What Is Dual Fingerprint Identification and What Risks Are Involved?
Virtual identification is vital when one has to protect their identity online. It is also extremely important for any company out there that stores and processes personal information of their clients. With more than 90% of the traffic at e-commerce websites coming from hackers, it is clear that businesses have to employ powerful virtual identification methods to decrease the possibility of personal data theft. Dual fingerprint identification seems to be one of the measures that can increase the overall security on e-commerce websites. This method is quite straightforward: It does require the user to scan two fingerprints.
This virtual identification method is also used in some mobile phones. For example, Chinese consumer electronics firm Oppo has announced a new fingerprint sensor system on their OPPO R17. Supposedly, scanning two fingerprints at once allows for greater security for end users. So while some vendors opt for face or voice recognition, some choose dual fingerprint identification to strengthen the data security. In this blog entry, we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of virtual identification.
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Advantages of Dual Fingerprint Identification
The essence of virtual identification via biometric tokens is having something that no one else does. Normally, we may need a document or a password to authenticate our identity. However, it is quite easy to steal a document or hack a password. These tokens can be easily jostled around because they are not an integral part of an individual. Therefore, biometric tokens provide a far stronger layer of security. Even though it IS possible to steal biometric data, it requires a lot more efforts from the thieves, and not everyone is up for that.
Not to mention that biometric virtual identification process is a lot faster. Consider the time you need to enter your password into your device and the moment you spend simply putting your finger to the fingerprint scanner. Whether you use single or dual fingerprint identification, the time spent to unlock your account or access your device is definitely a lot shorter compared to the precious seconds you spend entering your password.
What’s more, biometric virtual identification is very convenient. When we think about passwords, we always have to remember them. Of course, there is a way to decrease that load on your memory cells by employing a password manager, but there are many cases where you cannot apply such a tool. And this is when virtual biometric identification becomes handy. It takes the load off your shoulders because you no longer need to store password-related information in your head. Instead of trying to remember the password, you just touch the fingerprint reader, and you’re in!
Another positive thing about dual fingerprint and other types of virtual biometric identification is that this type of authentication is accountable. In other words, when someone uses dual fingerprint or another biometric token to access something, the system can be sure that the data is being accessed by the authorized individual. After all, no one but the person in question should be in possession of the necessary tokens.
Finally, the best part about dual fingerprint identification is that it is more secure than single fingerprint identification. And biometric authentication as a whole is a lot more secure than your regular authentication process because you cannot “guess” or steal a fingerprint (unless you’re into spy movies or something).
Disadvantages of Dual Fingerprint Identification
No matter how advanced or secure a virtual identification method is, there will always be certain disadvantages you will face while using it. Thus, you should keep in mind certain limitations when you consider the possibility of using dual fingerprint identification.
As mentioned in the advantages section, biometric tokens are a lot more secure than the usual PINs and passwords. Nevertheless, it is still possible to steal them, and if someone steals your identity, there is no way to change the token because it is one of a kind. So it is important to ensure that your fingerprint information isn’t stolen. There have been reports about malicious apps that scan fingerprints illegally, and that information can, later on, be used to steal personal data. So, users need to be really careful about the software that they use. It is always a good idea to double-check the credibility of an app that requires biometric identification.
Another downside of virtual identification through dual fingerprints is the cost. Although fingerprint scanners are now extremely common, it might be still too expensive to implement them everywhere, especially if we’re talking about implementing them for specific smaller-scale use. Sometimes it is still recommended to resort to using manual methods when the number of users that require identification is low. Not to mention that the maintenance of a biometric system can prove to be too costly for certain businesses and we’re not talking just about using the system for mobile devices here.
Finally, fingerprint scanner performance may fluctuate because of the finger surface. If the fingers are dirty, wet, or dry, the scanner might not work properly. Consequently, several unsuccessful attempts to access the system may lock the user out of their device or deny access to the system for an indefinite amount of time. This might be quite unfortunate when you need to access something immediately, and suddenly you are barred from it. So, to put it simply, dual fingerprint identification is not fail-proof, and there might be instances when it doesn’t work.
Do I need to use dual fingerprint identification?
If you are considering implementing this type of virtual identification in your business, you should weigh all the pros and cons before you implement it. If you are an end user, and you are wondering if you should use dual fingerprint identification to protect your device, you might as well turn it on for a test run. If you find it that this type of authentication is not for you, you can always revert to the previous settings. The bottom line is that dual fingerprint is more secure than a single fingerprint, but both come with the same shortcomings that some users might want to consider.
