Biometric Scanners in New Laptops!

[space lizard]

Just looking at dell laptops, now they are coming out with small scanners for your finger as a way of locking / password protecting files.

Sounds great until somebody with hacking skills wants your prints for id theft or somebody wants them for a DNA database.

Within 3 years I predict every laptop will have one and people will think its a great idea.

I was reading an article about metadata the other day. Basically every file on your computer contains loads of hidden data that documents the files history and lots of details about the computer it was created on. For a hacker with a mission, metadata is often the keyhole through which the tentacles open the door.

Also imagine all those thrown away and second hand hard drives in a few years containing fingerprints!

More of the same, selling evil technology as a great new idea.

[energi]

Just looking at dell laptops, now they are coming out with small scanners for your finger as a way of locking / password protecting files.

Sounds great until somebody with hacking skills wants your prints for id theft or somebody wants them for a DNA database.

Within 3 years I predict every laptop will have one and people will think its a great idea.

I was reading an article about metadata the other day. Basically every file on your computer contains loads of hidden data that documents the files history and lots of details about the computer it was created on. For a hacker with a mission, metadata is often the keyhole through which the tentacles open the door.

Also imagine all those thrown away and second hand hard drives in a few years containing fingerprints!

More of the same, selling evil technology as a great new idea.
EVERYTHING in a computer is binary code (1/0), dumbasss:D!

[mushroombot]

EVERYTHING in a computer is binary code (1/0), dumbasss:D!

Roll over an go back to sleep!

[homebrew1973]

There are USB flash memory sticks available with "fingerprint protection" systems in them, who`s to say the system won`t (or even is now) using such technology to trace peoples computer activities even more? :eek:

[Ian2day]

This sort of security feature for computers has been around for a while. However there was an episode of mythbusters which showed how easy it was to ovecome them.

[muppet]

I have an another issue.
Call me paranoid but uh...
So you noticed the fingerprint log in, aye?

Now... What about the face recognition log in? Now. You're face is recorded, stored, and you must be in front of you're computer to access it. Correct? In some, and quite possibly all, you have the option of recording the face of anyone who tries to access you're computer and is not you.
Now... Think for a moment.
Technology to record the face of people who use it.
Link that with data on the computer. Things you've documented, websites you have visited on the internet. Someone could very well easily find out exactly what you look like, and the kind of information you scan through, and the things you know.

Depending on the level of paranoia coursing through you're mind, you could very well then go on to assume that should you go to the wrong websites, piss off the wrong people, you're face has been recorded.
Though keep in mind, its not much to be afraid of. :p There are far too many people, and too many things that would blip on a radar for them to do anything about it.
However, if someone was being extremely proactive, and made a GAZILLION more blips than anyone else, and were silly enough to have used that single computer for everything... , not just stored in their human memory...
They need to rethink their game plan.

[muppet]

This sort of security feature for computers has been around for a while. However there was an episode of mythbusters which showed how easy it was to ovecome them.

Mythbusters! A media programme that actually helps us bust myths. Or do they merely reassure people?