Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/754143
ByBrandonBailey TheAssociatedPress SAN FRANCISCO Itsounds like a great idea: Forget passwords, and instead lock your phone or computer with your fingerprint. It's a convenient form of security — though it's also perhaps not as safe as you'd think. In their rush to do away with problematic pass- words, Apple, Microsoft and other tech compa- nies are nudging consum- ers to use their own finger- prints, faces and eyes as digital keys. Smartphones and other devices increas- ingly feature scanners that can verify your identity via these "biometric" signa- tures in order to unlock a gadget, sign into web ac- counts and authorize elec- tronic payments. But there are drawbacks: Hackers could still steal your fingerprint — or its digital representation. Po- lice may have broader legal powers to make you unlock your phone. And so-called "biometric" systems are so convenient they could lull users into a false sense of security. "We may expect too much from biometrics. No security systems are per- fect," said Anil Jain, a com- puter science professor at Michigan State University who helped police unlock a smartphone by using a dig- itally enhanced ink copy of the owner's fingerprints. Bypassingpassword Biometric security seems like a natural solution to well-known problems with passwords. Far too many people choose weak and easily-guessed passwords like "123456" or "password." Many others reuse a single password across online ac- counts, all of which could be hacked if the password is compromised. And of course some use no password at all whentheycangetawaywith it, as many phones allow. As electronic sensors and microprocessors have grown cheaper and more powerful, gadget makers have started adding bio- metric sensors to familiar products. Apple's iPhone 5S, launched in 2013, intro- duced fingerprint scanners to a mass audience, and ri- val phone makers quickly followed suit. Microsoft built biometric capabilities into the latest version of its Windows 10 software, so you can unlock your PC by briefly looking at the screen. Samsung is now touting an iris-scanning system in its latest Galaxy Note devices. All those systems are based on the notion that each user's fingerprint — or face, or iris — is unique. But that doesn't mean they can't be reproduced. Li ing prints Jain, the Michigan State researcher, proved that ear- lier this year when a local police department asked for help unlocking a finger- print-protected Samsung phone. The phone's owner was dead, but police had the owner's fingerprints on file. Jain and two associates made a digital copy of the prints, enhanced them and then printed them out with special ink that mimics the conductive properties of hu- man skin. "We tried the right thumb and it worked right away," Jain said. Researchers at the Uni- versity of North Carolina, meanwhile, fooled some commercial face-detection systems by using photos they found on the social me- dia accounts of test subjects. They used the photos to cre- ate a three-dimensional im- age, enhanced with virtual realityalgorithms.Thespoof didn't work every time, and the researchers found it could be foiled by cameras with infrared sensors. But some experts believe any biometric system can be cracked with sufficient determination. To make such theft more difficult, biometric- equipped phones and com- puters typically encrypt fin- gerprints and similar data and store them locally, not in the "cloud" where hack- ers might lift them from company servers. But many biometrics can be found elsewhere. You might easily leave your fingerprint on a drinking glass, for instance. Or it might be stored in a different database; Jain pointed to the 2015 com- puter breach at federal Of- fice of Personnel Manage- ment, which compromised the files — including finger- prints — of millions of fed- eral employees. Compelled to unlock Most crooks won't go to that much trouble. But some experts have voiced a differ- ent concern — that biomet- rics could undermine im- portant legal rights. U.S. courts have ruled that authorities can't legally require individuals to give up their passwords, since the Fifth Amendment says you can't be forced to testify or provide incriminating in- formation against yourself. In the last two years, how- ever, judges in Virginia and Texas have ordered individ- uals to unlock their phones with their fingerprints. There's a legal distinc- tion between something you know, like a password, and something you possess, like a physical key or a fin- gerprint, said Marcia Hof- mann,aSanFranciscoattor- ney who specializes in pri- vacy and computer security. While you can't be forced to reveal the combination of a safe, she noted, the Supreme Courthassaidyoucanbere- quired to turn over a physi- cal key to unlock a door. "Getting your thumb print or iris scan is not the same as making you speak," agreed Orin Kerr, a law pro- fessor at George Washing- ton University. "In prac- tice it's another way of get- ting access to the computer, but through a very different means." TECHNOLOGY Whyfingersmakehandy, if not foolproof, digital keys MANUFERNANDEZ—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS The Samsung Galaxy S5is displayed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday. FoodFromtheHeartFundDrive 7 TH Annual Fall, 2016 Published through an event co-sponsorship agreement with The Daily News Wewishtothankthefollowingbusinesses & individuals for stepping forward & joining us in this effort. Onbehalfofthefifteencommunityfoodagenciesinthe County who benefited from this year's Food From The Heart Fund Drive, we say thank you. This Year we raised $6000 which allowed each of the recipient agencies to have $400 placed on their books for food purchases at the North State Food Bank or Los Molinos NuWay Market. These programs are grateful for this community support which will brighten the homes of many of our neighbors in need during the coming year. As an advanced notice, our 2017 Food From The Heart Fund Drive will be conducted during the month of May. If your organization develops an annual giving plan, we hope you will include Food From The Heart for next May. While Te hama County may trail other California counties in wealth and resources, it is gratifying to know that we are leaders in generosity and a sense of community. Tehama Together, Inc/Gold Exchange Alternatives to Violence Bridgeway to Hope Ministries Food For The Hungry Freedom Church PATH Salvation Army Seventh Day Adventist Church - Corning Sonlight Worship Center Supernatural Life Transition Ranch Tehama County Gleaners The Church Without Walls The Lord's Table Villa Columba Vineyard Christian Fellowship PROGRAMPARTICIPANTS FOOD PROGRAMS Gold Exchange KBLF Radio MNS Website Design North State Food Bank North State Public Radio NuWay Market Red Bluff Daily News Red Bluff Sunrise Rotary Tehama County Youth Focus Sacred Heart Women's Guild Tehama Together, Inc. Walker Printing THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! 1st Choice Realty A Wireless A & R Custom Butchering Albright, Dennis Alliance Property Management Allstate Insurance (Foster, Juli) Allstate Insurance (Rix, Sean) Amazing Finds American Embroidery American Legion-Post 45 Amundson PT Animal Health International Bartels Giant Burger Baskin Robbins Bob's Tires Boy Scout Troop 417 Bryant, Doris Business Connections California Highway Patrol Camper Corral Carlitos Mexican Restaurant Chris Herb Shop Church Without Walls Circle 7 Days Mini Mart Clancy, Mary & James Cohen, Lisa & Greg Copy Center Cornerstone Bank Corning Ace Hardware Corning Auto Country Store (Rancho Tehama) Dale's Carpet & Design Denny's Downtown Business Association Durrer Family Elite Automotive Randal Elloway, DDS Enjoy the Store Freedom Church Froome, Denise & Max Galactic Gardens Gamboa, Denise & David Gene's Barber Shop Golden Rule Small Engine Goodwin, Moira & Bill Gumm's Optical Gurney Landscaping Hardddrive Head Start Administration Healthy Balance Hit The Ground Running The Heritage House Hughes, Bobie I -5 Tires Impressive Printing Interland Iron Skillet Jack's Restaurant Jill's Fresh Stop Job Training Kevin's Donuts Kosarek, Kathleen & Richard Kuper 's Automotive LaCorona LaFiesta Lariat Bowl Les Schwab Tire Center Luigi's Los Mariachi's McCoy's Ace Hardware Marengo, Freda Trust Mill Creek Veterinary Hospital Moran, Gloria Moules Tehama County Glass New Covenant House North Valley Services Old Times Drugs Olive City Market Palo Cedro Inn Polished Nail & Hair Design Priest, Angela & Jeremy Pueblo, Camiceria Rags to Riches Rancho Grande Randy's Babershop Red Bluff Art Gallery Red Bluff Chamber of Commerce Red Bluff Food Mart Red Bluff Interiors Red Bluff Police Department Rocking R Restaurant Round Table Pizza Silver Cloud Council Pocahontas Sonlight Worship Center Studio 530 Photography Subculture Sugar Sh ack Sweet Treats Tehama Country Visitor Center Tehama County Employers Council Advisory Tehama County Library Tehama County Non-profit Roundtable Tehama County Probation Department Tehama County Republican Central Committee Tehama County Sheriffs Association Tehama Lock & Key Tobin & Associates Tom's Auto Tremont Cafe & Creamery Tuckers Automotive Tuscan Pool Supplies Umpqua Bank US Bank, Red Bluff Valley Vet Verizon Webber, Strawberry Wells Fargo Young, Sharon www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff prescriptionsavailable Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 12/31/16 With coupon Reg. $13.95 Wilcox Oaks Golf Club Social & Pool Family Membership $ 312 00 annually 527-6680 or 527-1020 25yearsprofessional experience. QualityWork Very Reasonable Rates Red Bluff Transmission • Automatic • Manual • Computer Diagnosis • Clutches • Transfer Cases • CV Axles CALL TODAY! 529-4493 440 Antelope Blvd. #6 Bob's Youcantmissus... Weonly moved 50 feet!! www.dalescarpetandflooringredbluff.com Come in and see us in our NEW LOCATION at 330 Walnut St. Red Bluff 530-529-4004 LifeGuard's TM patented WATERPROOF BACKING system REDUCES ODORS and stains, allowing easy and more effective cleanup. The Saturday Market SlowFood Shasta Cascade ® 9-12:30, every Saturday Home Depot parking lot Your community YEAR-ROUND Certified Farmers & Artisan Market Sponsoredby NEW VENDORS Comeseewhat's FRESH! Growney Motors 1160 Main St., Red Bluff (530) 527-1034 LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED MECHANIC CALIC#778199 GERBER 385-1153 HINKLE ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION, INC | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2016 8 A