Finger Printing Mandatory

[Aardvark]

Thailand is becoming more Draconian by the week .... http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/local-n ... -mandatory

[rjj04]

So, if hackers can get break into the NSA, what chance does the Thai government have of protecting your fingerprint information?

Don't worry you say, if they steal it they can't use it. Hmmmm, with 3D printing technology I'm not too sure about that...

http://www.3dprinterworld.com/article/3 ... biometrics

[vincemunday]

I bank with HSBC and therefore I already use fingerprint and voice identification to gain access to my accounts, the days of silly calculator devices are gone. I understand people's reservations although it doesn't worry me at all, it's obviously the way forward being the last step before a microchip implant, something that's already being rolled out and wouldn't particularly worry me either. Eventually I can see everyone being microchipped at birth, it would hold all your medical records and financial info as a matter of course, keys, cash and card payments will be a thing of the past. Big brother will definitely be watching then....

[tamada]

Dogs have microchips. I am old school. I want a bar code, like Bruce Willis. Hard core.

[rjj04]

I bank with HSBC and therefore I already use fingerprint and voice identification to gain access to my accounts, the days of silly calculator devices are gone. I understand people's reservations although it doesn't worry me at all, it's obviously the way forward being the last step before a microchip implant, something that's already being rolled out and wouldn't particularly worry me either. Eventually I can see everyone being microchipped at birth, it would hold all your medical records and financial info as a matter of course, keys, cash and card payments will be a thing of the past. Big brother will definitely be watching then....

Hmmm, so if you came to my house and I offered you a glass of wine, and we chit chatted for a while I'd have your fingerprints and your voice recorded. Fingerprints removed from the glass, and voice recorded as with video all over the house. With that information I bet some cyber criminal, perhaps not at this moment in time, but certainly in the near future, WILL break into your account.

If by "silly calculator devices" you are referring to an RSA key, it is a lot safer than your fingerprints or voice pattern. I remember the old Star Trek episodes where Kirk would ask the computer to confirm his identity through his voice pattern.... even as a child I could see the problems in that. Of course there was an episode with an "android" that replicated Kirk's voice pattern well enough to fool the computer. An RSA key must be physically stolen from you (or the private key stolen from the source), and used in combination with your password, kept in your noggin. Those two items are a hell of a lot harder to steal than some fingerprints or voice patterns. You leave fingerprints and voice recordings all over the place these days. Ask any politician about that. If you lose the RSA key, you can disable it's usage and get a new one.... can't do that with your fingerprints... well not without a lot of pain involved. Same same with voice versus a password. I don't want to have to learn to speak in a completely different manner.

Anyway, I am not an expert in cyber crime, so I could be mistaken... it just doesn't seem that straight forward. At the moment a voice pattern and fingerprints might be secure, until criminals get more organised and versed on tools to use... after that it is back to public/private key systems and passwords (until they start stealing your brainwaves... hopefully that is far far off in the future).

Horses for courses... something like that.

[FrazeeDK]

how about retinal pattern scanning biometrics.. That's out there and being used now too.. Perhaps a bit more difficult to hack than fingerprints or voice recordings. On fingerprints many scanners also have a thermal element that ensures its actually a live finger that is being scanned and not some stolen fingerprint on a piece of plastic.

[vincemunday]

I quite like the new technology it all makes things nice and easy but I do understand people's reservations about it. A while back my account was broken into and they transferred out some largish sums of money to where I don't know but as soon as I identified the rogue transfers the bank immediately credited my account with the money, my guess being they insure against such occurrences. The one I do struggle with is the little sticker you put on your phone that allows payments up to £20 without needing authorisation, it's almost worthwhile walking around with one of the touch machines.

[Udon Map]

I quite like the new technology it all makes things nice and easy but I do understand people's reservations about it. A while back my account was broken into and they transferred out some largish sums of money to where I don't know but as soon as I identified the rogue transfers the bank immediately credited my account with the money, my guess being they insure against such occurrences. The one I do struggle with is the little sticker you put on your phone that allows payments up to £20 without needing authorisation, it's almost worthwhile walking around with one of the touch machines.

Banks do have insurance against this type of theft. In fact, banks long ago stopped checking your signature on checks that you write. It's much cheaper to buy insurance against that risk than to check every check against the signature on file with the bank.

[rjj04]

how about retinal pattern scanning biometrics.. That's out there and being used now too.. Perhaps a bit more difficult to hack than fingerprints or voice recordings. On fingerprints many scanners also have a thermal element that ensures its actually a live finger that is being scanned and not some stolen fingerprint on a piece of plastic.

Retina scans seem a lot more difficult to fake. Especially when combined with facial recognition.

Thermal element... you could keep the plastic at 98.6F (or a bit higher, right up until you slap it down on the device for scanning). If they use infrared you can simply have an infrared source as a back-light. All this might be difficult for normal people... but for the likes of the CIA... no problemo.

[Barney]

They have I the article advised that this will commence in the deep south to assist in the monitoring of terrorist activities. Perhaps rightly so. If that is just an excuse to push this through all of Thailand then that I feel is unnecessary IMO. This love paper work and how will they wean the govt groups off this practice, just duplicate things as usual.
All the other technology UM posters talk about is real enough, but, just because we have the technology doesn't mean we have to accept it in our personal lives and use it to make society compliant to a bigger brother in the so called global community. Some things should be just left alone.

[Nigglyb]

almost worthwhile walking around with one of the touch machines.

It's already happening. People are trawling crowded places like public transport & markets with card readers & connecting with contactless cards in pockets & handbags as they pass pulling money as they go. Probably a nice little earner pushing your way down a crowded train carriage.
You can buy RFID protective sleeves to slide your cards in if you're worried about it

[Aardvark]

From todays Bkk Post .... http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... plan-dodgy

[BobHelm]

^ Thanks AA.
Pretty damning criticism of the whole idea & probably a fair indication of the reason for it in the first place.

[Airportwo]

Quickly entering the "technological prison" once in it there will be no escape!
Be scared! personally I don't give a rats .... as wont be around when it all clicks into place!