Apple’s fingerprint sensor has drawn a huge amount of attention (and hack attempts) ever since it launched on iPhone 5S –
but it seems Android users will get their own fingerprint protection shortly.
A report from
USA Today said that a standardized fingerprint security system for Android devices, certified by the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance, would be available shortly after the new year.
While Apple’s fingerprint sensor has come under fire from security researchers, many of the “hacks” rely on weaknesses in other systems, such as Apple’s Siri voice control – or laborious methods such as “3D printing” latex fingerprints. Neither of these seem likely to see “mass market” use among cybercriminals. The sensor has also reignited the debate about the use of biometrics.
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The possibility of someone having the same fingerprint as you is about 1 in 6 million,” says FIDO. “If you choose to use your fingerprint reader as your FIDO token, your finger becomes the master key for your credential vault where all your FIDO tokens are stored. Each website or application that uses a FIDO token never gets to see your fingerprint and, better yet, they cannot obtain access unless you allow it.
