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Why using your fingerprint as a password is not so reliable

To be able to log in to social networks, email or any device, the usual thing is still to use a password. However, in recent years, the use of other methods has gradually increased. For example the fingerprint or facial recognition. For many it is the future and will end up leaving aside the traditional keys. Now, can this also be dangerous? We are going to talk about it in this article.

Using the fingerprint as a key can be dangerous

There is no doubt that authentication methods such as fingerprint are very useful. We simply put our finger on the screen and we can enter an application, without having to remember the password or having to enter it every time we go to access it. It might even seem safer, and in a way it is; we are not exposing the key, nor is there a risk of it being stolen as it is a biometric authentication.

But the truth is yes there are security risks. It can even be a very important problem, since we can change a password, but our fingerprint cannot. In case we suffer an attack, the solution will be more limited. Some cybersecurity experts warn of possible weaknesses in biometric systems.

If, for example, your Facebook password is leaked, either due to a mistake on the social network or a mistake you make on a personal level, you simply change it and that’s it. But what happens if you use your fingerprint to get in and they managed to hack it and use it as if it were you? Then there is no way to change the footprint.

Although this does not mean that everything is lost forever, it can be a short-term problem. We could always use authentication systems that, for example, register more elements of the fingerprint and update the old one. But at least for a while we could have problems.

Advantages of passwordless

Systems are encrypted

You should keep in mind that using fingerprint or iris recognition is very secure. This does not mean that they can attack you at any time and steal your data. However, in the event of any vulnerabilityyes you could have a major problem that affects security.

The problem comes when an attacker is able to access the raw biometric data. It can have access to your fingerprint or facial recognition, for example, and use them as if it were really you trying to log in to any platform. It is as if they had the traditional password, but in this case a biometric authentication method.

What possible options are there for this to happen? We mainly talk about Data Violation. For example a vulnerability in the system that has to manage fingerprint recognition. But they could even catch the footprints physically when we take a glass, for example. Logically the latter is something more fanciful and hackers will not have many options to use our footprint in this way.

However, although biometrics has certain vulnerabilities and could become a problem, the truth is that it is something that is going to increase in use little by little and is very secure. Over time we will also find that the security of these authentication methods has improved. There are also pros and cons to saving keys in the browser, for example.

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