With the rise of phishing attacks and sophisticated hacking activities, passwords are becoming less popular due to their security vulnerabilities. But the new Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensor may not be prone to as many vulns.
Fingerprint scanning technology is now becoming more secure, as Qualcomm has upgraded its on-screen fingerprint reader to unlock a smartphone.
The company’s new 3D Sonic Max is 20mm by 30mm, according to CNET. That’s much bigger than previous versions of the sensor that were 4mm by 9mm and 8mm by 8mm. That should fix issues people had with placing their finger on the exact right spot.
According to Endgadget, Qualcomm’s chip uses ultrasound to get an impression of the surface texture of your prints, which solves a few problems with prior versions of this technology:
- It allows users to use the scanner with wet fingers, so the sensor will still work after a workout or in the summer.
- As previously mentioned, the scanner is 17 times larger than its predecessor, so it can authenticate two fingers at once. This can be useful for accessing apps that should be more secure, like banking, finance or sensitive information about your employer.
- A larger sensor captures more information about your fingerprints.
- The company also fixed a security flaw that allowed anyone to access a Samsung smartphone via the sensor using a $3 silicone cover.
Apple is apparently next on board to use the feature, according to the Economic Daily News, set to put the technology in a smartphone within the next two years.
Qualcomm told PCMag that the new sensor will allow them to target medical equipment, using the technology to detect things like blood flow and other health data.
In a 2016 blog, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky cited some of the above concerns and said Qualcomm’s ultrasonic sensors should solve those issues, but still noted vulnerabilities with this technology.
Leave a Reply