WTF | April 01, 2008 | 7 comments

Hackers publish fingerprints of biometrics-touting Minister

source: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/01/hackers-publish-thou.html

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mischabarrett
Hackers in Germany have published thousands of copies of the fingerprints of German minister Wolfgang Schauble, a loud advocate of fingerprint biometrics. Hackers from the Chaos Computer Club lifted a fingerprint from the Interior Minister, printed it on plastic, and distributed it by the thousands with their magazine for anyone who wants to impersonate the Minister at a biometric checkpoint. Short of amputation, a biometric identifier can't be revoked or changed. Schauble is a big proponent of the use of fingerprints in passports but is not the CCC's only target. The group has called for help in obtaining the prints of other German officials, including Chancellor Angela Merkel. The CCC's publication of the fingerprint coincides this week with the presentation of a security researcher who demonstrated a biometric keylogger that can capture digital fingerprints and other digital biometric data as it's transmitted from a scanning device to the server where the information is processed. The hacker can then analyze and re-use the data to subvert biometric systems and gain entry to secured buildings.
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7 comments // Hackers publish fingerprints of biometrics-touting Minister

  • WorldPeaceTV
    • 0
      WorldPeaceTV  

    • why don't they just take some dna and make a mini clone of us and paste him/her into our passports so when the 'inspector' opens it, a little person yells out 'Yes, this is really me, identical to the person who owns this, now, when is this nonsense gonna stop?' Then the inspector looks at the little person in the passport and says 'we need to see YOUR passport!'

    • 4 years ago
  • suicide_blond
  • rodbegbie
    • 0
      rodbegbie  

    • The real problem with biometrics is that, unlike a passport or drivers license, once it's "stolen", there's no way to replace your fingerprints.

    • 4 years ago
  • onepersonsopinion
    • 0
      onepersonsopinion  

    • The point here is not whether biometrics are a safe and secure method of "tagging" humans. The point is that governments want to tag us! Now, what possible reason could they want to do this? Control !!! Do governments control us, or do we control governments? It's time to draw the line in the sand, and stop this ridiculous overreaching by tyrannical power seekers.

    • 4 years ago
  • abbym0308
    • 0
      abbym0308  

    • This just goes to show that biometrics isn't a fail-safe security method. Even the few who continually demand we hand over our personal information and identification 'in the name of security' are vulnerable to having theirs exploited too.

    • 4 years ago
  • chet_arthur
    • 0
      chet_arthur  
    • Image

    • "Plans to fingerprint millions of passengers a year at Heathrow's new fifth terminal have been put on hold hours before it opens for business tomorrow."

      it's only on hold but it is on hold.

    • 4 years ago
  • mischabarrett
    • 0
      mischabarrett  
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    • From next year all passengers travelling on domestic BA flights from London's Heathrow will have to give their fingerprint (and have their face scanned) as part of the security check prior to take off as a result of "recent security threats". BAA says the checks have become necessary because the new Terminal 5 has only one departure lounge for international and domestic passengers.

    • 4 years ago
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