"Banks to allow account access using fingerprint tech"

[Jimbillroo Digital]

Quote

Two banks are allowing their customers to access accounts on their smartphones using fingerprint recognition technology, in a UK industry first.

RBS and NatWest customers must activate the feature with their security information, but would only need to use Apple's Touch ID thereafter.

The banks said that, after three failed login attempts, customers would have to re-enter their passcodes.

But a security expert expressed concern that Touch ID is not secure enough.

The banks, both part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, said that the feature would be available on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. Customers would have to enable the feature using their existing login details.

Some of the in-app features used to pay money that required additional verification would continue to do so and limits were set on new payments, the banks said.

 

   

 

Is it secure?

 

Quote

While Apple insisted that TouchID was secure, it said it was not a total replacement for traditional security measures and was meant to make unlocking the phone more convenient. In a similar vein, the banks have now said they wanted to make it "even easier and more convenient for customers".

Ben Schlabs, of SRLabs, a German hacking think tank, told the BBC: "The security implications are the same, it is just as dangerous... I think it has been shown that it is pretty easy to spoof it and the risks aren't fully understood."

He said that using TouchID alone to gain access to a banking app introduced dangers that were not present when using passwords or Pins.

"Just the fact that you are carrying the key around with you and leave copies of it exposed everywhere you go makes it a very different risk to something that is inside your brain. The risks are poorly understood."

However, he said that most people would have little need to worry, adding: "There have not been any reports that I know of with the iPhone sensor of actual crimes being enabled by it".

 

Lou from Unbox Therapy voices his opinion on the security of Apple's New Fingerprint Scanner..

 

 

 

Link to article: http://ow.ly/JmnDx.

Article taken from BBC.co.uk/news

[Dabombinable]

Fingerprint scanners-useless now that fingerprints can be faked so easily.

[Jimbillroo Digital]

Fingerprint scanners-useless now that fingerprints can be faked so easily.

 

They should really be adding in some better security. I don't care about convenience. I would rather have a secure account. 

[dlf]

Add to that (^) better friggian password choices, not up to 15 characters that only allow one upper or lower case letter (and won't allow more of either), let us USE upper and lower case letters, numbers, characters (anything we want). Perhaps be 30+ characters long. Why is STEAM one of the few things that allows ~63 character passwords?

[Jimbillroo Digital]

Add to that (^) better friggian password choices, not up to 15 characters that only allow one upper or lower case letter (and won't allow more of either), let us USE upper and lower case letters, numbers, characters (anything we want). Perhaps be 30+ characters long. Why is STEAM one of the few things that allows ~63 character passwords?

 

I know. We should be able to have longer passwords. More secure. No one should be using 123456 or password.

[Razarza]

The title really should say UK banks, I've been using my fingerprint to login to my Westpac account for a while now. It is pretty convenient and anyone who can steal my phone, get past my password and clone my fingerprint probably has the skills to have gotten my bank password anyway.

[euniqe]

Wow, did they not watch the dark knight rises?

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Wow, did they not watch the dark knight rises?

Probably not. I know I haven't. I heard that it was nowhere near as good as Batman Begins, so I for one didn't bother.

[Qwertious]

Already a thing in Australia