Security Issue with iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor On Tuesday 10th September, all the rumors and hype surrounding the iPhone 5S and the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor were confirmed. As expected, the sensor, named TouchID, has been integrated into the Home button, in the silver ring. However, far from being the exciting announcement it was meant to be, the inclusion of the sensor has kicked off a debate – just how secure is TouchID ? Apple has come back with a statement designed to address this question and set our minds at rest: No One Can Steal or Clone your Fingerprint – says Apple Apple tells us that, when TouchID is set up for you to use, the only piece of information that is stored on your device is your fingerprint data – not the actual print itself. The information is kept within the processor in your iPhone, encrypted for security. If your iPhone should be stolen and the thief should manage to hack into the processor, they would not be able to use the information to make a copy of your fingerprint. No Bio-metric Access to 3rd Party Developers In addition to this, Apple has blocked all third-party apps from having access to the biometric sensor. If you activate the sensor you will be asked to set a backup passcode as well. Should your iPhone have to be rebooted or if it is not unlocked for use for more than 248 hours, this passcode will be required in addition to the fingerprint scan. This security measure is designed to stop hackers, many of whom don’t access the phone while they are working out how to hack into it. There is one possible drawback with TouchID – it doesn’t work very well if your fingers are oily or sweaty
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 00:55:37 +0000
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