Microsoft Fingerprint Scanner

[Sigman]

Anyone have any experience/thoughts/comments on the Microsoft Fingerprint Scanner. I'm thinking it'll take care of "tooooooo many" passwords?

Then again, there's a specific "warning" on the box about using it to protect "sensitive data", so????

 

[Kristofg]

I have the Siemens-version of it (same thing, but built into a mouse) I have used ot for severel years, but switched back to passwords when I started using more computers since you tend to forget the passwords when you only have to use your finger. Works pretty decent though and the different profiles allow several users to share the same pc with individual settings. It's fast and convenient but windows has so many security flaws that it is more of a gadget than a serious security device. Make sure that you can also login with old style passwords though. I didn't do that the first time and when my windows got corrupted, I couldn't log in anymore and lost my encrypted data

 

[Sigman]

Thanks for the info, good points! I've still not decided whether to try it or not though.

 

[James S]

I think the wow factor is pretty high, but as of the last time I looked every scheme of fingerprint scanning had been hacked, and most fairly easily too. Some searching on the web should turn up lots of articles as well as the instructions for beating it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I was at the home automation trade show in Orlando last weekend and there were a couple of booths setup to demo front door lock systems that used this technology. I amused myself my confronting them with the hacking info and to see what they had in the pipeline to fix it. I was not really impressed with the responses... But for the computer it might be fun to play with.

Kristofg gives good advise too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Don't have that be your only way in!