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#Why You Should Avoid Using Biometric Data Or A PIN For Online Identity Verification
#Why not use biometrics?
Although the option to use biometric data during registration and login might seem "sophisticated", it offers no qualitative improvement - quite the contrary.
Even when generated and stored locally, there is no guarantee that your biometric data won’t eventually end up on a remote server without your permission - as the user and owner - given that such applications typically operate covertly in the background.
#Using voice and photo as proof of identity
If you use your voice as proof of identity, someone could hear or record it, then alter your voice and misuse it; the same applies to the use of your photograph.
Voice and image processing is reduced to the level of recognition rather than precise calculation, which diminishes its utility and increases the potential for errors and identity theft.
If you use your voice as proof of identity, someone could hear or record it, then alter your voice and misuse it; the same applies to the use of your photograph.
Voice and image processing is reduced to the level of recognition rather than precise calculation, which diminishes its utility and increases the potential for errors and identity theft.
#What about fingerprints?
A fingerprint constitutes a more precise piece of data, but it is also visible on other media - for example, on the back of a biometric ID card. The theft of a fingerprint can cause numerous problems; therefore, its use should be strictly limited.
#And what about PINs?
A PIN is shorter than a password, easier to remember, and suitable for precise data processing. However, the use of PINs entails drawbacks that cannot be ignored.
While you are entering your PIN, someone could see what you are typing or record you with a camera - just as they could when you enter a password. A PIN contains sensitive information, and the disclosure of its contents could cause irreparable harm.
A PIN can also be used for encryption, but since a PIN typically consists of only a few digits, the strength of the generated code is highly questionable.
#The solution lies in the use of a private key
A private key, which resides on your phone or computer (and not "in the cloud"!) and is used to lock and unlock data, represents the most secure method for the exchange of confidential data, as well as for protecting data locally.
On the other hand, proponents of using biometrics for identity verification often respond to potential concerns with a counter-question: what if someone steals your device and compromises the private key? If you have such concerns, the solution is as follows.
The private key does not necessarily have to reside on the device you use for logging in and sending messages; instead, it can be transferred to that device when needed and then removed once the task is completed. For example, the device you use for communication might be a computer, but the private key is not stored on the computer itself; rather, it is kept on a portable USB flash drive, which is connected to the computer only when needed for logging in or exchanging messages.
Beyond the fact that proponents of using biometrics often fail to even mention the possibility of storing private keys on the device itself - arguing instead that keys should be kept "in the cloud," where they are supposedly secure - your device remains the safest place to store sensitive data. This assumes, of course, that you do not have any spyware installed on it; but, on the other hand, who can guarantee that such software has not been installed in that much-touted "cloud" as well?
Although a private key is, in itself, sensitive information, it is undoubtedly safer to use than biometric data - which constitutes by far the most sensitive and confidential type of data - and should therefore be avoided at all costs.
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