Fergie's Tech Blog

Researcher Hacks Microsoft Fingerprint Reader

Never mind worrying about hackers stealing your password. A security researcher with the Finnish military has shown how they could steal your fingerprint, by taking advantage of an omission in Microsoft's Fingerprint Reader, a PC authentication device that Microsoft has been shipping since September 2004.

Although the Fingerprint Reader can prevent unauthorized people from logging on to your PC, Microsoft has not promoted it as a security device, but rather as convenient tool for home users who want a fast way to log on to Web sites without having to remember user names and passwords. In fact, the Microsoft.com Web site warns that the Fingerprint Reader should not be used to protect sensitive data.

posted by Fergie @ 3/06/2006 06:24:00 PM