http://www.networkcomputing.com/channels/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199904746 By Tom LaSusa June 15, 2007 In the James Bond movie "Die Another Day," 007 and his gal pal use a bad guy's severed hand to trick a biometric scanner into unlocking a room. Although it's true Hollywood takes certain liberties with how technology is perceived on film (do giant envelopes appear on your computer screen when you get e-mail?), the truth is that it's not unheard of for criminals to sever someone's fingers to attempt to bypass biometric security safeguards. Fortunately, Sony has been working on some advancements that will have biometric users clapping (with all digits intact). New Scientist [1] reports that Sony has developed a system that uses infrared light to see through the skin and scan a user's unique patterns of capillaries. If a criminal attempts to use a severed finger on a scanner, it won't work because blood is no longer pumping through it. Of course that's little comfort for the person who now has trouble whistling for a cab in the middle of rush hour. But imagine all the laughs they could have when they ask someone to pull their finger. [1] http://www.newscientist.com/blog/invention/2007/06/digit-saving-biometrics.html _____________________________________________________ Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2 in Las Vegas, the world's premier technical event for ICT security experts. Featuring 30 hands-on training courses and 90 Briefings presentations with lots of new content and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 70 nations. Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in a relaxed setting. Rates increase on June 1 so register today. http://www.blackhat.com
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