Bad Science: Biometric security is weak.

http://www.badscience.net/2007/11/make-your-own-id/

Biometric fingerprint data's not as secure as you might hope. Not only can it be foiled by a gelatin cast of your finger, or even a digital photo of your fingerprint turned into a geletin cast of your finger, but apparently the numeric conversion of your finger's data, stored in the biometric database, or on your ID card, or what have you, can be translated back into your fingerprint according to a paper by mathematicians at MSU. Check that link for details- and a MythBusters episode where they make a gelatin fingerprint and go around foiling locks with it.

(As it happens, my cousin Simon is a sociologist who writes about the unreliability of forensic fingerprinting. It's a neat topic!)

Thanks to rhythmaning for pointing to the article and reminding me about Ben Goldacre's blog / Guardian column, bad_science. I used to read his column, back before RSS feeds. :)

Speaking of awful security, I can't imagine how angry I would be if my data (or my children's) were on those lost CDs in the UK post. Angry and scared, most likely.

Indeed, I wonder who's stupid enough to send around unencrypted CDs by the non-registerd postal service here in North America.

Poll: what should this room be called?

What should (or could) this room be called?

Before I worked at the university, I worked in this room. Now, I don't much, though it's where I do household filing, bill-paying, computer stuff, hobby stuff, some reading, and playing with the pooch (and d.)

It has: a desk, file drawers, files, computer equipment, my books (those which by mutual consent aren't in the shared rooms of the house- my science-fiction (as opposed to d's science-fiction), computer books, howto books, and so on), CDs, a stereo, a bit of hobby equipment, and miscellaneous storage in the closets.

There's one office chair, and I've been meaning to add an armchair as well.

The question arises because d. and I have different names for the room, and according to one of us, only one of them is correct. ;) This of this poll as along the lines of frankie_ecap's domestic strife polls. :)

[Poll #1094163]