Fingerprint Scanners

dcdz78 · 05-15-2007, 05:46 PM

Hello,

I'm trying to find some information about fingerprint scanners. I'm trying to gauge how strong a fingerprint is vs. a password. In other words... is a fingerprint scan equal to about a 30/strong character password?

Sorry, I know this is kinda of an odd question (or an odd way of phrasing it) but I'm trying to come up with a realistic comparison vs the strength of each. Maybe you can't compare the two because they're two different things... can someone shed some light on this?

Thanks in advance,
Dale

**Ben** · 05-16-2007, 12:21 PM

A fingerprint would be stronger as it cannot be copied, however i dont thatink that a fingerprint scan can be compared with a password

**johnwill** · 05-16-2007, 03:36 PM

Actually, if you're a fan of MythBusters, you would see that a fingerprint scanner can be fooled. :)

**Cellus** · 05-17-2007, 11:16 AM

Back in 2002 Tsutomu Matsumoto, a cryptographer from Japan, did a test on several biometric fingerprint scanners. He was able to fool them using some gelatin (ala gummi bears), a mold of a finger, Adobe Photoshop, some PCB, and a fingerprint lifted from a glass.

Did I mention he only spent ~$10?

Biometrics is useful, but really only in multi-tiered access control. It should be combined with passwords to augment security. The only solid biometrics currently out there is Iris scanning, however it is by no means cheap.

In access control there are three major points to authenticate a user with:

* Who they are. (ie. Biometrics)
* What they know. (ie. Passwords)
* What they possess. (ie. Smart Cards)

05-15-2007, 05:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
dcdz78 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 41 OS: Vista Ultimate Edition	Fingerprint Scanners Hello, I'm trying to find some information about fingerprint scanners. I'm trying to gauge how strong a fingerprint is vs. a password. In other words... is a fingerprint scan equal to about a 30/strong character password? Sorry, I know this is kinda of an odd question (or an odd way of phrasing it) but I'm trying to come up with a realistic comparison vs the strength of each. Maybe you can't compare the two because they're two different things... can someone shed some light on this? Thanks in advance, Dale

05-16-2007, 12:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ben TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,343 OS: Windows XP Home SP2 My System	Re: Fingerprint Scanners A fingerprint would be stronger as it cannot be copied, however i dont thatink that a fingerprint scan can be compared with a password __________________ \|3e\|\\| If I stop replying to a thread, send me a PM with the thread link HijackThis • AVG Anti-Virus • AVG Anti-Spyware • SpywareBlaster • CWShredder • HOSTS File PC Safety and Security - What Do I Need? • So How Did I Get Infected In The First Place?

05-16-2007, 03:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,748 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Fingerprint Scanners Actually, if you're a fan of MythBusters, you would see that a fingerprint scanner can be fooled. :) __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

05-17-2007, 11:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Cellus Moderator Networking Team Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 2,664 OS: Windows Vista Business SP1, Windows XP Professional SP3 My System	Re: Fingerprint Scanners Back in 2002 Tsutomu Matsumoto, a cryptographer from Japan, did a test on several biometric fingerprint scanners. He was able to fool them using some gelatin (ala gummi bears), a mold of a finger, Adobe Photoshop, some PCB, and a fingerprint lifted from a glass. Did I mention he only spent ~$10? Biometrics is useful, but really only in multi-tiered access control. It should be combined with passwords to augment security. The only solid biometrics currently out there is Iris scanning, however it is by no means cheap. In access control there are three major points to authenticate a user with: * Who they are. (ie. Biometrics) * What they know. (ie. Passwords) * What they possess. (ie. Smart Cards) __________________ TSF Networking Team Virus/Trojan/Spyware Removal Help Donate! Last edited by Cellus; 05-17-2007 at 11:19 AM.