Armed with an Apple or Android smartphone, it is now possible for people to keep track of their weight, diet, exercise levels, stress levels, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. In addition, some of the latest smartphones incorporate biometric identification for security. Biometric features found on today's smartphones can include voiceprint analysis, fingerprint identification and facial recognition.
While biometric identification can be a convenient and simple way to identify a person, the technology does come with some significant caveats. Several weeks ago, Privacy International published an article detailing a massive biometric database leak in Argentina. Argentina has one of the world's most advanced biometric national identification systems. Through biometric identification, citizens can gain access to socio-economic services like healthcare and food. In addition, biometrics are used for voter registration and other civic services.
Other countries like Pakistan, India and Mexico are following the same path. In India alone, the government hopes to store the biometric data of 1.3 billion citizens.
For the most part, these biometric identification schemes are not taking place in Europe, the United States and other highly developed countries. Instead, biometric identification systems are used in countries where a significant part of the population may not be known to the government.
Since issuing ID cards or the equivalent of social security numbers may not be feasible, identifying a person by their fingerprints is seen as an easy way for a country to create a record of its citizens.
Unfortunately, biometric identification systems are not always robust. For example, fingerprint scanners can be defeated by an adversary with a body-temperature gel replica of an individual's finger. Identity thieves could theoretically put "fingertip gloves" on their hands, changing their fingerprint to that of another person.
For an identity thief, gaining access to an individual's fingerprint may not be difficult. With increasing numbers of biometric identification systems, a database hack or a malicious application could steal the identities of millions of people. If a country's ID system comprises a simple fingerprint scan, stealing someone's identity could be a very simple process.
For example, the Apple iPhone 5 features a fingerprint scanner as a system lock. If the fingerprint data for a person was available to an app developer, this information could be used to build a profile on a user. If an adversary with malicious intent managed to gain access to this data, it could be used to access government resources in some parts of the world, depending on a user's home country.
As more devices that read biometric information enter the market, users must be wary of when and how they provide information.
