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. "

Comments

Man I hate having to type in my /. password.

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

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

The problem being...

[Churla]

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.

Re:The problem being...

[jimicus]

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.

the real issue is ease of use...

[Grrr]

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

< grrr / >

Turn it off?

[joke_dst]

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)

Morbidity

[Billosaur]

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.

Wait a minute...

[bensafrickingenius]

"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?

Repeat the Story Enough

[mpapet]

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.

Why implants?

[XxtraLarGe]

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 :-(

Who needs RFID?

[thebdj]

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.

Excuse me? Lazy?

[Otter]

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...

Hello, Mr. Fragmentate, Welcome to Wal-Mart

[fragmentate]

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.

Famous quotation

[caluml]

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?"

I'm lazy

[tezza]

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

It's NOT ease of use

[i am kman]

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.