Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Galaxy S5 Finger Scanner 'hack' reminds us of the value of strong passwords

The value of a strong password to protect your stuff is as high as ever

There's been a bit of a hubbub around the web about the "hack" of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Finger Scanner, and how "easy" it was.

First things first, it wasn't easy. If you're stealing a phone with the necessary equipment to also lift and reproduce someones fingerprint, then OK. You're also probably a more intense criminal than someone who randomly snatches peoples' phones.

It isn't a "hack" really, either. It's a "spoof," just as it was on the iPhone 5s. In fact, it's the exact same method that Apple's Touch ID was fooled by. So it's not so much an issue specifically with the Galaxy S5, more a flaw of fingerprint scanners in general. But that doesn't make for sensationalist headlines. So, just like the iPhone 5s and Touch ID before it, the Galaxy S5 falls into the spotlight.

And once more it highlights something we should already be aware of: use strong passwords on all of your private stuff.