Let’s say you’re aiming for the utmost in building entrance security. What would you use?
Did fingerprint recognition come to mind, where you have to be a technology mastermind to fool it? (at least according to the movies)
Tsutomu Matsumoto, a Japanese cryptographer, has shown that he can trick the detectors four out of five times using the gelatin found in gummi bears. He used cheap parts that can be found at your local electronics store and was able to fool all eleven fingerprint biometric systems that he tested.
Now you don’t need a technology mastermind. Some kid with a warm gummi bear can get into your high-security fortress.
“The results are enough to scrap the systems completely, and to send the various fingerprint biometric companies packing,” says Bruce Schneier, founder and CTO of Counterpane Internet Security.
Hey…wow, that is pretty cool…Did not know that…
Who knew that gummi bears were good for more than expanding in water? Cool.
When I went to work for the police again I had to be fingerprinted. They couldn’t even raise a decent print! I’ve worked with different kinds of papers for so long as a secretary that the acid in the paper has eroded my fingerprints. The crime lab guys said this is really common, especially in bank tellers. They can always tell what hand they use to count the money back. Interesting. I had to use a moisturizing hand cream for a couple weeks to try and “plump up” the ridges, but it still didn’t work. Guess fingerprint technology isn’t for me anyway…
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I wonder what would happen if you were to begin working at a place that used fingerprint recognition. They would probably have to make a key for you or something.