Fingerprint readers

[aakerman]

I take it some here have had first-hand experiences with fingerprint readers on laptops... can you tell me a bit about the experience? Are they easy and smooth to use? How long does it take to read your finger? How reliable is it? What can the feature be used for?

In the reviews I've read most just say like "oh and it has a fingerprint reader" but doesn't bother to go into detail about it.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Most reviews don't go into much detail on it because for most consumers, it is a "gimmick" to them. For most users, it is a convenient way to securely access their computer.

Fingerprint readers come in two flavors to my knowledge: those associated with a hardware platform (aka TPM - Trusted Computing Platform I believe) and those that run solely through software.

It is a fair assumption that consumer-line notebooks with fingerprint readers run through software only. These check your fingerprint against information stored in the operating system and can only be configured to password protect your Windows logon.

Business line notebooks in general store fingerprint profiles in the TPM module, allowing you to associate fingerprint protection with power-on and hard drive encryption. If the hard drive is removed or formatted, your fingerprint still prevents the system from being used. They would have to switch out the mainboard, if even that would work.

I can't speak to other companies' fingerprint readers, but I know for a fact that Thinkpad (not Lenovo 3000 series) fingerprint readers' work off of the capacitance in your finger - i.e. your finger has to be alive for it to work. So someone can't cut your finger off to get access to your notebook. Comforting, isn't it?

 

[aakerman]

Indeed it is =) The one I'm looking at has a hardware solution.

Thanks for the explanation - can you comment on the usage of it - how fast does it work, and will it only grant access to exactly me out of 60 billion fingers worldwide?

edit: And oh - if you protect your bios with fingerprint ID, what about when it gets shipped in for service?

 

[corkyg]

I have used them now for going on two.5 years. I find the Sony Puppy FIU-810 to be very good - and can be highly tweaked for 'pickiness." The new model is on a thumb drive, and is very sensitive. The thumb drive also has a small 64 MB storage area on it for things like my Roboform Logins (encrypted.) I use it primarily on my laptop when I travel. Its config allows for finger print (choice of 10 fingers) or a password, or BOTH. That is the strongest.

Puppy

As you can see, it ain't a cheap toy.

BTW - you don't swipe a Puppy - you hold and it images the print and compares the image to the registered print or prints. Takes about a second or two.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I've used the ones on Thinkpads and they are all quick and responsive. Just keep your finger in the middle and slide slowly across the sensor, no problem. From the time you swipe your finger properly, I'd say it takes another 1-2 seconds afterward until the ID is completed and things progress from there. From what I've seen on other machines, that is about standard.

EDIT I forgot I used a Toshiba tablet with fingerprint scanner, just as quick as the Thinkpad.

 

[WackyDan]

Each finger enrollment captures 30 points of data, creating a mathmatical formula that on authentication muct ramdomly match 10 of those 30 points. There is no way someone can make a copy of your fingerprint this way.

Also, TPM only is involved IF you are using an advanced piece of software. For Lenovo, this is their Client Security Solution. Their FPR software alone does not use the TPM to the best of my knowledge when used alone.

To get password management yo have to install Client Security Solution though....Other vendors will have different bundles that may work differently.

I love it.