Getting Biometric Data From A Photo

Biometric technology is the next leap forward when it comes to security. It is already in use in many places and has even begun to be seen in the payment industry as biometric cards are being trialed around the world. These promise greater security as it attempts to make sure that only the authorized person using the card is making the transaction but of course like any technology thieves (and others) are finding ways to circumvent it.

As Seen On TV

Changing or stealing biometric information is not new. Sean Connery-era James Bond did it. CHAOS agents in Get Smart did it as did nearly every good spy in every 1960s and 1970s spy novel or movie. Even the bad ones did it. It is possible to manipulate biometric technology.

We’ve also seen it go the other way too. Numerous crime dramas and police procedure shows have shown clever ways for the police to procure someone’s fingerprints (or DNA) to link them to a crime. It could be as simple as just giving them a drink of water or more sophisticated efforts but it has been the lynchpin on which many fictional (and some real) crimes have been solved.

Biometric Security Presents New Challenges

When biometric information becomes the prevalent means of payment security how will that information be protected? We don’t mean the biometric information stored on hand by a bank or payment processor. No, we mean how will the average person secure their biometric information?

Now obviously you cannot lose your fingerprints, OK, you technically can as many a horror-movie fan will attest, but that is not what we mean. Your fingerprints will remain with you at all times. That is a good thing and that alone is a stark improvement over a physical card.

But you leave your fingerprints on everything that you touch. What would be in place to prevent a thief from following you and lifting your fingerprints to use for their own ends? Very little other than a watchful employee or merchant. That method does require that person to follow you in close proximity, which increases the chances of them being caught. There may be a safer way for the thief.

Your Biometric Information Is Out There

There exists a vast repository of information called the Internet. Chances are there is a photo of you on the Internet somewhere. If you have a social media account you know that there is. Have you ever considered what that photo says about you? Yes a picture may be worth a thousand words but it could be worth a lot more to a thief. Look at your hands. Are you showing your fingerprints?

It is possible today to get someone’s fingerprints from a photo. In 2018 in the UK police were able to enhance a photo of someone holding tablets and taken by a smartphone. Only a small part of the print was visible but they were able to determine that it matched those of their suspect. In Wales police were able to take a partial print of a suspect from their WhatsApp profile which enabled them to arrest an individual on drug possession.  These photos don’t even need to be close-ups as technology today can lift a fingerprint from up to 3 meters away.

Safeguard Your Biometric Data

Most people do not willingly put their credit card information in the public and for good reason but yet they willingly put their biometric information for the world to see. Chances are they have never even thought about this. This may require a change in what people post online both personally and professionally. It may require a filter that obscures a person’s fingerprints to be in place on social media. It will require a change in mindset of everyone. 

You may be about to head to your social media page to start removing any images of you that could show your fingerprints (and don’t forget about palm prints too). If you are, or even if you aren’t, consider doing this for your business pages. Of course your employees do not want to have their biometric information compromised but biometric security is also going to become standard in the near future. You would hate for a criminal to steal one of your employee’s fingerprints and use that to get into your business wouldn’t you.

Don’t forget, when you lose a credit card you can always get another issued. You cannot lose your fingerprints and you can’t have a new set issued. Guard the set that you have well.