Saturday, September 11, 2004
Microsoft to release fingerprint reader keyboards and mice
Biometrics (using biological "keys" for authentication, like fingerprints) has been gathering storm as an authentication technique. As a result, Microsoft is readying a release of new keyboards and mice that will also double as fingerprint scanners.
This will, in many respects, address one of the key problems with biometrics, that of the ubiquity of putting biometric-aware equipment in the hands of casual users. (Asking users outside of your company to buy a new piece of equipment just to use your website is generally not well-received.) Microsoft selling this as part of their stable of products has a real chance of making this ubiquitous--remember what happened when Microsoft introduced the mouse wheel?
Of course, there's also the Big Brother scenario questions, such as "can my fingerprint be intercepted during transmission and captured off for later reply by an attacker?" and "what happens if somebody does capture my fingerprint, how do I change it?" that are still being wrestled with. So the question has to be asked--is this a good development, or a dangerous one?
For more, read Microsoft under your thumb.
This will, in many respects, address one of the key problems with biometrics, that of the ubiquity of putting biometric-aware equipment in the hands of casual users. (Asking users outside of your company to buy a new piece of equipment just to use your website is generally not well-received.) Microsoft selling this as part of their stable of products has a real chance of making this ubiquitous--remember what happened when Microsoft introduced the mouse wheel?
Of course, there's also the Big Brother scenario questions, such as "can my fingerprint be intercepted during transmission and captured off for later reply by an attacker?" and "what happens if somebody does capture my fingerprint, how do I change it?" that are still being wrestled with. So the question has to be asked--is this a good development, or a dangerous one?
For more, read Microsoft under your thumb.
|| Zeeshan Muhammad, 9:28 PM
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