What is fingerprint sensor? What effect does it have on iPhone 5S

Apple has decided to use fingerprint sensors on iPhone 5S. What will this mean in the actual use of the user?

Apple's first iPhone 5S is equipped with a fingerprint sensor on the Home button

What is fingerprint recognition sensor?

According to its name, the fingerprint sensor will scan (scan) your fingerprint and compare it with a pre-saved fingerprint image. Since each person has a different fingerprint, the system can identify users safely.

How does fingerprint sensor work?

Hand fin sensor is essentially a system capable of capturing and saving the user's fingerprint prints quickly. This system will be placed under a scanning frame, in the case of iPhone 5S is the Home button. Users will place their hands on the Home button, the sensor will capture this image and the software will analyze this image according to the convex / concave positions on your fingertips. Then, this data will be compared to the pre-saved fingerprint data to accurately identify the user.

According to an Apple-registered patent in Europe, fingerprint sensors will use a radio-based sensor system, which captures not only the concave surface on the fingertips but also the the under-finger skin against the advanced hand counterfeiting features.

What are the benefits of fingerprint sensors?

Fingerprint sensors have the potential to become completely alternative technologies for different types of passwords. Multi-letter passwords are increasingly failing in the security arena because nearly all passwords can be brute-force-style cracking by supercomputers, even if the password is complex. to what extent.

Currently, the best option for consumers is two-factor authentication: Allows users to set an additional class of security keys (possibly a random code / randomized character). Two-factor authentication is safer but makes many people feel that this feature significantly reduces the usability of services.

In theory, fingerprint sensors will allow to completely remove all types of passwords, but still ensure security when users log into the phone. This feature will also help open up more advanced security functions, secure Internet Banking services and purchase online items without the need for two-factor authentication.

The integrated fingerprint sensor will also make the iPhone more attractive to business customers who have greater security priorities than regular users. Chief Financial Officer Matthew Finnie of Interoute (Europe's largest cloud service provider) affirmed: "Smartphone is now an indispensable part of the way people work, so companies need begin changing".

"Instead of focusing on security standards and the small features of mobile devices, companies need to pay attention to how to protect and control business data, allowing access to needed parts. set from any device at any time ". To do this simply, users will need fingerprint recognition.

Is the fingerprint sensor successful?

In fact, the history of fingerprint security devices has met with both success and failure. While fingerprint sensor technology has become an important part of the enterprise environment, this feature has not really found a foothold in the consumer market (except on some high-end laptop models). ). The reason is because this feature often brings a rather unpleasant experience to users.

If Apple can turn the fingerprint recognition process on the iPhone into smooth and simple, Apple can revolutionize user smartphone usage and provide faster, safer platforms for users. Software developer.

However, some rumors also suggest that the Apple sensor used on the iPhone will have a relatively short life span. For example, the "500 fingerprint scan" age will only last for 6 months if users access important accounts about 3 times a day. This will make the fingerprint sensor feature useless for the rest of the product life (at least the remaining 18 months of the contract in developed countries).

The statement was made by CEO David Webber at Intelligent Environment, a financial security company. If this statement is correct, users will inadvertently be " locked" from using their bank accounts and shopping as soon as the fingerprint sensor stops working.

Alternative choice

Nymi bracelet

Security based on human biological characteristics is now a relatively new and thriving area. There are many other biological factors that can be used to identify users, most notably the iris sensor.

However, iris sensors often require large and expensive systems, and therefore are completely unsuitable for mobile phones. Recently, scientists have also proposed to use each person's heart rate (which is completely different, like fingerprints) for use in device security.

Some products such as the Nymi bracelet have been launched to allow the use of heart rate as a practical and user-friendly security solution.