the fingerprint

The Touch ID sensor produced by Apple; is the first biometric security for consumers which make Touch ID a nifty feature. Apple says it’s secure: Fingerprint data is stored on a quarantined section of the phone’s processor, doesn’t sync with iCloud, and is blocked from third-party use, but, do we really know if that will last for long before the next company like , for example, Samsung goes to creates another, updated version, of the Galaxy this time with the Touch ID sensor. Biometric identification is a good thing—in theory. Fingerprints are one of the most foolproof identifiers we have. According to Apple, there’s only a 1 in 50,000 chance that a part of someone else’s print could randomly match with Touch ID. With that, even identical twins don’t have matching fingerprints. That’s because the swirls and ridges aren’t determined entirely by DNA. They are partially the result of stresses in the womb that each fetus experiences with slight variations. That uniqueness could lead to enhanced security elsewhere. The most immediate application is digital payment. Earlier this year, 50 students at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota, enrolled their prints in a pilot program that allows them to make purchases at stores on campus. A French supermarket chain has participated in a beta program that replaces PINs at the register with fingerprints and pulse detection. The fact that tis being used and test in stores worldwide is great and that Apple might have started something great. Lastly, with Touch ID, 5s owners use their fingerprints to unlock their phones and authorize payment for App Store, iTunes, and Newsstand downloads. This is good because then you don’t have to worry about forgetting your passwords to your accounts, or losing your accounts by hacking. In conclusion a fingerprint’s greatest strength- its uniqueness-is also its greatest weakness. Once it’s compromised, you’ll never get it back! So this is a caution to be