As German defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen can attest, fingerprints can be hacked. So can facial and other biometrics. Why, then, is biometric-based authentication so fashionable? Why did USAA just announce it is rolling out fingerprint and facial recognition for its customers (while it uses Symantec VIP for internal employees)? Did product management and marketing conduct a study that concluded customers feel safer with fingerprint and facial?
This is a case of marketing triumph over common sense. Even a sixth grader can grasp the problems with biometric authentication.
Apple’s Touch ID, and VISA’s integration with it are shaping the fashionable trend faster than a Milan runway. Hopefully these atrociously short hemlines will fade soon. Apple’s senior vice president, Dan Riccio, irresponsibly claims, “Fingerprints are one of the best passwords in the world.” He probably understands it is easy to reset a password. He probably does not understand how hard it is to reset his fingerprints. Truly the inmates are running the asylum.