Colleges
and universities are no doubt watching the development of biometrics security
with interest. Biometrics might be the remedy for a number of headaches for
schools, such as authenticating exam-takers for online programs, dealing with
students who frequently lose their campus ID cards, and thwarting professional
thieves trying to rip off the bookstore.
Companies
are coming out with new systems that scan fingerprints, a face, or an iris, or that
match voices to a recorded database. Users don’t need to remember a password or
carry a piece of plastic, although some systems work through smartphones.
However,
biometrics aren’t foolproof, as NPR’s All Tech Considered noted. Savvy fraudsters
could trick a biometric system with a high-resolution photo of a face or a
recording of someone’s voice. If that happens, taking care of a hack becomes
more difficult.
“Either a
password or a biometric can be stolen,” David Cowan of the Bessemer Venture
Partners investment firm told NPR. “But only the password can be changed. Once
your fingerprint is stolen, it’s stolen forever, and you’re stuck.”
Some
suggest biometrics might be helpful only with low-risk security, such as
locking down mobile devices to keep snoopy roommates out.