Here is an interesting post from Kim Cameron. It seems his new laptop is really good at collecting fingerprints… right beside the fingerprint reader.
IdentityBlog – Fingerprint Charade
The net of all of this was to drive home, yet again, just how silly it is to use a “public” secret as a proof of identity. The fact that I can somehow “demonstrate knowledge” of a given fingerprint means nothing. Identification is only possible by physically verifying that my finger embodies the fingerprint. Without physical verifcation, what kind of a lock does the fingerprint reader provide? A lock which conveniently offers every thief the key.