Biometric National Identification

[AltF4]

I saw this as a part of the "quick list" and decided to make a thread on it, since apparently there isn't one already.



Biometrics and why they're terrible:

We've all seen cool sci-fi movies where the main character enters a secure facility and gains access by looking into a machine that scans his retina. In the movies it is a foolproof method of identification that can't be forged. But unfortunately for us, this isn't the movies.

The problem is that of authentication. Meaning, "how do you prove to somebody else that you are who you say you are?" The typical solution to this problem is using a username and password system. We're all familiar with it, and it has some obvious flaws.

1) Passwords can be guessed.
2) Almost everybody uses the same password for every account they have.
3) Humans are only capable of remembering short passwords that are vulnerable to cracking techniques.

So we say: "Boy, wouldn't it be great to get rid of these passwords? What can we use to identify ourselves by? Hmmm... I know! Fingerprints and retinas!" Now you don't have passwords anymore right? Wrong.

Biometrics are nothing more than passwords that you can never change.

A biometric scanner reads your fingerprint and stores it to a computer as a series of 0's and 1's. That series is your fingerprint, and is no different than a password. Only this one you can't ever change if it gets stolen!

Never, ever use biometrics as an actual method of secure login. It is far safer to just use a long and complex password.

If the US adopted a policy of National Biometric Identification, identity theft would absolutely skyrocket.

PS: I sure hope this doesn't double thread-post... the boards are acting up right now...

 

[Banana_Dragon]

Well, there's both arguments for and against.

Biometric National Identification would definately make it easier to track criminals. Just find out where they were last scanned. That way law enforcement would happen more swiftly and with more range.
Eventually it would become harder to commit crimes unnoticed or to commit crimes at all.

However, on the other side... This opens up a door for cyber-criminals which could take advantage of this system.
Hacking into a scanner database and finding out which people are where will definately happen. And professional hackers could probably even obtain scans from someone else and use them to override others, making the authorities potentially judge and punish the wrong people. Also making it easier for potential murderers to track down their victims. (Mafia would probably make heavy use of this)

Then there's also the media, who by using this system could obtain information on the shopping habits and other habits of pretty much everyone and plague us with even more directed advertising and constantly spy on us. I know this would make me feel very uncomfortable and it would make many people go nuts from paranoia.

Hence, why I'm pretty much against Biometric National Identification despite the few advantages it gives. It makes us seems like robots and I see it as an infringement of our rights to privacy and freedom.

 

[AltF4]

No. Don't fall into the misconception that Biometrics are in any way a more accurate system of identification than passwords. They are not! Biometric ID is just a password system in disguise. They provide far less security than a typical username-password system.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

Mythbusters FTW!

 

[AltF4]

Who wrote that Wiki article? Were they stoned? You can do replay attacks easily on biometrics. In fact it's even easier than on a normal password. With a normal password, you have to get the password exactly. But with biometric ID, you only have to get close. Once you get somebody's information, you can just change it in a trivial way and reuse it.

Btw, the Mythbusters are completely full of ****. It's a fun show to watch, and they do neat stuff, but scientists they are not. Never assume something is impossible because the Mythbusters said so, lol.

 

[Banana_Dragon]

Hmm, I did not know you only have to get close, thanks for clearing that up for me It's always fun to learn new stuff.

Though, suppose it does require perfect match, wouldn't it then be a way more accurate system? Of course, I see this also depends on in which places and with what frequency this system would be used...

The hacker-thing I mentioned though still proves to be valid in this case as far as I can see. It's pretty much agreeing on the whole "indentity theft would skyrocket" thing.

Should this system be used with heavy frequency though (say, if it's even needed for payments, post orders, computer access, etc. I know, this sounds pretty cyberpunk, but in theory it's perfectly possible) and require perfect matches... The world would become a pretty weird place to live in I think.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

Btw, the Mythbusters are completely full of ****. It's a fun show to watch, and they do neat stuff, but scientists they are not. Never assume something is impossible because the Mythbusters said so, lol.

I think some of there methods are questionable (they are special effects specialists not scientists, true), but in the episode they easily got a copy of someones fingerprint without them knowing and used it to break into a biometrically secured room. And it was so easy that they believed anyone could do it without any special equipment. So yeah, biometrics are bunk.

 

[AltF4]

G4F: I did see that episode of Mythbusters, and I agree. The current Biometric technology is really lacking. They're so easy to hack, just like the busters showed. So I agree with them on that issue.

What I'm trying to say is that even if the makers of these biometric readers get their act together and make them more accurate, biometrics are still bad.

Another big problem with biometrics in general is that they are non-secrets. Your fingerprint, retina scan, etc.. are all supposed to be information about you that is unique to you. But they are not secret! You leave fingerprints everywhere you go, and your eyeballs are open for everyone to see. That's like wearing a t-shirt with your passwords on it. It defeats the purpose of the password!