"Biometric authentication-the ability to unlock your devices by using just your face or fingerprint-is one of the few smartphone features that, even today, leave me feeling like we're living in the future. When I was a kid, technology like facial recognition was limited to science fiction. But as cool and useful as biometric authentication is, the technology can also leave us vulnerable. Here's why-and how to protect yourself."
"It's not just journalists and activists who can have their biometrics used against them Last month, journalists got a stark reminder that their biometrics might not keep the data they have on their devices safe from law enforcement searches. While the Fourth Amendment usually protects an individual from having to turn over a PIN code or password for a device, courts have generally ruled that the same protection doesn't apply to biometrics."
"But it's not only journalists and activists who have to worry about their phones' biometrics making them-and their data-vulnerable. A phone's most convenient identity verification feature can leave any one of us exposed. There have been reports of people unlocking their partners' phones using their biometrics while they were sleeping, as well as reports of criminal gangs forcing victims to unlock their phones with their biometrics to steal cryptocurrencies."
Biometric authentication lets users unlock devices with a face scan or fingerprint, offering convenience but creating vulnerabilities. Courts have generally allowed authorities in some cases to compel biometric unlocking, while constitutional protections that apply to PINs or passwords do not typically extend to biometrics. Civil liberty groups recommend disabling biometric unlock and returning to passcodes for stronger legal protection. Beyond legal compulsion, biometrics can be exploited by partners, criminals, or children to access devices, including reports of forced unlocks to steal cryptocurrencies. Disabling biometrics and using strong passcodes reduces these risks.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]