Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
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Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#2[deleted]
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#3Is it a known fact that the fingerprint authentication can't be combined with the standard PIN or complex password feature? It seems like a fingerprint scan that is followed by a password request to unlock the phone would be an easy win.
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#4In practice, it might have the opposite effect. Currently, 4-digit PINs are (presumably) brute-forceable and the alternative of entering a longer, cryptographically-secure password every time you want to use your phone is impractical, so it doesn't really matter whether you can be legally compelled to divulge your PIN or not.
However, with a fingerprint ID, you can now use a cryptographically strong password to encrypt your phone (which you have to enter on device boot or after 48 hours of the device being idle [1]), while still having the convenience of actually being able to use your phone once it's on via the fingerprint scanner. So I see that as a security win.
Of course, Wired's premise isn't even valid in some countries, e.g. the UK, which have powers to legally compel you to hand over your passwords regardless. For all I know this is true in the US too.
[1] http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/11/apples-details-fingerprint-sen...
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#5[deleted]
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#6Well, the usual smear across the screen gesture can be "cracked" by looking at the screen at an angle. Secondly, there aren't many patterns you can conveniently enter with the thumb of your dominant hand.
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#7I feel like the author of this article is missing the whole point of Fingerprint ID.
The feature is meant to make using an iPhone more secure for those of us who tend to leave our phones unlocked and PIN-free.
If you're storing anything of value on your phone, the existing password-based and PIN-based lock mechanisms aren't going away any time soon. If nothing else, it'd break too many organizations' Active Directory configurations.
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#8And now wired is added to my list of fear mongering link baited blogospam.
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#9Is it a known fact that the fingerprint authentication can't be combined with the standard PIN or complex password feature? It seems like a fingerprint scan that is followed by a password request to unlock the phone would be an easy win.
I recall reading that you will get hit by the passcode lock if your fingerprint doesn't scan after X attempts.
Re: Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’
#10Wouldn't citing a case where somebody was forced to unlock their laptop using a fingerprint provide a more compelling example of precedent?