If you have a phone with facial recognition software or a laptop that unlocks with the touch of a finger, you’ve already experienced the world of biometrics. Biometrics is a way of identifying people based on their physical traits. But even though biometric technology is everywhere these days, it comes with serious—and potentially permanent—risks to users. For this reason, biometrics should not be used to protect particularly sensitive information like bank accounts and credit card credentials.
Proponents of biometric technology argue that it’s more secure than a traditional PIN or password. Everybody has unique fingerprints and retina, for example, so biometric data should be impossible to fake. Yet this reliance on unique traits is also one of biometrics’ biggest problems. Imagine someone lifts your fingerprints from a surface. If you have a touch identification system set up on your devices or accounts, a hacker could theoretically use those prints to gain access. And once that happens, your security might be compromised forever. After all, you can always change a password, but not your physical characteristics.
Which of the following best describes the perspective presented in this passage?
A
Hackers have developed methods to steal biometric data.
B
Biometric technology is not secure enough to guard sensitive information.
C
Biometric technology is safer than a traditional password or PIN.
D
Biometrics is a way of verifying identity based on physical characteristics.
