These days, hot products like mobile phones, GPS and computers can be secured at the touch of a fingerprint. Designing in security at the start of a new product development process is more effective than adding it on later.
Unlocking your mobile phone by scanningyour fingerprint is not a thing of science fiction. It’s an everyday reality for millions of mobile phone users, the greatest proportion of whom live in Asia.
But designing-in security to mobile phones can be difficult. PIN codes and passwords take too long to enter and users often disable them. Since everyone has a unique fingerprint, biometric technology companies have shown that security at the touch of a fingerprint can be an alternative for portable electronic products. Pantech was the first to put fingerprint scanning technology on its GI100 mobile phone, but phones aren’t the only application for biometrics. Medion gave its GoPal P4425 GPS extra security in 2007 with biometrics and fingerprint scanners are embedded into hundreds of different laptop computers, PC keyboards, memory keys, computer mice, portable hard drives, password managers and other devices.
US consumers too are convinced that fingerprint sensors add value to devices through greater security, says Authentec, manufacturer of fingerprint scanners for 95% of the world’s biometric mobile phones. But in the UK, using people’s fingerprints as a security measure is seen as intrusive. BAA abandoned plans to fingerprint every passenger passing through Heathrow’s Terminal 5 after it was warned the move may breach data protection laws.
Authentec says the success or failure of fingerprint scanning technology depends on its application. Its 2008 Consumer Biometrics Survey of US men and women between the ages of 21-55 reveals that two thirds trust fingerprint biometrics more than traditional passwords but 67% have little awareness of the availability of consumer electronics that feature a fingerprint sensor.
In the UK, traditional security measures like passwords and PINs for monetary transactions, have been jettisoned in one new product: the 02 wallet phone from 02, Transport for London and BarclayCard, a contactless payment system using near-field communications (NFC) technology that’s been around for some time. Customers pay for goods by swiping their phone on touch points.
The phone doesn’t use any security technologies even though it flouts some basic safety principles, like keeping your valuables separate so that if you get robbed, you don’t lose everything.
What do you think?
How can biometrics be designed in to products that appeal to UK consumers?
Fingerprint security
Authentec has manufactured 95% of the fingerprint biometric scanners that are currently used in mobile phones. Its scanners can be small and unobstrusive to look at and they have been designed in to many mobile phones, particularly in Asia. Pantech was the first manufacturer to use fingerprint scanners to secure its mobile phones. Medion encorporated a fingerprint scanner in its GoPal GPS for the UK market in 2007.