Cyber Security
COVERRE FEATU
Does COVID-19 signal the end for fingerprint recognition? By Michael Warnock, Head of Growth APAC at SecureAuth
40 | Cyber Risk Leaders Magazine
W
hile COVID-19 has thrown doubt and uncertainty onto almost everything, one thing is for certain – we have never been more conscious of where our hands are going. The incessant reminders to ‘wash your hands’ have highlighted how easily germs are picked up and transferred by touching and there’s been a rapid adoption of contactless…well everything really. Contactless deliveries, contactless medical appointments, even contactless schooling, the list is endless. At some point, the threat posed by COVID-19 will recede, and people may resume shaking hands and hugging each other. By then, however, the habits we’ve formed and the innovations developed now to build our new contactless economic system will have taken root. So what does that mean for touch-based technology such as fingerprint recognition security systems commonly used on smart devices, building management systems, border control and the like? In New York City, the NYPD stopped employees from using the fingerprint entry security procedure but does COVID-19 really herald the end of fingerprint recognition?
Up the hygiene ante Fingerprint recognition is a secure and convenient technology that has become common and widespread and in the short-medium term remains a key part of many robust security systems. With that in mind, sensible use of the technology can help to significantly prevent the spread of germs Contact with fingerprint recognition is different from touching other surfaces in that it involves intended, mindful contacts, as opposed to surfaces such as the poles in buses and trains, elevators, ATMs, door handles, handrails, tables, credit cards and money which come in contact with countless people. This means we can help protect ourselves by keeping hand sanitiser next to fingerprint recognitions sensors and directing people to use it before and after touching the sensor.
Multifactor authentication The sudden shift to remote working due to COVID-19 has seen many businesses grappling with their existing security
