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RE: Virtual Biometrics Created from Facebook Photos Fool Security
What is your opinion on the security of the Samsung Note 7 Iris Scanner? So far it hasn't been fooled but is it really better than a password?
I have not played with the Note 7, so I can't speak to the quality of it's scanner. Overall, I have always thought the two best biometric factors are fingerprint and iris.
Security is a balance of cost, usability, and risk reduction. Fingerprints are low cost, very user friendly, but not too strong on security. Iris is medium cost, not very user friendly, but strong on security. So, depending on your needs, out of all the bio factors, I think finger and iris are the best.
One of the issues I have seen with iris scanners on handheld devices, are usability issues if the lighting is not correct. Angle of sampling and time to pattern match can also be a problem in some devices. But again, I have not played with the Note 7.
If you have one, I would like to know your thoughts.
I can see you really know what you're talking about when it comes to Cybersecurity because that is a very nuanced diplomatic answer. In my opinion, diversity of options can improve security and Iris combined with an ID card and pass code would be more secure in my opinion than an ATM.
But there are risks as well, and I haven't looked into the Note 7 to answer that question which is why I asked you about it. It does look intriguing though and much better than fingerprint which I never viewed as secure.
MFA - Multi-Factor Authentication, is much more security, but there is a trade-off: usability. do you really want to scan your iris, swipe a card, and type in a passcode every time you want to unlock a device? For some transactions, like banking at an ATM, that might be okay. But not with everyday devices.
For example, I greatly appreciate the fingerprint scanner on my Galaxy S7. It makes it so easy to unlock as compared to typing in a PIN. And consider this (I am a big fan of fingerprint for some usages), I believe my fingerprint phone unlock is significantly more secure than a 6 digit PIN. I can, in a room full of people looking at me, unlock my phone without anyone learning how to do it. If I had a passcode, then others would see and know how to unlock my device. Proof is that my kids HATE the fact they cannot just learn my passcode. My phone is only unlocked with my finger. Ha!
For certain transactions yes, for certain transactions no. To unlock the device probably not, but for banking yes, for Steem yes.
I favor multifactor for sake of variety and let the user choose which factors from a list. Different apps could require different factors.