Biometric securityis massively
oversold, technology guruPeter Cochranehas told Computer
Weekly. Society already has the perfect set of tools for securing
ID, he said, it just has not learned to implement them
properly.
In an exclusive interview, the respected former chief technology
officer and head of research at BT, now chair of the Cochrane
Associates consultancy, shared his despair at the way each new
identification technique is presented.
"All companies present you with their new invention the holy
grail," he complained. "But measuring someone's gait, or the veins
in their palm, only works in ideal conditions. If you carry a
laptop, for example, that dramatically changes the way you walk,"
he said.
Over-selling new security applications means Britain's economy
wastes millions of pounds on new inventions when we already have
all the tools we need, he said.
"
Iris scanning is six degrees more accurate than even DNA," he
said. "The only drawback is we have not learned to use it
efficiently. Look at the commotion that is created when they put
iris scanners in airports."
Meanwhile, said Cochrane, the security industry has ignored one
of the simplest but most effective forms of biometrics for decades:
rhythm. "When we type, whether it is at the keyboard or the
cashpoint, we all have a unique rhythm," he explained. "If you can
measure that, you can identify anyone."
Knowledge of these biometric rhythms dates back to the Second
World War, when British intelligence found they could recognise the
rhythms of every telegram operator. "If a spy sent a telegraph, it
was possible for an skilled operator to detect that this was an
unusual source. You cannot even tap out a telegram without giving
away your ID."