Schneier on Security

Richard Steven Hack • July 26, 2011 9:29 AM

Yes, I read a couple article on this over the last week. From a surveillance standpoint, this could prove to be fairly bad news.

In science fiction, one occasionally reads about "retinal scanners" that can scan the eye from long distance. I suspect this technology is being developed as well.

One problem I see for the foreseeable future, however, is where they get the database of retinas. Presumably they will start collecting those from new criminals, just as they have started collecting DNA samples of all criminals these day. But it will be a while before they collect enough to be useful.

The fingerprint scanner in the device, OTOH, is immediately useful of course.

From a criminal's standpoint, this just means never give a cop a reason to stop you on the street or anywhere else. That's pretty much been true for decades anyway due to fingerprinting. And if a cop does stop you, might as well whip out the piece and throw down because your fake driver's ID isn't going to work anymore.

With the rise of technology being applied to law enforcement, at some point it's going to be necessary for just about all criminals to be armed with heavier weapons than the average cop, trained in the use of arms to the same degree as a cop, and willing to kill any cop at any confrontation. There just won't be any other options if you want to stay out of jail.

In other words, crime in the US will look like Mexico.

Unless of course someone comes up with a way to beat the scanner, just as fake fingerprints can be made. Contacts with different retinal patterns or "camouflage patterns" that defeat the scan without being detectible themselves. Someone will come up with something, presumably.

Richard Steven Hack • July 26, 2011 9:52 PM

Tommy: The cut out eye bit has been done numerous times. The most recent I saw was last year's season two of Human Target. In the first episode, the crooks took the eye of a deceased billionaire in order to get into his private vault at a bank in Switzerland. Two eye scans were needed, one from his wife and his. They kidnapped the wife and physically brought her along to get them into the bank.

The time before that was on the "Blade: The Series" show in the last episode where Blade cut out an architect's eyeball in order to get into a building with retinal scan locks.

I wonder how easy it would be to cut out an eye and not cause inflammation or bloodshot eyes that would mess up the scan. Probably would need a surgical removal and a special medical container to minimize the damage until it could be used.

Fingers are a lot easier.

Richard Steven Hack • July 27, 2011 8:25 AM

Dom De Vitto: You know, the hilarious thing about that movie is that it took me months after seeing it to realize that it was a direct remake of "Casablanca".

I must be really dense.

Richard Steven Hack • July 27, 2011 10:03 PM

I spoke too soon about cut off fingers. :-) From today:

Fingerprint scans learn to spot chopped-off fingers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/27/...