Facing up to security issues
Will selfies become the new password?
Smiling into cameras could become a way of life, even for those who think selfies are the worst aspect of a self-obsessed society
Could selfies — which the Urban Dictionary refers to as "the beginning of the end of intelligent civilisation" — revolutionise mobile payments?
Selfies are sooner associated with pouting teenagers than security systems, but don’t dismiss them too quickly. Pointing your camera at your own face may be a security measure that will give you access to your own bank account or be part of a system that unlocks the door to your house. Biometrics, a technology system that can identify a person using traits such as fingerprints, voice, iris and facial characteristics, is already used to control access to buildings. It is slowly replacing passwords, which — on their own — are becoming less secure. Passwords make up the principal security method used by the banking sector and any other service aimed at securing your personal information. And though passwords will remain the principal method of authentication because of their simplicity, new technology is being developed to complement and, in some sections, replace them. The department of home affairs has begun to roll out fingerprint identification at ports of entry. After introducing ...
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