Synaptics has come up with innovation in Human Interface Technology, and it is a fingerprint scanner USB module called Turnkey. The company specializes in touchpads and mobile touchscreens, but lately, it has ventured into the biometrics zone. Last February, they had announced the launch of a fingerprint scanner small enough to fit into the volume button of a phone.
This new biometrics module can be attached to a laptop through a USB port. This is convenient and sounds secure enough. It is approved by FIDO, meaning that it meets the security standards. The module lets users log in to their computers with a touch.
Microsoft has reportedly been pushing its Hello and Passport security platforms of late. This Synaptics could make things like money transfer simpler and quicker. It looks like there is not much use of this module outside of business but one might have thought the same about Apple’s TouchID.
Hackers won’t be able to hack by just guessing or getting a password in any other way unless they can replicate a fingerprint. However, answers to certain security questions seem ambiguous or unanswered. Since this is a USB module, what if a hacker removes the module and simply hacks the password? The only way to combat this will be not to allow any logins to the device if the device is enabled and detached.
The company plans to start manufacturing it in the fourth quarter. We hope that by that time any such security concerns will be dealt with, as such technology has the potential to spread quickly, and any security risks could be a concern for the masses.
Keep checking back as we bring you more updates on the same.
