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Is Bio-metric authentication secure than password?

Hello all!!

Do you also have a smartphone with fingerprint sensor and a face recognition sensor or camera?

Nowadays even ₹5000 smartphones come with Fingerprint sensors. We all know Biometric authentication is superfast than password or pin or even dot pattern for that matter. It looks secure enough, but is it really?

Let's start by understanding how biometric authentication works. These sensors capture your fingerprint and store it as a mathematical complex equation or as an image, same goes for facial recognition too. Now everytime you touch a fingerprint sensor it captures the fingerprint and matches it with the original math equation or an image, if there is a match then the system grants access. If it doesn't match then it doesn't grant you the access, it's simple as that.

We think that fingerprint authentication is more secure than the password authentication, because fingerprints is unique. But as of now fingerprints are not more secure than passwords, infact fingerprints are less secure than a strong password.
Wait let me explain, how is that possible.
Our fingerprints are unique and stay exactly the same from the time you were born till the time of your death, and that is why fingerprints are not safe. We leave our fingerprints everywhere, on keyboards, in public places like buses, cars etc.
Anyone with enough capable equipment can pick those fingerprint impressions and process them with the help of softwares and create an exact replica of your fingerprint.
In some cases a high resolution photo of yours with your fingerprints facing camera can be the source of your fingerprint impressions.

Now, coming to face recognition, your face scanning can be done without even knowing about that. When you are in public places or even at home, anyone, with a camera capable of face scanning , can scan your face and then create a 3D model or even create a face sculpture using silicone.

If you are using passwords and you get hacked, you can change your password and everything will be secure again. But if you are using biometric and your biometric information like fingerprints and face pattern, you can't change that data.
Or there is also one possibility that the database which contains millions of fingerprints can get hacked.

I know it's scary. Now the question remains whether to use it or to use the password method.
For now the fingerprints are less secure than passwords.
So if you want more security then use passwords but if you want to be fast then you can use fingerprints. It's totally your decision to use fingerprint sensors or to use passwords instead of fingerprints.
But keep this in mind, whether you are using passwords or using fingerprints, you have to be careful while using the internet. Stay away from phishing. We will talk about that in the next article.

Disclaimer:
Above information is only for informative purposes.
We are not responsible for any loss caused due to application or use of above information in any form.
The information given above may vary, and it may be incomplete.
This Blog is purely meant for EDUCATION purposes ONLY.

© Copyright 2020 The Cybersec Bot.

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