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Vein Patterns Could Replace Fingerprints
Death Metal writes "Companies in Europe have begun to roll out an advanced biometric system from Japan that identifies people from the unique patterns of veins inside their fingers. Finger vein authentication, introduced widely by Japanese banks in the last two years, is claimed to be the fastest and most secure biometric method. Developed by Hitachi, it verifies a person's identity based on the lattice work of minute blood vessels under the skin."
FTA:
The gruesome possibility that criminals may hack off a finger has already been discounted by Hitachi's scientists. Asked if authentication could be "forged" with a severed finger, the company says: "As blood would flow out of a disconnected finger, authentication would no longer be possible."
I must admit that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline...
I don't know about this particular method, but biometric measurements in general are not perfectly repeatable, so they need to use fuzzy algorithms, which raise the probability of collisions. So they are more like a hashed password than a perfectly unique user ID.
IBM research developed back in '02 an interesting way of revoking and replacing biometrics already.
This is not new. Vein pattern recognition on the back of the hand was developed years ago. So long ago in fact that the computer part of it was a BBC Micro.
The months are just too short. I can count the number of days on one hand.
Plus, as an MD, I have quite some suspicion about the stability of some biometric methods over time or over pathologies.
Take today's method :
- it relies on vein patterns.
The main problem I see is that veins are biomechanically elastic, in order to be able to comply with varying amount of blood. It works as a "blood pool".
Depending on pathologies, the shape of the veinous network can change dramatically.
(same goes for retina. I mean looking at the change induced is the way to assess the progress of some disease like diabetes or hypertension).
Fingerprint worked so-so because the relatively stable : as long as the deeper structures aren't destroyed, the skin regrows with the same prints, no matter what.
Fucking up fingerprints require deep mutilation of fingers. These kind of accident can happen is heavy industrial workers, but its not something the average laptop wielding geek is very likely to experience. Thus fingerprints are good enough.
Whereas, the current trend of blood-related biometric systems are affect by pathologie (I've mentionned hypertension and diabetes) which are much more frequent, specially among the sedentary people: typically the users of such systems.
Thus, I have real doubts about the long term feasibility of such measures.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Wow, you guys sure are concerned about someone hacking a finger off and using it for nefarious purposes. Given that Japanese BANKS have been implementing this for years, I pose the following question:
If you go to your bank and try to unlock your safety deposit box, how often do you get to do so outside the supervision of say, the bank manager?
"Hi there, bank manager I've never seen before, I'd like to access this box."
"Ok, we'll just need to verify your vein identity. Please place your hand on the panel."
"Um...ok. Are you going to watch me?"
"Why yes sir, we must be sure you are who you say you are."
"Oh. Ok. Well excuse me for a moment while I remove this severed finger from its plastic case."
"Security!"
In my capacity as truck driver, I have had occasion to visit Felixstowe container terminal. They have been trying to get a similar system going for years. I have a photo card that contains the data and I have to place my hand on a pad up against metal posts. This system has never worked reliably, and so far other than when I went through the initial process, I have never had to use it. The terminals are always out of order. So we just wave the card instead.