Less than 2 days after the iPhone 5S launch, a German computer club named Germany’s Chaos Computer Club (CCC) claimed fame of being able to hack the fingerprint reader. Why? CCC wanted to show that biometrics is not suitable as an access control method. In other words, they don’t think the fingerprint reader is an adequate way to secure against hackers.
The computer club adds insult to injury by claiming that it’s easy to steal someone’s fingerprint. Use a 2400 dpi camera and create a mold left by the fingerprint. Let’s just say that you won’t find this stuff in a Home Depot and will need to be a little smarter than the average iPhone support user.
Of course, the Apple tech team defended itself by responding that the odds of matching a fingerprint are 1 in 50,000. This is tougher to crack than the 1 in 10,000 odds of guessing a 4-digit passcode. Well, that sounds pretty true, but if there’s a hacker that goes the extra mile in cracking the fingerprint reader, it will be able to be done.
Keep in mind that Apple’s fingerprint reader is pretty much the norm. The same touch ID security is used for the Samsung Galaxy and other phones. It’s just that the iPhone carries with it more hacking appeal.
Should you worry? Absolutely not, unless you’re a wanted criminal or have super-duper info on your iPhone that are invaluable. Keep in mind, your iPhone has to be out of your possession for someone to crack your fingerprint. If that were to happen, then maybe worry, but I wouldn’t lose sleep over it since these hackers usually invest their time over bigger and better owners who bring fame and fortune, no offense.