dynamic. possibly the door sending a signal and your rfid would send a reply message using some sort of algorythm based off on that. this would make it almost impossible to simply copy a transmission as the door signal could change constantly (with some time delay to allow time for rfid to send a return signal). the algorythm would be crackable however with time as someone only needs to record some successful transmission in order to try to reverse engineer the algorthym. rfid would be useless without something changing otherwise.

    4. Re:The problem being... by Delphiki · · Score: 1

      The server and the RFID tag have a secret key that they both know. The server sends out a random number and then the tag is used to send a response that requires both the secret key and the random number to generate. Then spoofing the output of the tag would no longer work. Of course, I don't even know if it's possible to do logic like that on RFID tags, and there's probably another way to break that security anyway.

      --

      Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".

    5. Re:The problem being... by nasch · · Score: 1

      How would an active tag help security?

    6. Re:The problem being... by mikesd81 · · Score: 1

      It would simply answer the quest for information instead of just broadcasting when it gets hit w/ radio frequencies. Some how a private converstation has to happen w/ encryption of soe sort.

      --
      That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
    7. Re:The problem being... by rtb61 · · Score: 1
      Why bother with all that complication, when all you need is an rfid detector and a sharp knife and after you have obtained the chip, just because the original holder had it embedded doesn't mean you have to.

      So is it really worthwhile in real world security situations or is it all just about monitoring employee/sheep movements 24/7.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    8. Re:The problem being... by nasch · · Score: 1

      So you're saying an active tag would allow encryption, while a passive one would not? I'm not sure that's true, but certainly makes sense if so.

    9. Re:The problem being... by mikesd81 · · Score: 1

      I'll try to cler up what I'm saying.

      Passive tags will lie under your skin dormant until something sends a message to it to ask a question. Then it will answer.

      Active tags will do more than just send out a responce. It will have to authenticate the query, then send information instead of just handing it out to any old request.

      --
      That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
  4. the real issue is ease of use... by Grrr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Mold the technology to the users, not the other way around. Check.

    < grrr / >

    1. Re: the real issue is ease of use... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1
      Why not, if it's easier to achieve and works just as well?

      I, for one, don't have a problem with that.

  5. Turn it off? by joke_dst · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The main issue I have with putting chips under my skin is that I can't take it out whenever I want! If there were a convenient way to turn it off I might do it...

    (But carrying around a device for turning it off kind of circumvent the whole idea... Then i could just carry an ID card with an off switch instead)

    1. Re:Turn it off? by Stradenko · · Score: 2, Funny

      Chip your hand and wear a nice set of wire-mesh gloves. Put some leather around the wire-mesh and you'd be borderline fashionable.

    2. Re:Turn it off? by erbmjw · · Score: 1

      If you must have a chip then have them put it in a place that can easily be covered with metal - ie by a braclet or ring.

      The jewelry {if it uses enough metal} will effectively block the RFID tag from receiveing and broadcasting signals, as well it won't be highly noticable that you are attempting to block random readers.

      Personally I'm not all that impressed with currently embedded chips. MRI machines are not supposed to be used on an unconcious chip embedded person, because of potential problems like the chip overheating and or moving! So you may have a chip that should allow the hospital to access your medical history but, you have to wear a bracelet telling them to not put you in a MRI machine if you are unconcious.

    3. Re:Turn it off? by MrHeartbreak · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wear a glove everywhere? Kewl!

      Trendy, just like Michael Ja... oh, wait.

      --
      Don't drag me into your petty squabbles.
    4. Re:Turn it off? by Epistax · · Score: 2, Interesting

      How about instead of implanting chips, which can break or become obsolete easily, we implant something that can hold the chips? People get implants all the time which result in things like tubes sticking out, perhaps to regulate pressure or allow draining of some liquid. Pretty disgusting, but life saving.

      Well how about an implant that (is hopefully not nearly as disgusting) which allows a chip to be slid in place or out of place? The implant could be a tiny flap of sorts which allows a film to be placed between it and you. That film would be a small flexible chip. Some sort of electric pulse could form an ejection system for removing the chip.

      Now I don't know the exact physics of it, but I don't see a problem with it. Any number of ejection mechanisms could easily be tried. The only concern I'd have is infection, but someone out there is bound to have a solution for that, as well a solution to skin completely growing ontop of the device.

    5. Re:Turn it off? by cHALiTO · · Score: 1

      You mean kinda like one of these?

      --
      "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad." -- Terry Pratchett
    6. Re:Turn it off? by Stradenko · · Score: 1

      One should always wear gloves anyway -- wouldn't want to leavy nasty fingerprints everywhere.

    7. Re:Turn it off? by Eideewt · · Score: 1

      Of course, if you can remove it and lose it that easily, why not just put it on your keychain?

    8. Re:Turn it off? by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 1

      But, if you need that MRI to diagnose the brain aneurysm, they either have to dig the chip out, wasting time, or use another technology that may not be the best at diagnosing your illness.

      --
      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
    9. Re:Turn it off? by Epistax · · Score: 1

      Well you'd have to rather deliberately remove it, which would be done to replace it. I mean it's not like it'd make it more comfortable to remove it since what you're feeling is the holder, not the chip. The idea is you'd remove it to change it. I mean, a keychain can be stolen or forgotten. This could be made extremely hard to steal by having unique device interfaces (holder and ejector matched).

      I'm not arguing for it. It's creepy to me. I'm just throwing an alternative into the air because no one who has a chip in their skin right now will be happy with the same chip in 20 years (how about 5 years?).

    10. Re:Turn it off? by vertinox · · Score: 1

      The main issue I have with putting chips under my skin is that I can't take it out whenever I want!

      Bull hockey. It ain't nothing a shot of tequila, lether belt, and an exacto knife can't fix.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    11. Re:Turn it off? by kingsqueak · · Score: 1

      You mean something like a wallet....

      The day it is a requirement for me to come to work naked, I'll finally quit.

    12. Re:Turn it off? by CTachyon · · Score: 1

      The big problem with having any open hole in the skin is infection. For some problems (e.g. kidney dialysis) the risk is worth it, but for everyday use with healthy people, the drawbacks are bigger than the benefits. You might be able to graft the skin into a pocket, like a kangaroo pouch, but that'd be a lot more expensive (and painful) than the 5 minutes it takes to insert a simple subcutaneous implant.

      Regardless, what's so bad about carrying around a wireless fob on one's keychain that one needs subcutaneous implants instead? I don't get that.

      --
      Range Voting: preference intensity matters
  6. Morbidity by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Mind you... if all they need is a fingerprint and/or data from your RFID implant, a crook wouldn't even need you alive. The RFID chip would supposedly keep working for a while and fingerprints don't depend on you being alive. Retinas would be a different story, since they require a constant blood flow, though I'm not sure what the decay rate is for retinal tissue when you die.

    Food for thought.

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
    1. Re:Morbidity by evil+agent · · Score: 1

      Some fingerprint scanners to require signs of life. I seem to remember hearing that some need to detect a heartbeat and/or body heat. Of course, these measures can be circumvented as well...

      --
      End transmission.
    2. Re:Morbidity by punkr0x · · Score: 1

      That's pretty cool! I would have loved to be involved in planning that: Military Official: This fingerprint scanner will make sure only authorized personnel can get through this door! Naysayer: But what if someone chops off the hand of an authorized personnel and uses the severed hand to gain access? Official: Not to worry, we're prepared for that! You see, the scanner requires that the finger have a pulse. They can stand here all day poking it with the severed hand, they're not getting in. Authorized Personnel: Awesome...

    3. Re:Morbidity by cHALiTO · · Score: 1

      Some secure fingerprint readers check temperature and skin conductivity, and even for those who don't, a dead finger is usable only for a short period of time. The finger skin stretches pretty quickly after death and the print becomes unusable. You should see what a necrodactilar finger card looks like, they're used for example to identify bodies in accidents or crimes, and it's not at all so easy as identifying a living person. Even if you can use them, it becomes evident when you see the print that the finger was not alive.

      --
      "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad." -- Terry Pratchett
    4. Re:Morbidity by BigChiefMunkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      While this is true, I believe you are on the right track with the retinas. The 'pattern' that they are recognizing is the random pattern that the blood vessels make on your retina. No blood circulating/inflating those vessels..

      There are also technologies out that address this specifically with blood vessel patterns in your fingers as well. Although I'd have to think that these would be less accurate than retinas.. You'd think that there more capillaries in your eye than your fingers (although you certainly have a lot of nerve endings and blood in your fingertips.)

      Still, all that being said, it is more useful to have 2-factor identification anyway. SomethingYouHave and SomethingYouKnow. Not one or the other, etc.

      -bw

    5. Re:Morbidity by orielbean · · Score: 1

      Although in sci-fi, they usually kill the dude, take a picture of the retina, then make contacts w/ the image transferred onto it. Owned... :-( Of course, you'd be dead, so who cares if they ruin your credit at that point...

    6. Re:Morbidity by fish_in_the_c · · Score: 1

      the deeper problem with using biometrics is once a crook figures out a way to deceive a system into thinking they are you. Thus compromising you biometric identity there is usually no way to correct the compromise. ( you can't change your fingerprints.)

      That is why biometrics are best considered as an ADDITIONAL level of security beyond passwords.

      Three things can establish trust:
      1) what you are - biometric
      2) something you carry - card ( ref id?)
      3) something you know - password or pin

      the most secure systems will always require all three anything else is an engineering compromise. Of coarse you can also increase security by increasing the amount of data a imposter would need to get. IE two biometrics, multiple passwords , a card and a key and a
      dongle ect.

      Another thing to consider is how secure is secure. Most people consider things guarded by an armed guard secure. The guard is a biometric security device. he/she becomes familiar with those who have access and suspicious of unrecognized people. They use a large number of biometric factors to recognize people.

      on the other hand there are many military applications which don't consider an armed guard good enough.

      --
      âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
    7. Re:Morbidity by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 1

      Well, you do have to prepare for all contingencies. (:-)

      Seriously, this and skin conductivity also stop someone from having different fingerprints printed onto their fingers with latex.

      --
      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
    8. Re:Morbidity by Billosaur · · Score: 1

      Three things can establish trust:
      1) what you are - biometric
      2) something you carry - card ( ref id?)
      3) something you know - password or pin

      Getting back to the laziness aspect, this is exactly what most people would prefer to avoid. While they carry fingerprints or retinas everywhere, carrying a card means the potential for losing it and having a PIN/password means having to remember it. Most people want a one-shot identification to take place, preferably without them having to lift a finger (I know... I know...)

      Anybody with mod points might want to throw the parent an "Insightful."

      --
      GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
    9. Re:Morbidity by fish_in_the_c · · Score: 1

      I guess that was what I was trying to get at:
      When laziness is your primary concern in building security you build windows 98.

      If biometric adoption is being helped by the laziness factor it is because the biometrics systems being build are less secure then password based systems they replace. biometrics can only offer additional security if they are use in combination with some other techniques. Otherwise they offer poorer security because they can't be changed if they are comprised.

      Giving someone a smart chip that lets them in and out of a building is less secure then giving them a pass code.

      Of coarse ease of use is always opposed to security. The point is the consciously make the decisions about the trade offs.

      --
      âoeTolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons.
    10. Re:Morbidity by vertinox · · Score: 1

      Mind you... if all they need is a fingerprint and/or data from your RFID implant, a crook wouldn't even need you alive.

      And how this is any different from a guy putting a gun to your head, forcing you to write down your password or PIN, and then shooting you anyways?

      There are countless roberies every year were victims are forced at gun point to withdraw monies from ATMs.

      Seriously, a thief doesn't want to murder you (most of the time) if he can avoid it. Unless you put up resistance, they just want your money and then flee the scene. Robbing someone can get 10-20 years, but mediocre pursuit by the police. Murder can get you Life or Death Penalty, and high pursuit by the police.

      Of course, if they are out to kill you anyways or going on rage to get a crack cocaine fix... Then you are pretty much screwed as it is.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    11. Re:Morbidity by Firehed · · Score: 1

      Why not have an RFID reader within the thermal-testing fingerprint scanner? They'd have to kill you, chop off the whole hand (since they might get the wrong figer if they do just one) and then boil it, since microwaving is out of the question to heat it up as it'd fry the chip. I imagine a heartbeat'd be rather tough to spoof, but warmth is doable.

      --
      How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
  7. Wait a minute... by bensafrickingenius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "ten percent of the users in Asia were happy to be chipped and have done with it."

    Is being "chipped" biometrics at all? Or am I being a semantics Nazi?

    --
    I am not left-handed, either!
    1. Re:Wait a minute... by BigChiefMunkey · · Score: 1


      You know, I had the same thought. Maybe it is more inclusive than how it is defined in my head.

      > I am not left-handed, either!

      Crap, I am. Does this mean we've got the bases covered for biometrics, chips, and handedness? heh

      -bw

    2. Re:Wait a minute... by AnalystX · · Score: 1

      I was thinking the same thing, but I was willing to assume the article cleared up the confusion. I haven't read the article yet, but a chip is definitely not biometrics.

  8. I give biometrics two thumbs up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...from my La-Z-Boy chair.

  9. Repeat the Story Enough by mpapet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    times and people will believe it.

    Unisys has the most to gain by selling this story. They do these kinds of projects on a regular basis.

    I'd be interested to hear how many of their smart card projects actually worked as promised.

    --
    http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
  10. is it who the chip says it is? by robinsonne · · Score: 1

    and what's to stop someone from putting someone else's or a duplicate chip in

    1. Re:is it who the chip says it is? by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 2, Funny

      The career chip police. You gotta do what ya gotta do.

  11. Why implants? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why not simply embed a password in a chip on some jewelry like a bracelet or a ring? Something you can take off if you need, and will be aware of if it is missing. Then have a system to deactivate it if it does come up missing or stolen. I for one don't want to have anything implanted in me unless it's a matter of life or death, but I guess the sheeple don't have as much of a problem with it :-(

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    1. Re:Why implants? by mikesd81 · · Score: 1

      Now that's a decent compromise, but how would you deactivate the device? Unless it has a some kind of cellular receiver in it that you can just send a signal from anywhere in the world.

      Unless of course, you do it from the other end and once you find it's missing you remove the device ID from the system it works on, therefore makint it null and void. So if it is stolen, then someone can try to use it but it won't work because the ID it sends to authenticate won't exhist any more.

      --
      That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
  12. Who needs RFID? by thebdj · · Score: 3, Insightful

    RFID isn't lazy. This would be the ultimate in lazy and simple. Of course, it would be fun if things start happening randomly once your mind starts to wander.

    --
    "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
  13. Excuse me? Lazy? by Otter · · Score: 5, Insightful
    from the i-have-to-use-my-finger-to-type-pshh dept.

    I don't think the users are sick of having to type -- they're sick of the situation created by lazy-ass admins who think that you create security by having 30 different accounts, each with >8 characters, with mandatory uppercase, lowercase, numerics and punctuation. Oh, and they all have to be rotated at 60 day intervals and it's easy because you just make up a little story about each of your convoluted passwords, remember all 30 of them and make up a new one and forget the old one every time you change the password!

    I just had to change and lengthen my purchasing account password because, y'know, there's a huge problem with h4x0rs ordering office supplies in my name. I'll tell you where I'd like to implant an RFID chip...

    1. Re:Excuse me? Lazy? by SatanicPuppy · · Score: 1

      This won't make it any better...You'll just have to have so many chips implanted you'll look like a chip hedgehog.

      The problem lies with corporations who are too lazy to set up some kind of integrated security...unfortunately microshaft has one of the most friendly setups, with Active Directory, but it doesn't play well with others, and it has all the problems associated with all the other microsoft products.

      So you end up with every application having its own security, and then corporate decides that all passwords have to be 25 characters long with at least 5 characters of sanskrit, and they have to be changed every full moon, and you can't reuse a password within the same neptunian orbital period, and if you type the wrong password three times, you have to call an admin to get yourself unlocked because giving a non-admin unlock privledges would be A MASSIVE SECURITY BREACH.

      I admin this one system...Everyone who logs into it, who isn't an admin, needs one password. In order for me to log in to change their password, I need three. And while I'm typing in my damn list of obscenely long and complicated passwords, I have some yammering user on the phone complaining about the password policy.

      Trust me, we hate it too. It's the name of the game these days, unfortunately. I don't think implanted chips are the answer though...Mainly because they'll be obsolescent so fast, what's the point?

      --
      ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
  14. These lazy people should watch "Charlie Jade" firs by denis-The-menace · · Score: 1

    These lazy people should watch "Charlie Jade" first.
    http://www.charliejade.com/

    In the show, in the Alphaverse ( a parallel universe with more advanced technology than use) everybody has a chip in their wrist. They use is as a debit card. The corporations/governments use it as population control. If you don't have a chip, you don't exist and anybody can kill you.

    BTW: Yes, it's a good show but the pace is slower than lets say BSG.

    --
    Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
  15. Hello, Mr. Fragmentate, Welcome to Wal-Mart by fragmentate · · Score: 3, Insightful
    There was that one movie with that one guy that eats placentas... uhm... "Minority Report".

    I already don't like when they read my credit card and say, "thank you Mr. Fragmentate." Actually, I don't really want them talking to me in a personal manner at all.

    You just know that eventually they'll always just know where you are. "Shame on you Mr. Fragmentate... an NC-7 movie? Tsk." I find it hilarious that a good portion of the people recently surveyed by my company about the "evils of browser cookies" were willing to have an implant in their body, but absolutely would not allow cookies.

    I don't get it. A harmless text string implanted on your hard-drive that can track you quite anonymously (the net only knows what you tell it) and that you have direct access to; versus a device implanted in your body that you have absolutely no understanding of, or control over.

    It's not THAT hard to whip out the driver's license or state-issued ID. I know they're not "secure" but this article isn't talking about security -- it's talking about convenience.

    1. Re:Hello, Mr. Fragmentate, Welcome to Wal-Mart by punkr0x · · Score: 1

      The guy in Minority Report replaced Tom's eyes so he could pass the retina scanner, right? He ate placentas? Why?

    2. Re:Hello, Mr. Fragmentate, Welcome to Wal-Mart by Bassman59 · · Score: 1
      The guy in Minority Report replaced Tom's eyes so he could pass the retina scanner, right? He ate placentas? Why?

      Scientologists eat placentas. EVERYBODY knows that.

  16. Well of COURSE they don't care.... by Khan · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...that's because they are godless heathens! ;-)

    --

    "Klaatu, verada, necktie!" -Ash

  17. Famous quotation by caluml · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wasn't it Abe Lincoln that said: "Those that would be be lazy and get an RFID chip inserted into them deserve no privacy - who shot me?"

    1. Re:Famous quotation by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1

      Benjamin Franklin - "They that would trade essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither."

      Could be rewritten/interpreted as "They that would trade essential liberty for a little convenience deserve neither."

      That's the problem with people these days -- they don't want to put any effort into anything and so they're more than willing to give away their rights and their privacy if it means they get through the line quicker at Wal*Mart.

      *sigh*

  18. Better technique, no implant needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics
    "automated methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits"

    Store a 48-96 bit (6-12 byte) string of alphanumeric information inside of a person's brain. This will be easier than having to keep your implant safe/remember your rfid card/etc, as your brain is always with you. You can also claim that you are using "quantum encryption" to keep the key safe (provided that there are no accidental dumps to the standard i/o devices).

    We then train the person, through Pavlovian techniques, to input their security code via their fingers. Biometric key storage and retrevial solved.

  19. After reading the demo in Wired 14.05... by jpellino · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...where Jon Westhues cloned an implanted VeriChip (the only FDA approved chip on the market) in 10 minutes with a homebrew device, NO CHIP FOR ME!

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  20. Amen --- mod up (no text) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no text

  21. Communism by armyturtle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    100% of those 10% surveyed are probably not accustomed to the normal daily freedoms we have as Americans. If you survey 10% of people in China who are used to being oppressed by their government I'm more than certain they'll be more accepting to this idea than 10% of Americans. I hate one-sided/slanted polls because not everyone can think for themselves & there are those who are prone to take a poll for gospel.

    --
    Wherever you go, there you are. :D
    1. Re:Communism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen! MOD PARENT UP!

    2. Re:Communism by dajak · · Score: 1

      100% of those 10% surveyed are probably not accustomed to the normal daily freedoms we have as Americans. If you survey 10% of people in China who are used to being oppressed by their government I'm more than certain they'll be more accepting to this idea than 10% of Americans.

      On the contrary. For people who lived in totalitarian societies freedom means turning a blind eye to the indiscretions of others, hiding your own from strangers, and generally doing everything you can to make bureaucracy ineffective and win favours from people in civil service etc. who may be able to help you some day. They may not protest in the streets, but they will do their best to ensure biometric identification can be defeated when needed.

      Americans, on the other hand, are totally naive when it comes to avoiding the attention of big brother.

    3. Re:Communism by armyturtle · · Score: 1

      It may take time - but our society in America has made more progress towards what the *people* want than any other nation in history. You tellin' me that the peoples of China are represented fairly by their government?

      Grant it I don't agree with every politician in our government here in the USA but if the majority of the public here doesn't like what they've done, out they go!

      --
      Wherever you go, there you are. :D
    4. Re:Communism by dajak · · Score: 1

      The Americans today are not the Americans of the late 18th century.

      People will learn to deal with the government they have to live with. Most of the world population is more suspicious of government than the US, and therefore less likely to like this technology. Americans do have much more influence on whether it is used. Not just because of the reason you stated but also because the US is the number one superpower and tells a lot of its allies what identification technology to use to monitor its citizens before they are going to be allowed into the US.

  22. How come we can't get past "maybe?" by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 1

    It seems like all these technologies can do for us is to say "there's a good chance this is me." In order to really ID someone, you can't just take an instant in time -- you'd have to have some way of checking their "story", i.e. how do you validate that their id isn't a fraud? We'd be way better off if we could reject any fake id vs. continuing trying to verify that an ID is in fact the actual person it says it is. If you could always tell a fake, then at the very least you'd have to steal the actual ID to use it, meaning if it was reported stolen fast enough, anyone trying to reuse it is just completely busted.

    --
    stuff |
  23. Where the chip is best stored...Assets. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "...is in the body area most likely to be guarded."

    The ass?

  24. I'm lazy by tezza · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would have voted against biometrics, but never quite got around to it.

    --
    [% slash_sig_val.text %]
  25. Fuck it... by Adam+Hazzlebank · · Score: 0

    1984 style dystopian future sounds like a laugh...

  26. Chiped off!!! by pedalfreak862 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The problem was stated in another article where people with laptops are stealing cars with keyless entries. Just think what they could do if they stole your chip info and could access not only your car but every aspect of your life.

  27. Easy to hack by novus+ordo · · Score: 1

    remember Demolition Man 2?

    --
    "You're everywhere. You're omnivorous."
  28. Security without Usability = Insecurity by cheesedog · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I'm a big fan of the thesis recently popularized by O'Reilly's "Security and Usabilty: Designing Secure Systems that People can Use", which is this:

    If you implement theoretically secure designs, but they suffer from usability problems, you'll end up with a system which is neither secure nor usable.

    If, on the other hand, you design your security/authentication mechanisms with usability as a key concern, you'll end up with usable, secure systems.

  29. WTF??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is Slashdot trying to warm us up to personal chipping? This is the second article today that suggests chipping people as acceptable!

    Here's my position on the matter and it WILL NOT CHANGE! I will chip ANYONE who chips me. Fair enough?

    The chips I am issuing are .380 lead slugs. Bring it!

  30. Biometric outsourcing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this something that we could and should perhaps be doing more cheaply , by sending thumbs offshore? If someone wants to access their data here, it would make more sense to have their thumb or iris in another country with a lower cost. I think in this global economy we're all shareholders whether we like it or not.

    If companies here have lower costs, then dat way we can reinvest ur profits back in 2 the company 2 save you even more money.

    U send me ur thumb 4 ur outsourced job plz.

    Thx.

  31. "The Lazy"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Okay, the headline says that biometrics win support from the lazy, but the summary says nothing about lazy people... that is, unless you think that all Asians are lazy....

    Well, based on my experience (aka 2 good Asian friends of mine), this might actually be true... Hmm....

  32. Mark, of teh BEAST by Thud457 · · Score: 1

    Blessed are the really lazy, since they'll procrastinate about going down to the government center to take the Mark of the the Beast! - ACs 4:20

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  33. Easy means wrong application. by LeDopore · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've had my credit card info stolen when the swipe machine at a Kinko's was hacked to record everything. That very night I got a call from VISA regarding suspicious account activity; my card was deactivated and they sent me a new one in the mail.

    Imagine if I were using a retina or fingerprint scanner instead of a credit card. Replacing my retina/fingerprints isn't nearly as easy.

    Biometrics mean you have once chance to keep your identity safe. Afterwards you're screwed for the rest of your life. For this reason I don't think biometrics is going to replace the authentication methods we already have: after a decade of using biometrics, half of us will have had our biometric information stolen and will be back to cards anyways. I'm going to beat the rush and stay with cards now ;)

    I *can* think of one potential good way to use biometrics: imagine if your drivers licence, etc, contained a jpeg file of your face that's been digitally signed by the issuing organization. That would make forgery much harder.

    In summary, I think biometrics can work for applications where you don't care who sees your identifying info, but for any application where you would need to keep it secret, forget it. Not even good for the lazy.

    --
    Expected time to finish is 1 hour and 60 minutes.
    1. Re:Easy means wrong application. by nasch · · Score: 1
      3 points. First, biometrics would not replace credit cards, I'm not sure where you got that idea. At most, they would replace the signature "required" to use the card. I can't see how that would do anything but make the card more secure, since currently checkers generally don't give the signature a glance, let alone carefully compare it to the one on the card. So if your credit card information got hijacked and it was protected by biometrics, either the theif would not be able to use it, or you would just get a new card.

      Your point about identity theft using biometrics sounds like a good one. The thing is, from what I know about identity theft (not a whole lot) it seems that people are often screwed for life anyway. The fraudster just keeps on writing fraudulent checks and so on, and the victim is never able to get any credit because of it. Anybody have more reliable information on this?

      I would only be in favor of widespread biometrics if it's highly reliable and very difficult to spoof. For example, I don't want to get iris-scanned at the gas pump and fall victim to the scam that tried to get you. If a picture of my or access to the validation data is sufficient to steal my identity, I'm not in favor of it.

    2. Re:Easy means wrong application. by LeDopore · · Score: 1

      Thanks, nasch. I'm glad nobody's thinking of letting biometrics replace credit cards entirely. As far as identity theft goes, as long as you can get the powers that be know what's going on, anthing issued to you can be re-issued, but you're stuck with what you're born with. I think we agree that biometrics can be a good thing, but only if it's used where appropriate.

      --
      Expected time to finish is 1 hour and 60 minutes.
  34. Biometrics is EVIL by flobberchops · · Score: 0

    I like to keep my body parts on my body thank you very much. They will just chop of my hand to get access now. It has already been done in a number of places.

  35. Religious Issues with Chip? by RexRhino · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I am athiest, so I am not really sure... but wouldn't Christians be upset by being chipped? Doesn't it make people nervous about the whole "Mark of the Beast" thing? I would think that the whole issue of implants would be a non-starter in the U.S., and probably many parts of Europe. But maybe Christians don't mind, if it is implanted in their butt, or their foot, or elbow, or somewhere other than their forehead or right hand. Or maybe Christians don't mind, because in modern U.S. politics the Christian-right supports a lot of things forbidden in Christianity (war and military service, death penalty, etc.)

    Seems to me, using fingerprints, or retina scans, or some other "god given" form of ID would be more socially acceptable to Christians... and not really any more difficult to implement than an implate. And it would be harder to fake a retina or fingerprint than a chip.

    1. Re:Religious Issues with Chip? by nasch · · Score: 1
      in modern U.S. politics the Christian-right supports a lot of things forbidden in Christianity (war and military service, death penalty, etc.)
      Hope I don't start a flamewar, but... are you sure those are forbidden by Christianity (if we can even say there is a single such thing as Christianity)?
    2. Re:Religious Issues with Chip? by RexRhino · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It is not a flamewar with me, because I don't really care that much about what the rules in Christianity are. But before the Roman Empire adopted Christianity, early Christians would choose to die rather than participate in military service. The whole "Turn the other cheek" and "love thy enemy" thing seems pretty clearly pacifist to me. Even when Jesus was going to be murdered, his disiples were forbidden from saving him.

      And when it comes to the death penalty, you can look at the story in the Gospel of John, when the adulterur was to be killed by stoning, and Jesus said "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".

      After Christianity was adopted by the Roman Empire, Christianity was kind of re-interpreted to support the goals of the Empire. But I think you have to seriously stretch the message of the Gospel in order to come to the conclusion that Jesus would approve of military service, war, or the death penalty.

      You could argue maybe that self-defense is justifyable under Christianity, but there is a big difference between having a military guarding U.S. borders, and launching a full scale global offensive as the modern Christian-right tend to support.

    3. Re:Religious Issues with Chip? by duffstone · · Score: 1

      Just so the other voice is heard, it's not any different than Muslim's using Jihad (holy war) as an excuse to kill Christians and Jews. I have a hard time believing that the koran justifies violence, military service, and the like...

      I'm not hear to flame or to otherwise support Christianity (of which I'm a card carrying believer), I'm just here to point out that Muslims, Jews, and other religions suffer from the same hypocrisy... Don't just single out the Christians in this endeavor. I'm sure the other religions of the world would have just as much opposition to offer to being permanently marked.

      -Duff

    4. Re:Religious Issues with Chip? by RexRhino · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I wasn't singling out Christianity for not supporting putting chips in people... Or for selling out their religion (which everyone seems to do nowadays) I was saying that Christianity would be the deal breaker. If the vast majorty of wealthy people in America and Western Europe refuse to get a chip, then it doesn't matter what poor people in the middle east will do - because they aren't the big market for financial services. It is the middle class (largely Christian) American or Western European who will really decide on the fate of installing chips into people for ID.

      I was also speculating if the Christian Right would be for or against chips though. The Christian Right tends to support all sorts of state interventions that don't have anything to do with Christianity - such as the war in iraq, death penalty for drug dealers, rounding up and deporting imigrants etc. Would the Christian Right be against chips on the fact that they are "the mark of the beast", or would they go along with it if some "conservative" leader promised that it was for stopping terrorists, or stopping illegal immigration, or something like that?

      But perhaps you, as a Christian, can answer my questions/speculation.

      1. Would the typical American Christian be opposed to using implanted chips as ID for religious reasons?

      2. Would it be OK, from a biblical standpoint, to get a chip in your buttocks, or elbow, or foot, or some place that clearly isn't your right hand or forehead, as it mentions in revelations? The book of Revelations is very specific. Will you be saved if you get a chip implanted in your left thumb?

    5. Re:Religious Issues with Chip? by duffstone · · Score: 1

      Little late on the reply, so accept my appologies. I'll try to answer your questions as honestly as possible but this requires a tad bit of back story...

      First off, I am a Christian and I have my own faith that is what it is. I do not, however, consider myself part of any sect, congreation, or denomination. Basically, as a child I saw through the hypocracy and lies and opted out of the popularity contests and such.

      So with that in mind; If the typical christain were like myself, then no, they wouldn't be afraid or otherwise compelled to not use the implant. People take on artificial devices all the time to extend their lives, why not take on one that would protect it as well.

      Further, I don't know any christians at all that take the good book 100% serious anymore. My grandmother was the last person I knew that lived passage to passage, and truely believed in the litteral translations of those. ALL the christians I know see it as a neat tool to quote from but don't really "Believe" the words as absolute truth. Which I suspect isn't much different than any other religion.

      The answer to #2 is answered above. I mean, does god have a degree of tollerance for defileing the body? do people with screws in their bones not get admittance because they've been defiled? Tatoos I can see as blatant disreguard for ones self, but other medical devices are forigen just the same. Does god pick and choose or does everyone fall under the same blatant rules.

      This is where modern society diverges from religion and eventually god dies. Whether or not that's when the sky falls and judgement day comes I couldn't / won't say. But it seems that religion has changed an aweful lot as time moves forward, which seems somewhat counter intuattive...

  36. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up by couch_warrior · · Score: 1

    Being a paranoid type, I tend to overreact to things, but consider the following-
    Given the US Governments current plans to consolidate all the data they hold about you into ginormous centralized multi-agency databases-
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/c-6-9-ioi.html
    They then intend to secure this data with biometric-containing RFID equipped tokens-
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/b-1-information .html#is
    But they intend to use Microsoft MIIS as the security engine-
    http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues /2005/11/PostMortem/default.aspx
    And to save cost they are going to let BANKS issue the RFIDs (the same places that routinely send pre-approved credit cards to your dog)
    http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20040420a1.asp
    http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf209806.tip.html
    Put all this together and it becomes frighteningly plausible that the government has little interest in securing citizen data, and a lot of interest in assembling data it can use to control its citizens.
    http://www.rense.com/general15/happy.htm
    But nobody will complain, becuase totalitarian control of our lives will be, like having a chip implanted, *just so convenient*.
    However, for those who are still conscientious, it is possible to comment on the government's plans. But please be restrained and responsible in doing so, ranting and raving will just discredit opposing viewpoints.
    http://www.estrategy.gov/lineofbusiness/docs/ioi_r fi.doc

    --
    "Sic Semper Path of Least Resistance"
  37. Ah, yes rf by zerosix · · Score: 1

    I guess my thought is, with rf tags it's always trasmitting, it's like yelling out your credit card every time you use it, anyone around can steal the data.

    --
    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. ~Albert Einstein
    1. Re:Ah, yes rf by nasch · · Score: 1

      Credit card information would (I hope) be "yelled out" in the same way it is yelled out when you use it on the internet - after being encrypted.

    2. Re:Ah, yes rf by zerosix · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I would hope so as well! I guess my point being that a good system would need to be established before I would trust ANY of my information to be traveling freely through the air regaurdless how the rf device is implimented...I wouldn't want some joe off the street just to be able to 'request' the data either! ;)

      --
      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. ~Albert Einstein
  38. Oh dear by jb.hl.com · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Here come all the trolls saying how it's everyone else's fault for being stupid, and not that they really just don't give a damn so long as their life gets a little easier.

    --
    By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
  39. This is a people challenge with a people solution. by Smoodo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am constantly surprised by all of the security efforts and fads that come and go. I have observed that security is usually lighter where people know and trust each other and is more complex where people do not know each other. Perhaps security experts would do well to consider how we could improve the relationships we have with people around us.

  40. It's NOT ease of use by i+am+kman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I was pretty deeply into the smartcards and biometrics business 7-8 years ago and they had VERY cheap ($2/keyboard on a keyboard) and VERY easy to use embedded keyboard scanners (as well as separate). We built prototypes for folks to easily to computers and web accounts, but it didn't really take off.

    Why? Users don't really care - even for bank account logins. Passwords work well enough. Also, everyone 'says' they'd LOVE biometrics, but when you get down to capturing their electronic fingerprint, they start to get nervous.

    It's rather like smartcards. While they're superior to credit cards, the credit card system in the US is mature, ubiquitious, integrated, and simple enough that most consumers wouldn't really get a huge benefit. I don't think most identity theft comes from stolen passwords.

    Same with biometrics - the technology has been around for 10 years and it's made some headway into niche applications, but it's not going to explode anytime soon unless WalMart or banks requires everyone to use it.

  41. decay rate by sepharious · · Score: 1

    Requirements for defeating retinal scans: one fountain pen. This proves it conclusivly. Hollywood NEVER lies.

    --
    Did you know that you can be apathetic to apathy? Not that I give a shit...
  42. Where, where, where is Waldo? by Dark+Coder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah, right... Where do we put the identification metrics and how is it kept in check from unauthorized usages?

    You have your basic triage of information:

    1. Consumer/User/
    2. Merchant/Provider
    3. Arbitrator/Mediator/Authenticator

    Each MUST be able to revoke one of the other two for such a successful system. Right now, the biggest problem in today's computing world is the consumer/user cannot revoke.

    Without user revokation, the system is ineffectual against abuse (i.e., identity thefts, innocent arrest records, stuck with a Social Security Number)

    What is needed is a 3-way public key exchange algorithm (can't even find that in Google).

  43. I was angry by EZLeeAmused · · Score: 1

    when they implanted the RFID next to my scapula, but everyone just said I had a chip on my shoulder.

    --
    Some see the vessel as half full; others see it as half-empty; We pour it out on the floor and laugh
  44. you joke is too subtle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no.

    1. Re:you joke is too subtle by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1
      [Snipes character wasn't implanted with a chip prior to his escape.]

      Stalone says (something like):

      so he can't access anything...unless he cuts off someone's hand...
      let's hope he doesn't think of *that*

      ergo: RFID circumvention would be "easy to hack"
      You're correct though, original post is too subtle.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  45. Sigs instead of IDs by gr8_phk · · Score: 1
    "Turner added that what is more important in the smartcard debate is ratifying exactly where the identification data is stored."

    The problem is that no one should store any ID information. The chip needs to provide a digital signature, and the private key needs to exist only in the chip. This completely eliminates spoofing by "listening" to a device or pinging it for ID. I suppose each device should also have an ID, but that should not be used as authentication - just a suggestion as to which public key can verify the signature. OTOH, I'm guessing there are very good reasons to keep the ID and the signing device separate.

  46. But you know... by east+coast · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Biometrics Win Support From the Lazy

    This is the same reason that beers with twist-off caps is so popular too.

    --
    Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
  47. OT: fun assassination story by freeweed · · Score: 1

    Playing trivial pursuit a few years back, I got to ask a friend this question:

    This late president's last words were "Oh dear, I think I have a headache".

    Friend thinks for a second, then says "Hope it wasn't Kennedy..."

    What?

    Too soon?

    --
    Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  48. Support From The Lazy Ppl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Theres a group to be proud of supporting your product. When they plan a protest they go all out

  49. Good idea/Bad idea by romeo_in_blk_jeans · · Score: 0

    My father in law has a laptop with a thumbprint scanner. Can't access his files unless he slaps his thumb onto the scanner.

    It sounds like a great idea until you consider the fact that he cooks a lot. I'm going to laugh the first time he cuts his thumb and can't access his oh-so-vital work files for a week.

    Yep. I won't forget my password unless I suffer some pretty severe brain damage. He could lose access by accident.

  50. Life or death? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I for one don't want to have anything implanted in me unless it's a matter of life or death

    I'm getting cataract surgery next month - yes, a borg implant in my eyeball. I'll no longer need my contact lens, nor my reading glasses.

    Should my hips wear out (not likely I'll live that long) I'll gladly get hip replacements.

    A data chip, though? No way in hell.

  51. Being "chipped" is NOT Biometrics by complexmath · · Score: 1

    Biometrics is "something you are" not "something you have." A chip, even embedded under the skin, qualifies as "something you have." It being embedded under the skin just makes it more difficult to lose.

  52. Title is misleading by statemachine · · Score: 1

    What's controversial is RFID smartcards and implants containing personal data, not necessarily biometrics itself. Your driver's license and passport have had biometrics for a long time.

  53. The only reasons for chip implants and biometrics by getafixx · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    There are only two reasons for chip implants and biometrics: 1) tracking you 2) making money from tracking you.
    End of story.
    Do not just resist - REFUSE this bullshit.

  54. Technology = Lazy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't it the purpose of all technology to aid in being lazy?

  55. Existance is futile. by mrmeval · · Score: 1

    You can be disposed of yet still exist.
    You'll still be officially alive
    Don't be pissed.
    You'll still be voting in 9595
    All your base
    are belong to us.
    Decompose, at a slow pace.
    Don't make a stinking fuss.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  56. Biometrics != Chipping by Ernesto+Alvarez · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The idea behind biometrics is that some autentication device detects some characteristic of your body that's not easy to forge. The response of a RFID chip however, would be relatively easy to fake, and the intruder would not have to be himself chipped.

    Chipping is no more than a fancy way of carrying an access card, a poor substitute for biometrics (really NOT a substitute). And even if it were a perfect substitute, biometrics is not a good method under some circumstances (like remote logging: was that someone speaking his passphrase on a microphone, or just a recording?).

    Decision makers should leave the mothod of authentication to the experts (sane ones, excessive paranoia is detrimental too).

  57. Chip Jewelry or Clothing, sure. Implants, never. by mooncaine · · Score: 1

    I'll never willingly accept a chip implant that could be used by governments or companies to identify me. If my body and the product of my mind [speech, knowledge] aren't good enough, screw 'em. My ancestors didn't emigrate to America and work themselves into early graves so that their children could become property of the State. They came specifically to avoid such things, and the Constitution of this country promised protection against same. Their descendants have worked, fought, and voted to preserve that protection.

    Now, a piece of jewelry I could remove, or clothing, would be OK. Nothing permanent like a tatoo or an implant, ever.