Are you really that surprised that biometric data has been leaked?

Yet another example of how all of the data that companies are so busy gathering on people do not outweigh the risks. However this one is different as it was designed as a top drawer security solution. Biometrics is used everywhere for security access. That said, it is simply another piece of your personal identification.

Companies like to make the convenient claims as to why gathering and using this data is important, but they never tell what happens when they will be breached and the data falls into the wrong hands. Oops!

Think about it. Any organization that gathers information into one reservoir about people will always be at rise as hackers will eventually penetrate their defences. It is not a question of if, but a question of when. You can see countless stories that we published on breaches. We even called our news column the Daily Breach to emphasize the point!

There are so many organizations gathering sensitive data on users and we know that they cannot protect the data from being hacked. Governments have been breached! Banks have been breached! Facebook has been breached! How good is your security compared to them?

It may be already too late, but we need to reverse this mad dash to grab as much data as possible from people! It is so common for retail clerks to not even ask for your info as they just “demand” it as if it is required to do business with them. First question…what’s your phone number? Or my favourite “ What’s your e-mail address?” Why would you have to give up this information to buy a shoe? Unfortunately, these sales clerks have become the frontline zombies that are doing the dirty work for the data miners in the back room. I wonder what incentives are offered to their sales clerks in return for extracting the information from shoppers?

STOP giving your data to any organization. Create a fake identity if you want to feed the frenzy and get your discounts. Always assume that every piece of your data will be eventually used against you. You already know how your Facebook data has been exploited so you know just how valuable your data can be to advertisers and politicians.

Every time you upload a piece of your life to the Internet or to any company for any reason, you are giving up a piece your identity. A piece that can be added to the data miners who will connect the dots to continually build a bigger picture of you. And worst, people give this up for free or to get a 10% discount off a purchase. How cheap it has become to get personal information! It has become an inside joke for the data minders as they are dumbfounded as to just how easy it is to get people to give up their personal information.

When your biometric and DNA, medical and governmental data get stolen, what’s left? These companies who make up stories about why it is necessary to get and gather deeper bio information on people is using the upside to win their argument while hiding the downside to keep people in the dark.

If data came with a side effect warning “By submitting your information, you will be at 99% risk of having your data being used to steal your identity and give you pain for the rest of your life” then would you still give up your info?

Think about it…

Check out more details on the bio breach at VPN Mentor who did a great job of breaking down this damage.

FYI – Suprema Inc. is a Korea-based company in the biometrics business. They offer fingerprint systems and fingerprint solutions. Its fingerprint systems include Internet protocol (IP)-based access control and time attendance terminals under the brand names of BioStation, BioStar, BioEntry, BioLite Net, BioLite Solo, Xpass and others. It also provides identity (ID) solutions, such as electronic passport readers under the brand name RealPass and fingerprint live scanners under the brand name RealScan.