How Apple and Google will kill the password

the8thark · Jan 29, 2011

How Apple and Google will kill the password
How Apple and Google will kill the password - Computerworld

A good article but how will this fare with phone theft?

Buzzard2010 · Jan 29, 2011

I suppose it depends what kind of security they implement on your phone. Having to scan your fingerprint or a retina scan. Ahhh things of the future how I do love to dream of you. Although most things I dream of will probably come out when i'm old and gray and unable to use the teeny tiny OS's implemented on them let alone understand them anymore. lol

- Simon

Village Idiot · Jan 30, 2011

There's no way this would ever work in a corporate environment, especially one with multiple systems that require their own separate authentication. Some systems like that include off site apps.

I have at least 7 different systems that I have to have passwords for.

And not to mention that not everyone has a cell phone or one that is capable of doing this.

CrimsonRequiem · Jan 30, 2011

Even with biometrics, what is stoping someone from cleverly stealing your finger prints...or slicing off your finger. >_>? They can do the same with your eye if they wanted if they were desperate enough.

RONE · Jan 31, 2011

CrimsonRequiem said:
Even with biometrics, what is stoping someone from cleverly stealing your finger prints...or slicing off your finger. >_>? They can do the same with your eye if they wanted if they were desperate enough.

I saw that in a movie once.

Buzzard2010 · Jan 31, 2011

CrimsonRequiem said:
Even with biometrics, what is stoping someone from cleverly stealing your finger prints...or slicing off your finger. >_>? They can do the same with your eye if they wanted if they were desperate enough.

There is always a way around anything, nothing is impossible to get around and probably never will be.

- Simon

schweb · Jan 31, 2011

Village Idiot said:
There's no way this would ever work in a corporate environment, especially one with multiple systems that require their own separate authentication. Some systems like that include off site apps.

I have at least 7 different systems that I have to have passwords for.

And not to mention that not everyone has a cell phone or one that is capable of doing this.

That's not necessarily true. Many corporations use some sort of single sign on system. That's what they do where I work. It logs me into all the different applications I need to have access to.

Kevriano · Jan 31, 2011

RONE said:
I saw that in a movie once.

Demolition Man - classic!

I really don't see how this can be universally implemented to be honest.

the8thark · Jan 31, 2011

Kevriano said:
I really don't see how this can be universally implemented to be honest.

A lot of people didn't see how a $500 phone could ever become popular. But it did. Just because we can't see how it can be implemented today, does not mean it can't have a future use. Maybe in the future this might be wide spread. WHo knows.

technologist · Jan 31, 2011

Village Idiot said:
I have at least 7 different systems that I have to have passwords for.

Your admins are doing it wrong.

Village Idiot · Jan 31, 2011

technologist said:
Your admins are doing it wrong.

They're controlled by different people and different businesses, not to mention forums I use on top of those for asking work related questions like Utter Access, the MS user forums, and others. I'm doubting that they would collaborate with the government and I know that if the people I work for asked the other businesses to work together so that they could make logging in easier, they probably tell them to GTFO.

technologist · Jan 31, 2011

Village Idiot said:
I know that if the people I work for asked the other businesses to work together so that they could make logging in easier, they probably tell them to GTFO.

Like I said, doing it wrong.

EndlessMac · Jan 31, 2011

The idea the article creates at the beginning is kind of scary. It's already enough of a security risk losing our smartphones nowadays but if it could do all those things mentioned at the beginning of the article then it would be a gold mine for thieves.

I don't care how secure people say something is. A dedicated thief will find a way around the security. Allowing one device to have so much power and access to everything you do is asking for trouble in my opinion. Even if the criminal can't use your device because of the good security a person wouldn't be able to do much it seems until their device is replaced.

The rest of the article is about passwords and I feel that for people who are good about using strong passwords then the biometric IDs are more of a convenience rather than necessary. I understand that a lot of people choose simple passwords though mostly because they are too lazy to memorize a complex password so biometric ID can be useful for them. Although I still say that it's not a good idea to allow one device to access everything.