Windows Hello and Apple Face ID - Is it secure…?

For those Windows 10/11 users who are still using passwords, Windows Hello offers a more personal and secure way to log in to your devices using a biometrics (facial recognition or a fingerprint) or a PIN.?For Apple users there’s Face ID and Fingerprint Scanner.?Both work on similar principles but are they secure?

If like me you do DIY and are prone to damaging your fingers then you should probably enrol more than one finger on your device – I for one find from time to time that fingerprints won’t work because of a scratch or missing chunk from my fingertip!?That aside, it should deter most curious work colleagues so I’m a fan of them on pc’s and phones.

But what about facial recognition??Well the technology in Windows Hello (and Apple’s Face ID) both include measures for determining that you are a living being (3D structured light analysis) so I’m not that concerned about using facial ID to log on too.

The over-riding question therefore is what if my biometrics get stolen by a hacker, then what?

Well the key to all these solutions is where and how the biometric information is stored.?Windows use the now ubiquitous TPM chip and Apple use Secure Enclave.?Neither stores actual images of your fingerprint or face but instead store encrypted data points that are used to identify you.?More importantly these data points cannot be reverse engineered to reconstruct your biometrics.

So is it secure??Here at InfoSecurity People we think so but as with everything IT related it’s only secure until its successfully hacked which is why the final decision comes down to each user or company to make that decision.

Feel free to give me a call on 0113 8691242 and I will talk you though the process of securing, supporting and managing your PC and Mac estate.