For the first time, we have determined the minimum surface area required for fingerprint scanning in order to achieve a level of security that is roughly comparable to the security achieved with a six-letter password. |
The algorithm we developed allows the system to make a transformation of the fingerprint image by encoding certain features of the fingerprint and then transforming them in a way that is unique to that fingerprint. |
This problem needs to be overcome before it will be possible to routinely replace passwords with fingerprints. |
This research paves the way toward efficient methods of preventing unauthorized access to handheld devices, such as cell phones, wireless handheld devices and electronic audio players, as well as to secure Web sites. It also will help make fingerprint matching for forensic applications more effective. |