Beware of Biometric Spoofing

Biometric security systems using fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition have started to become mainstream. They are very likely to be common within a few years.

And as soon as biometrics system will begin to be used to protect bank accounts or financial systems, crooks will start looking at ways of breaking into them. Biometric spoofing is a “growing concern”, said Bori Toth, biometric research and advisory lead at Deloitte & Touche.

You may have seen in movies how biometric systems can be spoofed by say using gelatin fingers to spoof fingerprint recognition systems. They are all too real.

“We are leaving our prints everywhere so the chance of someone lifting them and copying them is real.

“Currently it’s only researchers that are doing spoofing and copying. It’s not a mainstream activity–but it will be. It’s just human nature; if it can be done it will be done if you can achieve some benefit from it.”

Different biometrics may be attacked in different ways. For example, researchers have proved in the past it is possible to trick fingerprint systems with fake fingers made of gelatine.

Similarly, would-be thieves could try to spoof facial recognition systems with photos, videos or facial disguises in order to get access to the systems or information they protect.

Part of the problem is that many of the biometrics used by these systems are easily visible. via Link

The bottomline is that biometric systems doesn’t take away the challenges of identity management as was initially envisioned.